Polymerase News and Research

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BRCA2 mutations herald poor prognosis in screen-detected prostate cancer

Among men with prostate cancer detected on screening, survival among those with a mutation in the BRCA2 gene is much poorer than in those without such a mutation, researchers report.

18 Aug 2014

Blood and saliva tests help accurately predict recurrences of HPV associated oral cancers

Physicians at Johns Hopkins have developed blood and saliva tests that help accurately predict recurrences of HPV-linked oral cancers in a substantial number of patients.

1 Aug 2014

ROS1 fusion genes found in young East Asian patients with lung adenocarcinoma

ROS1 fusion genes were successfully detected independent of gender or smoking history in young East Asian patients with lung adenocarcinoma, a histological subgroup in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), using multiplex reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) diagnostic tests.

22 Jul 2014

Saudi Arabian researchers detect genetic fragments of MERS-CoV in the air of camel barn

Saudi Arabian researchers have detected genetic fragments of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the air of a barn holding a camel infected with the virus. The work, published this week in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, indicates that further studies are needed to see if the disease can be transmitted through the air.

22 Jul 2014

Unnatural DNA bases: an interview with Professor Floyd E. Romesberg, The Scripps Research Institute

The natural DNA bases that form the letters of DNA are usually referred to as G, C, A, and T. Those are only the first letters of the chemical names. They’re often called nucleotides by their scientific name and all of them have in common a phosphate part, a sugar part and a nucleobase part.

21 Jul 2014

CIP2A pathway involved in erlotinib response

Researchers have identified a novel mechanism, involving the cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A pathway, which mediates the anti-tumour effects of erlotinib in non-small-cell lung cancer cells without epidermal growth factor receptor mutations.

16 Jul 2014

Johnson & Johnson sales increase 9.1% to $19.5 billion in second quarter 2014

Johnson & Johnson today announced sales of $19.5 billion for the second quarter of 2014, an increase of 9.1% as compared to the second quarter of 2013. Operational results increased 9.4% and the negative impact of currency was 0.3%.

15 Jul 2014

First step toward new drugs that can transcend antibiotic resistance issues

Scientists in the United States and India have successfully modified the precursor to one of the drugs used to treat tuberculosis, an important first step toward new drugs that can transcend antibiotic resistance issues that experts consider a serious threat to global health.

28 Jun 2014

Discovery provides scientists with better understanding of limiting uncontrolled cell growth

Biologists at UC San Diego have found the "missing link" in the chemical system that enables animal cells to produce ribosomes-the thousands of protein "factories" contained within each cell that manufacture all of the proteins needed to build tissue and sustain life.

24 Jun 2014

Third-line treatment options remain elusive for advanced, EGFR wild-type NSCLC

Phase II study findings show only marginal positive effects of third-line treatment with afatinib for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer in patients with wild-type epidermal growth-factor receptor tumour status.

23 Jun 2014

New project improves techniques for detecting E. coli

Kansas State University diagnosticians are helping the cattle industry save millions of dollars each year by developing earlier and accurate detection of E. coli.

17 Jun 2014

Survival differences after docetaxel, erlotinib are EGFR dependent

Results from the DELTA trial indicate no significant differences in progression-free or overall survival after treatment with docetaxel versus erlotinib in non-small-cell lung cancer patients unselected for their epidermal growth factor receptor mutation status.

16 Jun 2014

TSRI develops accurate structural map of complex molecular machines in cells

A team led by researchers at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has used advanced electron microscopy techniques to determine the first accurate structural map of Mediator, one of the largest and most complex "molecular machines" in cells.

6 Jun 2014

Rice develops highly accurate test to detect signs of HIV

Rice University bioengineers are developing a simple, highly accurate test to detect signs of HIV and its progress in patients in resource-poor settings.

6 Jun 2014

IL-8 expression predicts lung adenocarcinoma prognosis

Interleukin -8 expression is associated with a poor lung adenocarcinoma prognosis, say Japanese researchers, especially in patients whose tumours are positive for the KRAS mutation.

19 May 2014

TSRI scientists create bacteria with expanded DNA code

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have engineered a bacterium whose genetic material includes an added pair of DNA “letters,” or bases, not found in nature. The cells of this unique bacterium can replicate the unnatural DNA bases more or less normally, for as long as the molecular building blocks are supplied.

8 May 2014

Janssen submits sNDA to FDA for simeprevir in combination with sofosbuvir for treatment of HCV genotype 1 infection

Janssen Research & Development, LLC (Janssen) today announced it has submitted a Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for simeprevir, an NS3/4A protease inhibitor marketed as OLYSIO™ in the United States, in combination with the nucleotide analog NS5B polymerase inhibitor sofosbuvir developed by Gilead Sciences, Inc.

8 May 2014