G Protein News and Research

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Broccoli shows benefits for epidermolysis bullosa simplex

The compound sulforaphane whose natural precursors are found at high levels in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables has been hailed for its chemopreventive powers against cancer.

3 Dec 2007

Levels of prion protein in brain may not be reliable marker for disease

Rapid diagnostic testing used to check for the presence of prion diseases such as “mad cow disease” might fail to identify some highly infectious samples, researchers have found.

3 Dec 2007

Cell shape - scientists gain better understanding with new assay

Cells in our body come in various shapes and sizes. Each cell is shaped in such a way as to optimise it for a specific function. When things go wrong and a cell does not adopt its dedicated shape, its function can be impaired and the cell can cause problems in the body.

3 Dec 2007

DNA methylation shown to promote development of colon tumors

Damaged or defective genes have long been known to be the cause of some cancers.

2 Dec 2007

Vermillion issued U.S. patent for method to aid diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome

Vermillion, Inc. has announced that the United States Patent Office (USPTO) has issued Vermillion U.S. Patent No. 7,297,556 for aiding diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome, a kidney disorder marked by very high or low levels of protein in the urine, which results in bodily swelling and high cholesterol.

29 Nov 2007

Stay fit to fight the ageing process

Are you prepared to go to the gym for one hour, three times a week, for 20 weeks - all in the name of science?

29 Nov 2007

Study to look at effect of exercise and nutrition on muscle in old age

Experts at The University of Nottingham are looking to recruit men of two specific age groups to help understand the effect of exercise and nutrition on muscle in old age.

29 Nov 2007

MicroRNA switches off tumor protection

The microRNA miR-21 suppresses the production of tumor suppressor Pdcd4, which protects cells from cancer development.

29 Nov 2007

Innovative drug production project secures funding from Technology Strategy Board

PolyTherics, a biopharmaceutical spin-out company from Imperial College London and the London School of Pharmacy, has announced that it has secured funding from the Technology Strategy Board.

29 Nov 2007

New computational technique predicts side-effects of a major cancer drug

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed a novel computer technique to search for the side effects of major pharmaceuticals.

29 Nov 2007

Researchers find evidence of mature heart cell potential in embryonic stem cells

In a new study, UC Davis researchers report the first functional evidence that heart cells derived from human embryonic stem cells exhibit one of the most critical properties of mature adult heart cells, an important biological process called excitation-contraction coupling.

27 Nov 2007

Researchers outline structure of largest nonvirus particle ever crystallized

Researchers at UCLA's California NanoSystems Institute, the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute have modeled the structure of the largest cellular particle ever crystallized, suggesting ways to engineer the particles for drug delivery.

27 Nov 2007

Research suggests new direction for ALS treatment

A research team from Wake Forest University School of Medicine is the first to show that injections of a protein normally found in human cells can increase lifespan and delay the onset of symptoms in mice with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), or Lou Gehrig's disease.

27 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

Oncolytics Biotech issued new U.S. patent - reovirus for the treatment of neoplasia

Oncolytics Biotech Inc. has announced that it has been granted U.S. Patent 7,300,650 entitled "Reovirus for the Treatment of Neoplasia."

27 Nov 2007

Discovery of key acute myeloid leukemia gene

A gene called N-Myc leads a double life in certain white blood cells, helping to trigger a cancer called acute myeloid leukemia (AML) under some conditions while triggering apoptosis, or cell suicide, under other conditions, according to results of a mouse study done by investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

27 Nov 2007

Insulin regulates the secretion of the antiaging hormome Klotho

Dr. Carmela Abraham, a professor of biochemistry and medicine at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), reports this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences new findings on Klotho, an anti-aging gene that is associated with life span extension in rodents and humans.

27 Nov 2007

Study looks at progesterone for Alzheimer's

The first study on progesterone and Alzheimer's disease has found no clear preventive benefit for the widely prescribed hormone in an animal model.

27 Nov 2007

BioMarin files investigational NDA for PEG-PAL for the treatment of phenylketonuria

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. has announced that it has filed an investigational new drug application (IND) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for PEG-PAL (Poly Ethylene Glycol-Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase), formerly known as Phenylase, for the treatment of phenylketonuria (PKU).

27 Nov 2007

Atrial fibrillation screening can identify irregular heartbeat that leads to stroke

A simple screening can identify atrial fibrillation, such as that discovered yesterday in Vice-President Dick Cheney, and can do so even if the person is unaware of the presence of this irregular heart rhythm.

27 Nov 2007