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.

Aggregation of SOD1 protein in nerve cells can lead to ALS

Persons with the serious disorder ALS, can have a genetic mutation that causes the protein SOD1 to aggregate in motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Researchers at Umea University have discovered that, when injected into mice, the SOD1 aggregation spreads rapidly leading to ALS. The discovery has been described in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

4 May 2016

Researchers discover critical new mechanism for genesis of heart failure

A weak heart is unable to pump an adequate amount of blood around the body. In Germany, this condition is now the commonest reason for patients to be admitted to hospital.

4 May 2016

Longer rest periods between weight-lifting sets could help maximise muscle growth

Researchers from the University of Birmingham have found that extended rest intervals between sets of weight-lifting could help with muscle growth.

4 May 2016

New study links cathepsin S protein to tear secretion in Sjogren's syndrome patients

The autoimmune disorder Sjogren's syndrome is often overlooked or misdiagnosed because the symptoms are similar to other conditions. Its characteristic symptoms are dry eyes and dry mouth, and reduced tear production is used as part of the diagnosis.

4 May 2016

Liposuction to manage lymphedema? An interview with Professor John Boyages

Lymphedema is persistent swelling of the arm and/or hand following biopsy or treatment of the axillary lymph nodes for patients with breast cancer. It is due to excess accumulation of protein‐rich fluid in body tissues.

4 May 2016

Controlling cholesterol metabolism could help reduce pancreatic cancer spread

Researchers have shown how controlling cholesterol metabolism in pancreatic cancer cells reduces metastasis, pointing to a potential new treatment using drugs previously developed for atherosclerosis.

4 May 2016

Study shows syringe-like device acts as traffic cop directing bacteria to carry out infection

A study has found that a syringe-like device used to invade intestinal cells also acts as a traffic cop -- directing bacteria where to go and thereby enabling them to efficiently carry out infection.

4 May 2016

Ebola vaccine shows promise in clinical trials

"The results for tolerability, safety, and the immune response to the vaccine candidate are very promising," explains Prof Marylyn Addo. The antibodies which developed against the virus were still detectable after six months. Addo is convinced, "With this, a single vaccine could provide lasting protection against Ebola." The infectious disease specialist, who works for the German Center for Infection Research at the University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf in Hamburg, led the trial in Hamburg.

4 May 2016

NSCLC MAGE-A3 immunotherapy development halted

Disease-free survival is not prolonged with adjuvant MAGE-A3 immunotherapy in patients with surgically resected non-small-cell lung cancer, according to a placebo-controlled trial.

4 May 2016

Total cessation of GnRH production by hypothalamic neurons can lead to infertility

Individual small RNAs are responsible for controlling the expression of gonadoliberin or GnRH (Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone), a neurohormone that controls sexual maturation, the appearance of puberty, and fertility in adults.

3 May 2016

New investigational inhibitor JQEZ5 can block specific molecular malfunctions driving cancer

In a step forward in the push for targeted treatments that can block the specific molecular malfunctions driving cancer, University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers have demonstrated how a genetic mutation can drive the most common type of lymphoma as well as melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

3 May 2016

Study opens door for new opportunities in finding antidotes to nerve agent sarin

The nerve agent sarin causes a deadly overstimulation of the nervous system that can be stopped if treated with an antidote within minutes of poisoning. Today, a ground-breaking study has been published in PNAS, which in detail describes how such a drug works. Researchers at the Swedish Defence Research Agency, Umea University and in Germany are behind the study.

3 May 2016

VTT researchers aim to develop multi-textural healthy food using 3D printing technology

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd aims to develop advanced food manufacturing technologies by combining expertise in food, material science and 3D printing technology. Healthy snacks with great textures are in increasing demand among consumers. Researchers have the long-term vision of developing high-tech vending machines that provide customised purchases.

3 May 2016

Positive effects of Mediterranean diet on health of elderly population

Sticking to a Mediterranean style diet might slow down ageing finds the EU funded project NU-AGE. At a recent conference in Brussels, researchers presented that a NU-AGE Mediterranean style diet, tested in the project, significantly decreased the levels of the protein known as C-reactive protein, one of the main inflammatory marker linked with the ageing process

3 May 2016

Researchers examine critical role of hypoxia in induction, amplification of FOP lesions

The cellular response to the lack of oxygen fans the flames of flare-ups in a rare bone disorder. In fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), a mutation triggers bone growth in muscles, which limits motion, breathing, and swallowing, among a host of progressive symptoms.

3 May 2016

Brain receptor that initiates adolescent synaptic pruning appears to go awry in autism, schizophrenia

Research led by SUNY Downstate Medical Center has identified a brain receptor that appears to initiate adolescent synaptic pruning, a process believed necessary for learning, but one that appears to go awry in both autism and schizophrenia.

3 May 2016

Study shows cannabinoid type 2 receptor plays vital role in signal processing of the brain

The cannabinoid type 2 receptor - also called "CB2 receptor" - is a special membrane protein. Its function is to receive chemical signals that control cellular activity. "Until now, this receptor was considered part of the immune system without function in nerve cells.

3 May 2016

New nanoparticle approach can deliver antiobesity drugs directly to fat tissue

Researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women's Hospital have developed nanoparticles that can deliver antiobesity drugs directly to fat tissue. Overweight mice treated with these nanoparticles lost 10 percent of their body weight over 25 days, without showing any negative side effects.

3 May 2016

Snapshots of NMDA receptor activation may help in novel drug design

Structural biologists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Janelia Research Campus/HHMI, have obtained snapshots of the activation of an important type of brain-cell receptor. Dysfunction of the receptor has been implicated in a range of neurological illnesses, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, depression, seizure, schizophrenia, autism, and injuries related to stroke.

3 May 2016

Fish oil supplements combined with anti-cancer therapy can reduce renal cell carcinoma

Researchers at UC Davis have shown that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a fatty acid commonly found in fish and fish oil supplements, reduces renal cell carcinoma invasiveness, growth rate, and blood vessel growth when combined with the anti-cancer therapy regorafenib. The study was published in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.

3 May 2016

Protein News and Research

Further Reading

Aggregation of SOD1 protein in nerve cells can lead to ALS

Researchers discover critical new mechanism for genesis of heart failure

Longer rest periods between weight-lifting sets could help maximise muscle growth

New study links cathepsin S protein to tear secretion in Sjogren's syndrome patients

Liposuction to manage lymphedema? An interview with Professor John Boyages

Controlling cholesterol metabolism could help reduce pancreatic cancer spread

Study shows syringe-like device acts as traffic cop directing bacteria to carry out infection

Ebola vaccine shows promise in clinical trials

NSCLC MAGE-A3 immunotherapy development halted

Total cessation of GnRH production by hypothalamic neurons can lead to infertility

New investigational inhibitor JQEZ5 can block specific molecular malfunctions driving cancer

Study opens door for new opportunities in finding antidotes to nerve agent sarin

VTT researchers aim to develop multi-textural healthy food using 3D printing technology

Positive effects of Mediterranean diet on health of elderly population

Researchers examine critical role of hypoxia in induction, amplification of FOP lesions

Brain receptor that initiates adolescent synaptic pruning appears to go awry in autism, schizophrenia

Study shows cannabinoid type 2 receptor plays vital role in signal processing of the brain

New nanoparticle approach can deliver antiobesity drugs directly to fat tissue

Snapshots of NMDA receptor activation may help in novel drug design

Fish oil supplements combined with anti-cancer therapy can reduce renal cell carcinoma

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