Apoptosis News and Research

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Apoptosis is programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

Arno Therapeutics to commence Phase 1 clinical study of AR-12 in adult patients with lymphoma

Arno Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on oncology therapeutics, today announced the dosing of the first patient in a Phase I clinical study of AR-12 (formerly OSU-03012) in adult patients with advanced or recurrent solid tumors or lymphoma.

28 Aug 2009

Study suspects involvement of PPAR-γ in gastric carcinogenesis

Recently, the potential of PPAR-γ as a target for the prevention and treatment of cancer has been widely studied. However, the potential therapeutic role of PPAR-γ agonists has been questioned, based on contradictory results. Studies using animal models of colon cancer found that PPAR-γ agonists increased the development of colon tumors.

27 Aug 2009

Researchers reveal that genes contributing to drug resistance in NSCLC disease could be predicted

The genes that may contribute to drug resistance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can be predicted. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Cancer found good correlation between genes believed to be involved in drug sensitivity and resistance and actual in vitro chemosensitivity.

26 Aug 2009

Gloucester Pharmaceuticals raises funds for the development of romidepsin

Gloucester Pharmaceuticals today announced that it has raised $29 million in a Series D financing. The proceeds will be used to support the ongoing development of romidepsin, a novel histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor for the treatment of T-cell lymphomas and other hematologic malignancies.

26 Aug 2009

Cytrx’s study offers a better perception of arimoclomol's mechanism of action in induced animal stroke

CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ: CYTR), a biopharmaceutical research and development company engaged in the development of high-value human therapeutics, today announced that study results demonstrated that arimoclomol exhibited both statistically significant neuroprotective and neuroregenerative effects in brain cells of animals induced with stroke, offering important insights into this drug candidate’s mechanism of action.

25 Aug 2009

Scientists find another mechanism that destroys tumor cells

Cells don't like to be alone. In the early stages of tumor formation, a cell might be pushed out of its normal home environment due to excessive growth. But a cell normally responds to this homeless state by dismantling its nucleus, packing up its DNA, and offering itself to be eaten by immune system cells. Simply put, the homeless cell kills itself. This process, known as apoptosis, typically stops potential cancer cells before they have a chance to proliferate.

20 Aug 2009

Light Sciences Oncology announces Phase 2 trial of Aptocine in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Light Sciences Oncology, Inc. (LSO) today announced the treatment of the first patients in a Phase 2 clinical trial of its innovative targeted drug treatment Aptocine(TM) (talaporfin sodium) in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). The Phase 2 trial expands the Aptocine BPH development program on the basis of a Phase 1 study at escalating light doses. In the open-label Phase 2 trial, Aptocine is being tested for safety and efficacy in 40 patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to BPH. Aptocine is also in two Phase 3 clinical trials for solid tumors in the liver as well as preclinical development for prostate cancer.

19 Aug 2009

Discovery of mechanism that allows hepatitis C virus to remain in the body for decades

A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) shows that the virus blocks the actions of a specific ion channel in the cell membrane that would usually trigger apoptosis - the cell's self-destruct programme - and in doing so, has evolved another way of protecting itself from being eliminated from the body.

19 Aug 2009

Gloucester Pharma announces FDA Advisory Committee Meeting to discuss Romidepsin NDA

Gloucester Pharmaceuticals will discuss the New Drug Application for romidepsin to treat patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) at the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) meeting on September 2, 2009.

18 Aug 2009

Disrupting the DNA-repair process

Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have uncovered the mechanism behind a promising new approach to cancer treatment: damaging cancer cells' DNA with potent drugs while simultaneously preventing the cells from repairing themselves.

18 Aug 2009

4SC starts phase 2 trial in hepatocellular carcinoma with 4SC-201 (resminostat)

4SC AG, the German drug discovery and development company, today announced the dosing of the first patient in its Phase II trial with 4SC-201 (resminostat), a pan-histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, as a new potential treatment option for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most frequent form of liver cancer.

18 Aug 2009

New findings on how hepatitis C survives for so long in the body

Researchers at the University of Leeds have discovered a previously unknown mechanism that allows the hepatitis C virus (HCV) to remain in the body for decades.

18 Aug 2009

When cell death goes wrong - scientists gain new insights

Medical Research Council (MRC) scientists have made an important advance in understanding the biological processes involved when cells are prompted to die. The work may help scientists to eventually develop new treatments for the many common diseases and conditions which occur when cell death goes wrong.

13 Aug 2009

Cannabis Science reports on future plans for cannabis drug trials

Cannabis Science, Inc. (OTCBB: CBIS) has announced that it has completed its review of the FDA licensing requirements and has made key progress with mapping out its initial cannabis drug medicines for FDA clinical trials.

12 Aug 2009

Aldose reductase inhibition shows promise for asthma

University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston researchers have found that a single enzyme is apparently critical to most allergen-provoked asthma attacks - and that activity of the enzyme, known as aldose reductase, can be significantly reduced by compounds that have already undergone clinical trials as treatments for complications of diabetes.

11 Aug 2009

STAT3 is required for proliferation and maintenance of multipotency in glioblastoma stem cells

In a study published online in advance of print in Stem Cells, Tufts researchers report that the STAT3 gene regulates cancer stem cells in brain cancer. Cancer stem cells have many characteristics of stem cells and are thought to be the cells that drive tumor formation. The researchers report that STAT3 could become a target for cancer therapy, specifically in Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a type of malignant and aggressive brain tumor.

11 Aug 2009

Recruitment of new neurons slows when old brain cells kept from dying

Recruitment of new neurons slows when old brain cells kept from dying. Like clockwork, brain regions in many songbird species expand and shrink seasonally in response to hormones.

11 Aug 2009

Epicept files NDA for Ceplene in Canada

EpiCept Corporation has announced that it has filed a New Drug Submission (NDS) with Health Canada for Ceplene® (histamine dihydrochloride) for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients in first complete remission. Health Canada typically accepts or refuses an NDS and designates review status within forty-five days of filing. If accepted, the customary timeframe for completion of review and an approval decision is within one year.

5 Aug 2009

Research points to new targets for melanoma

Recent research has uncovered an unexpected vulnerability in deadly melanoma cells that, when exploited, can cause the cancer cells to turn against themselves.

3 Aug 2009

New clues about the roots of neurological disease

Switching off a key DNA repair system in the developing nervous system is linked to smaller brain size as well as problems in brain structures vital to movement, memory and emotion, according to new research led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists.

27 Jul 2009