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Key step in the production of beta-amyloid

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have defined a key step in the production of beta-amyloid, a short protein that is thought to be responsible for the development of Alzheimer's disease. Understanding this step may aid in the discovery of drugs that could help block the disease from developing.

11 Aug 2005

New study points to new treatments for some forms of Lou Gehrig's disease

A new study indicates that mutant Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) enzymes that are associated with an inherited form of Lou Gehrig's disease cause the protein to become sticky in tissues. Partial unfolding of the mutant protein can expose hydrophobic residues that may promote abnormal interactions with other proteins or membranes in the cell.

11 Aug 2005

Strawberries most effective at inducing cancer cell death

Strawberries may be the most effective of the five most commonly consumed berries at inducing cancer cell death, according to a recent study conducted at the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition.

10 Aug 2005

Certain gene variation associated with better mobility for older individuals who exercise

Older individuals with a certain gene variation who exercise are less likely to develop mobility limitations than individuals without the gene variation, according to a study in the August 10 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

10 Aug 2005

Placental tissue could feasibly provide an abundant source of cells with the same potential to treat diseases as embryonic stem cells

Routinely discarded as medical waste, placental tissue could feasibly provide an abundant source of cells with the same potential to treat diseases and regenerate tissues as their more controversial counterparts, embryonic stem cells, suggests a University of Pittsburgh study to be published in the journal Stem Cells and available now as an early online publication in Stem Cells Express.

10 Aug 2005

Enzyme involved in blood pressure regulation may also influence how the body responds to exercise

New research suggests why some older adults who exercise have better physical function than others. Surprisingly, researchers found that an enzyme involved in blood pressure regulation may also influence how the body responds to exercise.

9 Aug 2005

Over-supply of blood sugar could be a major cause of erectile dysfunction in diabetic men

Researchers have found that one particular simple sugar, present in increased levels in diabetics, interferes with the chain of events needed to achieve and maintain erection and can lead to permanent penile impairment over time.

9 Aug 2005

Scientists enhance the anti-cancer properties of a digitalis, a drug commonly used to treat heart disease

Employing a simple new technique to manipulate the sugars that power many front-line drugs, a team of Wisconsin scientists has enhanced the antic-cancer properties of a digitalis, a drug commonly used to treat heart disease.

9 Aug 2005

U.S. company wants to commercialise breast milk

It has long been acknowledged that breast milk, with its minerals, digestive enzymes and antibodies, keeps babies healthy and boosts their intelligence.

7 Aug 2005

New study aims to understand the intricate biochemistry governing gene regulation

In their efforts to understand the complex biology of life, scientists often seek to isolate individual elements of the puzzle for study, to break the problem down to a more manageable size. Single genes and molecules are closely analyzed to better understand their specific interactions with other single entities within larger systems.

4 Aug 2005

Omega-6 fatty acids promote the growth of prostate tumor cells in the laboratory

A study conducted at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) has demonstrated that omega-6 fatty acids such as the fat found in corn oil promote the growth of prostate tumor cells in the laboratory.

2 Aug 2005

Discovery that oxidative stress from pollen is as important as antigen exposure could lead to new therapies

For a person with allergies or asthma, breathing in pollen can be a very bad thing. Within minutes of inhalation by someone sensitive to their effects, these tiny particles can trigger severe inflammation of the respiratory passages, producing uncontrollable sneezing, coughing, or extreme shortness of breath -- symptoms agonizingly familiar to those who suffer from allergy and asthma attacks.

1 Aug 2005

Researchers have identified a pathway that is specific for cancer

When cancer spreads, people often die. That's why a lot of cancer research and drugs focus on the metabolic pathways that allow cancer to metastasize -- to spread from one part of the body to another.

1 Aug 2005

Inhibitors of cellular enzymes could be developed for SARS treatment

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found that inhibitors of an enzyme called cathepsin L prevent the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus from entering target cells. SARS is caused by an emergent coronavirus. There is no effective treatment at this time.

1 Aug 2005

New understanding of cell movement may yield ways to brake cancer's spread

From birth until death, our cells migrate: nerve cells make their vital connections, embryonic cells move to the proper places to form organs, immune cells zero in to destroy pathogenic organisms, and cancer cells metastasize, spreading deadly disease through the body. Scientists studying these migrations didn't know how cells determined where to go. Until now.

1 Aug 2005

Cannabis drugs may benefit those with bowel disease

UK scientists say they believe that patients with inflammatory bowel disease may benefit from cannabis-based drugs.

1 Aug 2005

Heparinase I is not a suitable replacement for protamine

The results of an international clinical trial led by Duke University Medical Center researchers has shown that a new drug is not a suitable replacement for protamine, a drug that has been used for more than 40 years after coronary artery bypass surgery to return thinned blood to its normal state.

1 Aug 2005

Controlling the expression of genes by turning them on or off could produce a drug for the treatment or cure of almost any disease

A new technique aimed at directly controlling the expression of genes by turning them on or off at the DNA level could lead to drugs for the treatment or cure of many diseases, say researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

1 Aug 2005

Two studies reveal how plague disables immune system

Two studies by researchers at the University of Chicago show how the bacteria that cause the plague manage to outsmart the immune system and how, by slightly altering one of the microbe's tools, the researchers produced what may be the first safe and effective vaccine.

1 Aug 2005

Stress delays wound healing

Wound healing is slow when an animal is stressed, but extra oxygen almost completely reverses the effect, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

28 Jul 2005

Enzyme News and Research

Key step in the production of beta-amyloid

New study points to new treatments for some forms of Lou Gehrig's disease

Strawberries most effective at inducing cancer cell death

Certain gene variation associated with better mobility for older individuals who exercise

Placental tissue could feasibly provide an abundant source of cells with the same potential to treat diseases as embryonic stem cells

Enzyme involved in blood pressure regulation may also influence how the body responds to exercise

Over-supply of blood sugar could be a major cause of erectile dysfunction in diabetic men

Scientists enhance the anti-cancer properties of a digitalis, a drug commonly used to treat heart disease

U.S. company wants to commercialise breast milk

New study aims to understand the intricate biochemistry governing gene regulation

Omega-6 fatty acids promote the growth of prostate tumor cells in the laboratory

Discovery that oxidative stress from pollen is as important as antigen exposure could lead to new therapies

Researchers have identified a pathway that is specific for cancer

Inhibitors of cellular enzymes could be developed for SARS treatment

New understanding of cell movement may yield ways to brake cancer's spread

Cannabis drugs may benefit those with bowel disease

Heparinase I is not a suitable replacement for protamine

Controlling the expression of genes by turning them on or off could produce a drug for the treatment or cure of almost any disease

Two studies reveal how plague disables immune system

Stress delays wound healing

Biochemical Assays for Efficient Hit Prioritization After Screening eBook

Decoding Cannabis: Differentiating Hemp and Marijuana

Deciphering the Microbiome with The Microsetta Initiative

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

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