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Two genetic alterations linked to benign enzyme condition keep hepatitis C patients anemia-free

Many people who undergo treatment for hepatitis C develop hemolytic anemia, a disorder that destroys red blood cells. In some cases, it is so severe they have to reduce their medication or stop therapy altogether. But now, scientists in Duke University's Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy have discovered two genetic alterations linked to a benign enzyme condition that keep some patients anemia-free.

21 Feb 2010

Brain and tissue sample repository to help advance understanding and treatment of psychiatric diseases

Johns Hopkins Children's Center neurovirologist Robert Yolken, M.D., and collaborators from the Stanley Medical Research Institute have developed a large repository of brain and tissue samples to advance the understanding and treatment of bipolar disorder, major depression and schizophrenia.

20 Feb 2010

Enzyme can allow nerve cells in brain to grow and form complex networks: Study

Brain researcher Hiroshi Kawabe has discovered the workings of a process that had been completely overlooked until now, and that allows nerve cells in the brain to grow and form complex networks. The study shows that an enzyme which usually controls the destruction of protein components has an unexpected function in nerve cells: it controls the structure of the cytoskeleton and thus ensures that nerve cells can form the tree-like extensions that are necessary for signal transmission in the brain.

20 Feb 2010

Ways of stem cells division linked to development of cancer

Changes in the way that stem cells divide in the gut could lead to cancer, according to a new study funded by the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK.

20 Feb 2010

UCSF professor receives 2010 AADR Distinguished Scientist Award

The American Association for Dental Research (AADR) has announced that John Greenspan, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), is the recipient of the 2010 AADR Distinguished Scientist Award. This award will be presented to Greenspan at the 39th AADR Annual Meeting & Exhibition in Washington, DC, March 3, 2010.

20 Feb 2010

Animal study shows calcineurin enzyme is critical for normal heart function

Scientists are reporting the first-ever data to show that the enzyme calcineurin is critical in controlling normal development and function of heart cells, and that loss of the protein leads to heart problems and death in genetically modified mice.

20 Feb 2010

US scientists develop new technique to track the progression of cancer

US scientists have developed a new technique that allows them to track the progression of a person's cancer by uncovering changes in their tumour's genetic material.

19 Feb 2010

Researchers identify specific metabolic profiles that predict risk of heart attack and death

Tiny bits of molecular "trash" found in circulating blood appear to be good predictors of cardiovascular disease and untimely death, say researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

19 Feb 2010

Polyphor discovers new class of antibiotics effective against multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria

Today, Polyphor Ltd published the discovery of a new class of antibiotics with a novel mode of action (Science, VOL 327, ISSUE 5968). This proprietary new class of antibiotics is effective against multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria, opening up new treatment options for serious and often life-threatening infections. The most advanced drug candidate in this new class, POL7080, selectively kills the dangerous bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

19 Feb 2010

Kinesin protein motor shuttles cargo within cells and helps cells divide by rocking like a seesaw

Life's smallest motor, a protein that shuttles cargo within cells and helps cells divide, does so by rocking up and down like a seesaw, according to research conducted by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Brandeis University.

19 Feb 2010

Scientists develop new way to make simple oil droplets smart enough to navigate through complex maze

Call them oil droplets with a brain or even "chemo-rats." Scientists in Illinois have developed a way to make simple oil droplets "smart" enough to navigate through a complex maze almost like a trained lab rat. The finding could have a wide range of practical implications, including helping cancer drugs to reach their target and controlling the movement of futuristic nano-machines, the scientists say.

19 Feb 2010

Variations among individual organisms attributed to differences in genes, environment or chance

Biologists attribute variations among individual organisms to differences in genes or environment, or both. But a new study of nematode worms with identical genes, raised in identical environments, has revealed another factor: chance.

19 Feb 2010

Rib-X Pharmaceuticals co-founder discovers new ribosomal structures of antibiotics

Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a development-stage antibiotics company with a broad product pipeline based on its innovative discovery platform, and Yale University today announced the discovery by Thomas Steitz, Ph.D., co-founder of Rib-X and Yale University professor, of important new ribosomal structures of antibiotics, enabling the potential creation of novel treatments for drug resistant infections, including resistant tuberculosis (TB).

