Protein News and Research

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Proteins are complex molecules that are made up of amino acids. They can be found in every cell in the body, and carry out vital processes that keep human beings alive. Mutations in proteins can lead to a multitude of diseases, the most common being cancer.

University of Luxembourg researchers identify potential new ways to test colorectal cancer

Researchers at the University of Luxembourg have identified potential new ways to test for the first signs of one of the most deadly types of cancer: colorectal cancer. They have found new "biomarkers": molecules whose increased presence or absence in tissue suggests the development of tumorous cells. These indicators could help detect colorectal cancer at an early stage, predict its severity or even offer new treatments.

9 Oct 2014

EPFL scientists discover two molecules that could overcome multidrug resistance in tuberculosis

Using a high-throughput screening assay, EPFL scientists have discovered two small molecules that could overcome the multidrug resistance of the bacterium that causes tuberculosis.

9 Oct 2014

Discovery could lead to treatments for alcohol-related liver diseases

Researchers at the University of Missouri School of Medicine have identified epigenetic protein changes caused by binge drinking, a discovery that could lead to treatments for alcohol-related liver diseases.

9 Oct 2014

AT2101 drug, evaluated for Gaucher disease, slows progression of Parkinson's disease in mice

A new study from UCLA found that a drug being evaluated to treat an entirely different disorder helped slow the progression of Parkinson's disease in mice.

9 Oct 2014

CSL Behring strengthens global manufacturing capabilities to meet demand for lifesaving therapies

CSL Behring today announced a multi-year, $450 million two-site global capacity expansion – the latest in a series of recent production expansions to meet the growing need for its lifesaving and life-improving therapies that are used to treat patients with rare and serious medical disorders around the world.

8 Oct 2014

Magnesium essential to the activity of vitamin D

Extensive research has shown that vitamin D deficiencies play a major role in the development of dozens of diseases, including breast, prostate and colon cancer, as well as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, psoriasis and mental illness.

8 Oct 2014

MicroRNA molecule plays crucial role in managing cell survival and growth

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified a microRNA molecule as a surprisingly crucial player in managing cell survival and growth.

8 Oct 2014

Lung cancer can be detected much earlier using lab-on-a-chip technology

Scientists have been laboring to detect cancer and a host of other diseases in people using promising new biomarkers called "exosomes." Indeed, Popular Science magazine named exosome-based cancer diagnostics one of the 20 breakthroughs that will shape the world this year. Exosomes could lead to less invasive, earlier detection of cancer, and sharply boost patients' odds of survival.

8 Oct 2014

LLNL scientists issued patent for producing antimicrobial compounds to fight superbugs

Superbugs, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, have been on the rise since antibiotics were first introduced 80 years ago. That's because these germ-fighting agents have lost their punch from being overprescribed and misused, allowing bacteria pathogens to develop immunities against them.

8 Oct 2014

'Achilles heel' in metabolic pathway could stop growth of lung cancer cells

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found an "Achilles heel" in a metabolic pathway crucial to stopping the growth of lung cancer cells.

8 Oct 2014

New drug discovery tool against Ebola virus

University of Utah biochemists have reported a new drug discovery tool against the Ebola virus. According to a study published in this week's online edition of Protein Science, they have produced a molecule, known as a peptide mimic, that displays a functionally critical region of the virus that is universally conserved in all known species of Ebola.

8 Oct 2014

Researchers develop potential fast-acting "vaccine" for myasthenia gravis

Nearly 60,000 Americans suffer from myasthenia gravis (MG), a non-inherited autoimmune form of muscle weakness. The disease has no cure, and the primary treatments are nonspecific immunosuppressants and inhibitors of the enzyme cholinesterase.

8 Oct 2014

Researchers demonstrate involvement of ClpB protein in eating disorders

Eating disorders (ED) such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating disorder affect approximately 5-10% of the general population, but the biological mechanisms involved are unknown. Researchers at Inserm Unit 1073, "Nutrition, inflammation and dysfunction of the gut-brain axis" (Inserm/University of Rouen) have demonstrated the involvement of a protein produced by some intestinal bacteria that may be the source of these disorders.

7 Oct 2014

MyCartis announces launch of digital multiplex biomarker analysis platform

MyCartis today announced the launch of Evalution, a multiplex biomarker analysis platform for the life sciences research market.

7 Oct 2014

Scientists identify new biomarker for diagnosing cause of thyroid cancer

The expression of the protein CLIP2 provides information on whether a papillary thyroid carcinoma was induced by radiation or had a sporadic origin. With this discovery, scientists from the Helmholtz Zentrum München have identified a new biomarker for the diagnosis of the cancer cause.

7 Oct 2014

Researchers identify new technique to find rare stem cells

Deep within the bone marrow resides a type of cells known as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). These immature cells can differentiate into cells that produce bone, cartilage, fat, or muscle — a trait that scientists have tried to exploit for tissue repair.

7 Oct 2014

USC scientists find new way to suppress obesity

Imagine being able to take a pill that lets you eat all of the ice cream, cookies, and cakes that you wanted – without gaining any weight.

7 Oct 2014

Allen Institute for Brain Science receives $8.7 million NIH grant to explore synapses

The Allen Institute for Brain Science, in a project led by Stephen Smith, Ph.D., Senior Investigator, has been awarded an $8.7 million, five-year Transformative Research Award from the National Institutes of Health to lead the creation of a publicly accessible model of synapse populations in mouse and human brains.

6 Oct 2014

Scientists show how BRCA2 protein works to repair damaged DNA

Scientists have taken pictures of the BRCA2 protein for the first time, showing how it works to repair damaged DNA.

6 Oct 2014

Experiments show that 'unsung' cells are crucial to the process of bone loss caused by bone disorder

Experiments in mice with a bone disorder similar to that in women after menopause show that a scientifically overlooked group of cells are likely crucial to the process of bone loss caused by the disorder, according to Johns Hopkins researchers.

6 Oct 2014