Protein C News and Research

RSS

Keeping Alzheimer's disease in check

The future is looking good for drugs designed to combat Alzheimer's disease. EPFL scientists have unveiled how two classes of drug compounds currently in clinical trials work to fight the disease. Their research suggests that these compounds target the disease-causing peptides with high precision and with minimal side-effects.

2 Aug 2013

ASH to award 2013 William Dameshek Prize to Andrew S. Weyrich

The American Society of Hematology will present the 2013 William Dameshek Prize to Andrew S. Weyrich, PhD, of The University of Utah for his seminal research on the cellular and molecular causes of blood clots.

2 Aug 2013

Protein linked to learning induces cocaine addiction, say researchers

A team of researchers says it has solved the longstanding puzzle of why a key protein linked to learning is also needed to become addicted to cocaine. Results of the study, published in the Aug. 1 issue of the journal Cell, describe how the learning-related protein works with other proteins to forge new pathways in the brain in response to a drug-induced rush of the “pleasure” molecule dopamine.

2 Aug 2013

Researchers now have more complete picture of mTORC1 pathway that can lead to cancer, diabetes

Deciphering the body's complex molecular pathways that lead to disease when they malfunction is highly challenging. Researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute now have a more complete picture of one particular pathway that can lead to cancer and diabetes. In the study published by Molecular Cell, the scientists uncovered how a protein called p62 has a cascade affect in regulating cell growth in response to the presence of nutrients such as amino acids and glucose. Disrupting this chain may offer a new approach to treating disease.

2 Aug 2013

Duke Medicine researchers identify a protein critical to TMJD pain

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD) is the most common form of oral or facial pain, affecting over 10 million Americans. The chronic disorder can cause severe pain often associated with chewing or biting down, and lacks effective treatments.

2 Aug 2013

Study offers new hope for treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Researchers have discovered how an experimental drug is capable of completely eradicating human lymphoma in mice after just five doses. The study, led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College, sets the stage for testing the drug in clinical trials of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, the most common subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, itself the seventh most frequently diagnosed cancer in the U.S.

2 Aug 2013

Microbiologists identify staph-killing compound that may be effective for osteomyelitis

Osteomyelitis, a debilitating bone infection most frequently caused by Staphylococcus aureus ("staph") bacteria, is particularly challenging to treat.

2 Aug 2013

Scientists prevent cell sleep to reduce chance of tumor recurrence

An international research team led by University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) scientists discovered that by preventing cancer cells from entering a state of cellular sleep, cancer drugs are more effective, and there is a lower chance of cancer recurrence.

2 Aug 2013

Researchers find a crucial on-off switch in visual development

A discovery by a University of Maryland-led research team offers hope for treating "lazy eye" and other serious visual problems that are usually permanent unless they are corrected in early childhood.

2 Aug 2013

Trace substance in sugar improves muscle regeneration in mouse model with muscular dystrophy

A trace substance in caramelized sugar, when purified and given in appropriate doses, improves muscle regeneration in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The findings are published today, Aug. 1, in the journal Skeletal Muscle.

2 Aug 2013

Research opens potential new avenue for cancer treatment

Scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson who identified a protein's dual role in cancer promotion have discovered a way to shut it down, opening a potential new avenue for cancer treatment.

2 Aug 2013

Deletion of a protein improves ability to fight bacteria in mice with CGD

Deletion of a protein in white blood cells improves their ability to fight the bacteria staphylococcus aureus and possibly other infections in mice with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), according to a National Institutes of Health study. CGD, a genetic disorder also found in people, is marked by recurrent, life-threatening infections. The study's findings appear online in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.

2 Aug 2013

New type of chemical modification affects proteins, could provide insights into causes of cancer

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered a new type of chemical modification that affects numerous proteins within mammalian cells. The modification appears to work as a regulator of important cellular processes including the metabolism of glucose.

2 Aug 2013

Researchers identify new culprit that likely plays big role in severity of asthma

MD-A new culprit has been identified that likely plays a big role in the severity of asthma-a small protein chemokine called CCL26. These findings were published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology and represent the first demonstration that CCL26 is a potent regulator of the migration of asthmatic eosinophils, commonly observed in asthmatic airways. Results from this discovery may lead to new drug targets for the treatment of asthma.

2 Aug 2013

Neuroscientists identify protein that contributes to cognitive deficits in AS

A team of neuroscientists has identified a protein in laboratory mice linked to impairments similar to those afflicted with Angelman syndrome (AS)—a condition associated with symptoms that include autism, intellectual disability, and motor abnormalities.

2 Aug 2013

Nutritional supplement may prevent neurodegenerative disease affecting children

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified the gene mutation responsible for a particularly severe form of pontocerebellar hypoplasia, a currently incurable neurodegenerative disease affecting children.

2 Aug 2013

Study: New therapeutic approach to treat prostate cancer

A study in the Journal of Biological Chemistry identifies a new therapeutic approach to treat prostate cancer. Conducted at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, the research shows that expression of the FoxM1 protein is essential for prostate cancer to develop in mouse models. The study appears in the journal's Aug. 2 edition.

2 Aug 2013

Cyp11a1 enzyme is a potential target for treatment of deadly food allergy, say researchers

Researchers at National Jewish Health have identified an enzyme that is essential to the allergic reaction to peanuts. Blocking the enzyme's activity in sensitized mice prevented diarrhea and inflammation, and reduced levels of several proteins associated with allergies.

2 Aug 2013

Study proposes novel approach for understanding how genome affects biology of the human body

Recent technological developments in genomics have revealed a large number of genetic influences on common complex diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, cancer or schizophrenia. However, discovering a genetic variant predisposing to a disease is only a first step. To apply this knowledge towards prevention or cure, including tailoring treatment to the patient’s genetic profile –also known as personalized medicine – we need to know how this genetic variant affects health.

1 Aug 2013

MAPS method could speed development of new vaccines for serious pathogens

A new method of vaccine design, called the Multiple Antigen Presentation System, may result in vaccines that bring together the benefits of whole-cell and acellular or defined subunit vaccination.

1 Aug 2013