19 Feb 2010

University of Missouri researchers visualize "terminals" inside proline degrading enzyme

If subway terminals didn't exist and people had to exit subway stations to switch subway lines, transit time would increase. People also may encounter distractions, such as grabbing a cup of coffee, instead of getting on the other line. Molecules also use "terminals" to save transit time during enzyme-catalyzed processes. Using advanced X-radiation techniques, University of Missouri researchers were able to visualize one of these terminals inside of an enzyme that degrades proline, which is an amino acid that has a central role in metabolism.

19 Feb 2010

Major challenge facing today's toxicologists: Developing test systems to predict toxicity of compounds

Attagene Inc., a leader in developing innovative technologies for analyzing gene regulatory pathways, announced today the online publication of a paper in Chemical Research in Toxicology, a journal of the American Chemical Society, that highlights results of their collaborative work with the Environmental Protection Agency's National Center for Computational Toxicology (NCCT).

19 Feb 2010

Cancer genomes: Distinguishing between 'driver' and 'passenger' mutations

A new study of mutations in cancer genomes shows how researchers can begin to distinguish the 'driver' mutations that push cells towards cancer from the 'passenger' mutations that are a by-product of cancer cell development. The study also shows that at least one in nine genes can be removed without killing human cells.

19 Feb 2010

Harboring NRF2 gene may increase probability of being an endurance athlete

A few minor variations in one gene may make a difference in athletic endurance, according to a new study from Physiological Genomics.

19 Feb 2010

Most genetic abnormalities shared across multiple cancers

An international team of researchers has created a genome-scale map of 26 different cancers, revealing more than 100 genomic sites where DNA from tumors is either missing or abnormally duplicated compared to normal tissues. The study, the largest of its kind, finds that most of these genetic abnormalities are not unique to one form of cancer, but are shared across multiple cancers. The work appears in the February 18 issue of the journal Nature.

19 Feb 2010

Study analyzes genome and exome sequence data from hunter-gatherer participants of South Africa

In a study published online today in Nature, a team of researchers from Penn State University and the University New South Wales present the complete genome sequences of an indigenous hunter-gatherer from the Kalahari Desert and a Bantu from southern Africa, along with three additional whole exome sequences of Kalahari hunter-gatherers.

19 Feb 2010

Simple molecular kit to reprogram any cell of the body into another

In an effort to sidestep the ethical dilemma involved in using human embryonic stem cells to treat diseases, scientists are developing non-controversial alternatives: In particular, they are looking for drug-like chemical compounds that can transform adult skin cells into the stem cells now obtained from human embryos. That's the topic of a fascinating article in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS' weekly newsmagazine.

19 Feb 2010

Medical Science News

Two genetic alterations linked to benign enzyme condition keep hepatitis C patients anemia-free

Brain and tissue sample repository to help advance understanding and treatment of psychiatric diseases

Enzyme can allow nerve cells in brain to grow and form complex networks: Study

Ways of stem cells division linked to development of cancer

UCSF professor receives 2010 AADR Distinguished Scientist Award

Animal study shows calcineurin enzyme is critical for normal heart function

US scientists develop new technique to track the progression of cancer

Researchers identify specific metabolic profiles that predict risk of heart attack and death

Polyphor discovers new class of antibiotics effective against multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria

Kinesin protein motor shuttles cargo within cells and helps cells divide by rocking like a seesaw

Scientists develop new way to make simple oil droplets smart enough to navigate through complex maze

Variations among individual organisms attributed to differences in genes, environment or chance

Rib-X Pharmaceuticals co-founder discovers new ribosomal structures of antibiotics

University of Missouri researchers visualize "terminals" inside proline degrading enzyme

Major challenge facing today's toxicologists: Developing test systems to predict toxicity of compounds

Cancer genomes: Distinguishing between 'driver' and 'passenger' mutations

Harboring NRF2 gene may increase probability of being an endurance athlete

Most genetic abnormalities shared across multiple cancers

Study analyzes genome and exome sequence data from hunter-gatherer participants of South Africa

Simple molecular kit to reprogram any cell of the body into another

Small solutions for big problems in drug discovery and delivery

Professor Nancy Ip: Pioneering New Paths in Neurodegenerative Therapy

Utilizing process Raman in optimizing cultivated meat production

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