DNA Replication News and Research

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DNA replication, the basis for biological inheritance, is a fundamental process occurring in all living organisms to copy their DNA. This process is "semiconservative" in that each strand of the original double-stranded DNA molecule serves as template for the reproduction of the complementary strand. Hence, following DNA replication, two identical DNA molecules have been produced from a single double-stranded DNA molecule. Cellular proofreading and error-checking mechanisms ensure near perfect fidelity for DNA replication.

Stowers team reports genome-wide analysis of genes that drive cell division in multicellular organism

In textbooks, the grand-finale of cell division is the tug-of-war fought inside dividing cells as duplicated pairs of chromosomes get dragged in opposite directions into daughter cells.

3 Apr 2014

Researchers discover protein for treatment of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is an aggressive type of cancer with a poor prognosis for which there is currently no effective treatment. Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have discovered for the first time that an epithelial basement membrane protein, called laminin-5 gamma-2 (LAMC2), has the potential to be an ideal target for the treatment of ATC.

19 Feb 2014

NUS researchers discover promising treatment for anaplastic thyroid carcinoma

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is an aggressive type of cancer with a poor prognosis for which there is currently no effective treatment. Researchers from the National University of Singapore have discovered for the first time that an epithelial basement membrane protein, called laminin-5 gamma-2 (LAMC2), has the potential to be an ideal target for the treatment of ATC.

18 Feb 2014

Researchers detail how psoralen blocks signaling pathway of HER2-positive cancers

A common compound known to fight lymphoma and skin conditions actually has a second method of action that makes it particularly deadly against certain aggressive breast tumors, researchers at Duke Medicine report.

18 Feb 2014

Pfizer’s palbociclib Phase 2 trial achieves primary endpoint in patients with advanced breast cancer

Pfizer Inc. today announced that the randomized Phase 2 trial [PALOMA-1] of palbociclib achieved its primary endpoint by demonstrating a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) for the combination of palbociclib and letrozole compared with letrozole alone in post-menopausal women with estrogen receptor positive (ER+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HER2-) locally advanced or newly diagnosed metastatic breast cancer.

4 Feb 2014

International study develops refined method to identify individuals at risk for certain inherited cancer

An international study has developed a refined method to identify people at risk for certain inherited cancer as a result of Lynch syndrome.

15 Jan 2014

Activation of protein P300 plays central role in DNA repair in hippocampal neurons

Various medications have been developed to treat neurodegenerative disorders, and drugs without significant side effects are gaining widespread interest such disorders.

27 Dec 2013

Scientists unveil novel piece of puzzle of cancer cell DNA repair mechanisms

Research with a Finnish background facilitates the development of more effective cancer medication. Cancer cells have an exceptional ability to repair damage to their DNA caused during uncontrolled cell division.

10 Dec 2013

Researchers discover new human enzyme that facilitates DNA repair during DNA copying process

Every day, the human body produces new cells to regenerate tissues and repair those that have suffered injury. Each time this happens, the cells make copies of their DNA that they will pass on to the resulting daughter cells. This process of copying the DNA, also called replication, is very delicate, given that it can generate severe alterations in the DNA that are associated with malignant transformation or ageing.

21 Nov 2013

A*STAR scientists discover potential target to weed out progression of cancer

Scientists at A*STAR have discovered an enzyme, Wip1 phosphatase, as a potential target to weed out the progression of cancer. Although studies in the past have revealed that this enzyme plays a critical role in regulating the budding of tumours, scientists have for the first time unearthed a mechanism for its mode of action.

10 Nov 2013

Research findings could offer new insights into how defective cells can multiply in diseases

A rudimentary form of life that is found in some of the harshest environments on earth is able to sidestep normal replication processes and reproduce by the back door, researchers at The University of Nottingham have found.

5 Nov 2013

Diverse Neurological Disorders Appear To Share Tangled Metabolic Roots

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10 Oct 2013

Gene mutation offers clues to development of diverse neurological disorders

A research team, headed by Theodore Friedmann, MD, professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, says a gene mutation that causes a rare but devastating neurological disorder known as Lesch-Nyhan syndrome appears to offer clues to the developmental and neuronal defects found in other, diverse neurological disorders like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases.

10 Oct 2013

New research explains how DNA strands repair themselves

Researchers have discovered the details of how cells repair breaks in both strands of their DNA, a potentially devastating kind of DNA damage.

12 Sep 2013

Study: Changes in expression of various isoforms might play role in cancer development

Spool-like proteins called histones play a crucial role in packaging the nearly seven feet of DNA found in most human cells. A new study shows that a group of histones that are thought to behave the same way actually are functionally distinct proteins.

4 Sep 2013

Researchers discover role played by epigenetic factors in senescence and age-related diseases

One way cells promote tumor suppression is through a process called senescence, an irreversible arrest of proliferation. Senescence is thought to be associated with normal aging, but is also a protective measure by the body against run-away cell replication.

31 Aug 2013

Michigan researchers use TACC supercomputers to understand DNA bending, repair mechanisms

The biological information that makes us unique is encoded in our DNA. DNA damage is a natural biological occurrence that happens every time cells divide and multiply. External factors such as overexposure to sunlight can also damage DNA.

17 Aug 2013

Findings may allow lower doses of chemotherapy, limit toxic side effects

In research recently published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, Alessandro Vindigni, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Saint Louis University, discovered how cancer cells respond to the damage caused by an important class of anti-cancer drugs, topoisomerase I inhibitors.

7 Aug 2013

Joints of children with chronic inflammatory arthritis contain premature aging of immune cells

The joints of children with the most common form of chronic inflammatory arthritis contain immune cells that resemble those of 90-year-olds, according to a new study led by researchers at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

30 Jul 2013

Scientists discover new details of biochemical interactions necessary for cell division

Building on earlier work exploring the complex choreography by which intricate cellular proteins interact with and copy DNA prior to cell division, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory and collaborators have captured a key step-molecular images showing how the enzyme that unwinds the DNA double helix gets drawn to and wrapped around its target.

15 Jul 2013