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.

Researchers identify mechanism that explains link between trichomoniasis and prostate cancer

Researchers have identified a way in which men can develop prostate cancer after contracting trichomoniasis, a curable but often overlooked sexually transmitted disease.

30 Aug 2012

Israel's Ministry of Health approves Medgenics’ INFRADURE Phase I/II clinical trials for hepatitis C

Medgenics, Inc., the developer of Biopump, a novel technology for the sustained production and delivery of therapeutic proteins in patients using their own tissue, today announced that Israel's Ministry of Health (MOH) has approved two Phase I/II clinical trials to assess the safety and efficacy of INFRADURE in patients with hepatitis C.

30 Aug 2012

CNIO team generates transgenic mouse model for aplastic anaemia associated with short telomeres

Aplastic anaemia is characterised by a reduction in the number of the bone marrow cells that go on to form the different cell types present in blood (essentially red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets). In most cases, the causes of the disorder are hard to determine, but some patients have been found to have genetic alterations leading to a shortening of their telomeres (the end regions of chromosomes that protect and stabilise DNA).

30 Aug 2012

Novartis receives FDA approval for Afinitor Disperz to treat subependymal giant cell astrocytoma

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Afinitor Disperz (everolimus tablets for oral suspension), a new pediatric dosage form of the anti-cancer drug Afinitor (everolimus) used to treat a rare brain tumor called subependymal giant cell astrocytoma.

30 Aug 2012

Childhood coagulation marker levels distinct from adulthood

Levels of key coagulation markers significantly vary with age in children, research reveals, potentially affecting the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric thrombotic and hemorrhagic disease.

29 Aug 2012

Elevated CRP is phenotype for familial preserved cognition

The first-degree relatives of very old people with preserved cognition and elevated C-reactive protein have a low risk for developing dementia, research shows.

29 Aug 2012

Vitamin to the rescue in fight with ‘superbugs’

High doses of vitamin B3 may help fight against so called “superbugs” such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, show study results.

29 Aug 2012

New method simplifies pharmaceutical production of proteins

Engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas have developed a method to simplify the pharmaceutical production of proteins used in drugs that treat a variety of diseases and health conditions, including diabetes, cancer, arthritis and macular degeneration.

29 Aug 2012

FISH assay identifies only few lung cancer patients who could benefit from crizotinib

Break apart a couple worm-like chromosomes and they may reconnect with mismatched tips and tails - such is the case of the EML4-ALK fusion gene that creates 2-7 percent of lung cancers. Almost exactly a year ago, the FDA approved the drug crizotinib to treat these ALK+ lung cancer patients, who were likely never smokers. Informed doctors use the test called a FISH assay to check for the EML4-ALK fusion gene, and then if the test is positive, ALK+ patients benefit greatly from crizotinib.

29 Aug 2012

NYU-Poly creates ultra-sensitive biosensor to identify small single virus particles

Researchers at Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly) have created an ultra-sensitive biosensor capable of identifying the smallest single virus particles in solution, an advance that may revolutionize early disease detection in a point-of-care setting and shrink test result wait times from weeks to minutes.

29 Aug 2012

Acorda’s GGF2 can improve erectile function after cavernous nerve damage

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. announced data from a preclinical study showed that treatment with Glial Growth Factor 2 (GGF2) improved erectile function in an animal model following a cavernous nerve (CN) injury, a common complication of prostate surgery.

29 Aug 2012

March of Dimes emergency preparedness tips for pregnant women and new parents

Pregnant women evacuating their homes in advance of Hurricane Isaac should be sure to bring their medication, including their prenatal vitamins, as well as their medical records and their health care providers' emergency contact number.

29 Aug 2012

Top-line results from Rexahn’s Archexin Phase II study on metastatic pancreatic cancer

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing multi-indication therapeutics in oncology and CNS, today announced top-line results from a Phase II clinical study of Archexin, its clinical-stage oncology drug candidate.

29 Aug 2012

Cyclin D3 protein regulates size and quantity of RBCs

The adult human circulatory system contains between 20 and 30 trillion red blood cells (RBCs), the precise size and number of which can vary from person to person. Some people may have fewer, but larger RBCs, while others may have a larger number of smaller RBCs. Although these differences in size and number may seem inconsequential, they raise an important question: Just what controls these characteristics of RBCs?

29 Aug 2012

SPR microscopy examines binding kinetics of membrane proteins

Proteins adorning the surfaces of human cells perform an array of essential functions, including cell signaling, communication and the transport of vital substances into and out of cells. They are critical targets for drug delivery and many proteins are now being identified as disease biomarkers - early warning beacons announcing the pre-symptomatic presence of cancers and other diseases.

29 Aug 2012

Friedreich Ataxia Research Alliance, USF ARC to host ‘Understanding a Cure’ symposium

Scientists, clinicians and patients will gather at the University of South Florida's Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) in downtown Tampa Sept. 6 to share research insights and energize the search for a cure for Friedreich's ataxia and related disorders.

28 Aug 2012

ABCD4 and CblF proteins responsible for hereditary vitamin B12 deficiency

Vitamin B12 is vital for cell division, the synthesis of red blood cells and the functioning of the nervous system. Unable to produce the vitamin itself, the human body has to obtain it via animal proteins. So far it has been known that on its way into the cell vitamin B12 is absorbed by little organelles, so-called lysosomes. From there, the vitamin enters the cell interior with the aid of the transport protein CblF, which was discovered by the same research team three years ago.

28 Aug 2012