Cell Division News and Research

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How molecular muscles help cells divide

Time-lapse videos and computer simulations provide the first concrete molecular explanation of how a cell flexes tiny muscle-like structures to pinch itself into two daughter cells at the end of each cell division, according to a report in Science Express.

17 Dec 2007

Scientists develop new drug to outflank cancer resistance

A new drug has shown promising results against breast and prostate cancer cells and tumours that are resistant to conventional hormone-based treatments, according to research published in the British Journal of Cancer.

12 Dec 2007

Explanation on resistance to taxane class of drugs

Scientists have uncovered critical new details about the mechanisms that modulate the response of ovarian cancer cells to chemotherapy.

10 Dec 2007

Stem cell technology pioneer, Plasticell secures funding

Plasticell is a biotechnology company that has developed and holds exclusive intellectual property rights for two complementary systems in the fields of stem cell research and regenerative medicine.

29 Nov 2007

RNA polymerase III mutation disrupts organ growth

The cellular mechanism that turns DNA into all of the thousands of proteins that make up a human body is itself both intricate and interesting.

27 Nov 2007

Variant of CDC2 gene may be potential risk marker for Alzheimer's

A variant of the gene CDC2 could possibly be used as a risk marker for Alzheimer’s disease.

20 Nov 2007

New explanation for how regulatory networks of genes evolved

When ancient retroviruses slipped bits of their DNA into the primate genome millions of years ago, they successfully preserved their own genetic legacy.

15 Nov 2007

Telomerase enzyme structure provides significant new target for anti-cancer therapies

Inappropriate activation of a single enzyme, telomerase, is associated with the uncontrollable proliferation of cells seen in as many as 90 percent of all of human cancers. Since the mid-1990s, when telomerase was first identified in human tumors, scientists have eyed the enzyme as an ideal target for developing broadly effective anti-cancer drugs.

14 Nov 2007

How one virus mimicks a normal cellular protein to replicate successfully

Both viruses and cancers subvert the growth-control machinery in a cell to serve their own needs.

1 Nov 2007

Emerging cancer therapies and novel targets

What are the cancer drugs of tomorrow and how will they be developed? At the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, researchers will present some answers to these and other pressing questions regarding emerging cancer therapeutics.

25 Oct 2007

piRNAs play an important role in controlling gene function

A study by researchers at the Yale Stem Cell Center for the first time demonstrates that piRNAs, a recently discovered class of tiny RNAs, play an important role in controlling gene function, it was reported this week in Nature.

25 Oct 2007

New target for Hepatocellular carcinoma therapy

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major health problem worldwide. Currently, the only chance for obtaining a cure in patients with HCC is by either a surgical resection or liver transplantation.

25 Oct 2007

Combination targets offer new hope in fight against cancer

While some targeted therapies - drugs developed to attack specific molecules in the critical chemical pathways occurring within cancer cells - work well by themselves, increasingly researchers are finding that they work better when teamed with other targeted and conventional therapies.

24 Oct 2007

Potent inhibitor of Kinesin CENP-E demonstrates tumor cell inhibition

A first-in-class, targeted investigational therapy specifically designed to inhibit a single protein that functions only during cell division shows potent activity in a broad range of cancer cell lines, say researchers from GlaxoSmithKline.

24 Oct 2007

Experimental cancer pharmaceuticals under trial

A potent and selective inhibitor of the mitotic kinesin CENP-E (GSK923295A) demonstrates a novel mechanism of inhibiting tumor cell proliferation and shows activity against a broad panel of human tumor cell lines in vitro: Abstract A 111.

24 Oct 2007

FDA approves approved Ixempra (ixabepilone) for advanced breast cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Ixempra (ixabepilone), a new anti-cancer treatment, for use in patients with metastatic or locally advanced breast cancer who have not responded to certain other cancer drugs.

22 Oct 2007

Bacteria use plant defence for genetic modification

Bacteria that cause tumours in plants modify plant genomes by skilfully exploiting the plants' first line of defence.

22 Oct 2007

Transgenics sped up

A new method of constructing artificial plant chromosomes from small rings of naturally occurring plant DNA can be used to transport multiple genes at once into embryonic plants where they are expressed, duplicated as plant cells divide, and passed on to the next generation -- a long-term goal for those interested in improving agricultural productivity.

19 Oct 2007

Researcher identify specific cell that causes eye cancer, disproving long-held theory

Investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have identified the cell that gives rise to the eye cancer retinoblastoma, disproving a long-standing principle of nerve growth and development.

19 Oct 2007

Proteins that underlie cancer

A University of Arkansas scientist who studies constructs of a protein that are associated with the cell transformation that causes cancer has received a five-year, $661,018 grant from the National Institutes of Health to expand his research.

17 Oct 2007