Protein C News and Research

RSS

Researchers discover mechanisms behind BRCA1 gene mutations in breast and ovarian cancer

It is widely known that mutations in the breast cancer susceptibility 1 (BRCA1) gene significantly increase the chance of developing breast and ovarian cancers, but the mechanisms at play are not fully understood. Now, researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center have shown that certain BRCA1 mutations result in excessive, uncontrolled DNA repair, which challenges the prior assumption that mutations in BRCA1 only contribute to breast cancer through a reduction in function.

3 Sep 2011

New research puts an unexpected twist on how mitochondria divide within cells

New research from the University of California, Davis, and the University of Colorado at Boulder puts an unexpected twist on how mitochondria, the energy-generating structures within cells, divide.

3 Sep 2011

Microtubule stability linked to increased sensitivity to paclitaxel

SCIENTISTS have discovered how blocking key cell signalling proteins could help boost the success rate of the tumour-shrinking drug paclitaxel, according to a study published in the journal Cancer Research today.

2 Sep 2011

Contraceptive pill prevents loss of eye sight

Scientists at University College Cork (UCC) have shown that the active component (Norgestrel) of the contraceptive 'Mini Pill' prevents the loss of sight in mice that have degenerative eye conditions that normally lead to blindness.

2 Sep 2011

Chromatin might have another life as direct signaling molecule

Chromatin - the intertwined histone proteins and DNA that make up chromosomes - constantly receives messages that pour in from a cell's intricate signaling networks: Turn that gene on. Stifle that one. But chromatin also talks back, scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report today in the journal Cell, issuing orders affecting a protein that has nothing to do with chromatin's central role in gene transcription - the first step in protein formation.

2 Sep 2011

Dr. Reddy’s initiates DRL-17822 Phase II study in type II dyslipidemia

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories announced the initiation of dosing with DRL-17822 in patients with diagnosis of type II dyslipidemia. DRL-17822 is a selective, orally bioavailable inhibitor of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), for the treatment and/or prevention of dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis and associated cardiovascular disease.

2 Sep 2011

Special journal edition chronicles 3-D structures of important antibacterial, bioterrorist targets

The September issue of the online scientific journal Acta Crystallographica: Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications (Acta Cryst F) will consist entirely of work done at the Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease (SSGCID), a consortium of researchers from Seattle BioMed, Emerald BioStructures, the University of Washington and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

2 Sep 2011

People with Alzheimer's have lower ubiquilin-1 protein levels

Researchers have found that a protein variation linked by some genetic studies to Alzheimer's disease is consistently present in the brains of people with Alzheimer's.

2 Sep 2011

Dendritic cells play central role in regulation of acetaminophen's toxicity

NYU School of Medicine researchers have discovered that dendritic cells in the liver have a protective role against the toxicity of acetaminophen, the widely used over-the-counter pain reliever and fever reducer for adults and children.

2 Sep 2011

Low-cost, portable technique can detect specific proteins in human blood

Blood tests are important diagnostic tools. They accurately tease-out vanishingly small concentrations of proteins and other molecules that help give a picture of overall health or signal the presence of specific diseases. Current testing procedures, however, are expensive and time-consuming, while sophisticated test equipment is bulky and difficult to transport.

2 Sep 2011

LCA applauds FDA approval of Xalkori for ALK positive non-small cell lung cancer

Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) applauds the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Xalkori (crizotinib) with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are ALK positive. The drug was approved based on data from two clinical trials, both of which showed a significant increase in overall survival.

2 Sep 2011

Stanford method identifies essential regions of Caulobacter's genome

A team at the Stanford University School of Medicine has cataloged, down to the letter, exactly what parts of the genetic code are essential for survival in one bacterial species, Caulobacter crescentus.

31 Aug 2011

Gene variants can cut risk of Parkinson's disease

An international team of researchers led by neuroscientists at Mayo Clinic in Florida has found a genetic variation they say protects against Parkinson's disease. The gene variants cut the risk of developing the disease by nearly 20 percent in many populations.

31 Aug 2011

CWRU, NeoProteomics sign licensing deal for four bioinformatics software programs

Case Western Reserve University and NeoProteomics Inc. have announced the university's licensing of four software programs designed to improve understanding of biology at a complex molecular level for improved treatment of cancers and various other diseases.

31 Aug 2011

Creighton pharmacology professor receives AAF's Early Excellence Award

Yaping Tu, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacology at Creighton University School of Medicine, has received a $450,000 Early Excellence Award from the American Asthma Foundation.

31 Aug 2011

Johns Hopkins researchers reveal neuronal cell survival mechanism

Nerve cells that regulate everything from heart muscle to salivary glands send out projections known as axons to their targets. By way of these axonal processes, neurons control target function and receive molecular signals from targets that return to the cell body to support cell survival. Now, Johns Hopkins researchers have revealed a molecular mechanism that allows a signal from the target to return to the cell body and fulfill its neuron-sustaining mission.

31 Aug 2011

Avantra is now Courtagen Life Sciences

Avantra Biosciences Corporation today announced that effective immediately it is changing its name to Courtagen Life Sciences, Inc. The company will continue to use the Avantra name for their proteomics portfolio, which includes the Avantra Biomarker System.

30 Aug 2011

Study may help explain plague's rapid evolution and aid in development of therapeutics

In the evolutionary blink of an eye, a bacterium that causes mild stomach irritation evolved into a deadly assassin responsible for the most devastating pandemics in human history. How did the mild-mannered Yersinia pseudotuberculosis become Yersinia pestis, more commonly known as the Plague?

30 Aug 2011

ProteinSimple introduces automated Western Blot

ProteinSimple today introduced a revolutionary new system for protein analysis, Simon and the Simple Western. The Simple Western is a complete reinvention of the Western Blot, and is truly a historic breakthrough for protein research.

From ProteinSimple 30 Aug 2011

New book on Health Informatics

University of Illinois professor Bruce Schatz, a faculty member at the Institute for Genomic Biology, has co-authored a groundbreaking book on Health Informatics, based on his popular computer science course.

30 Aug 2011