Amino Acid News and Research

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Amino Acid is one of several molecules that join together to form proteins. There are 20 common amino acids found in proteins.

Molecular pathway turns a juvenile heart into an adult heart

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine have discovered the molecular sequence of events in mice that turn a juvenile heart into an adult heart capable of responding to increased workloads.

17 Jan 2005

High levels of homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood, may indicate an increased risk of stroke

Observational studies measuring homocysteine concentrations in healthy individuals have found that, on average, those with high levels of homocysteine in their blood are more likely to have a stroke. But other factors that increase homocysteine concentration and stroke risk— such as smoking and socioeconomic class—may be responsible for the relationship observed in these studies, confounding the result.

13 Jan 2005

What makes an allergen an allergen?

An enduring mystery for allergy researchers has been the unpredictable distribution of allergens in plants. For example, being allergic to birch pollen can predispose a person to allergy from distantly related plant foods such as celery, apple or soy.

12 Jan 2005

Chamomile tea shown to boost the immune system and fight infections associated with colds

For centuries, people who’ve felt sick or stressed have tried drinking chamomile tea as a medicinal cure-all. Now, researchers in England have found new evidence that the popular herbal tea may actually help relieve a wide range of health ailments, including colds and menstrual cramps.

5 Jan 2005

Australia leads the way in new screening technology for babies

Australia is one of the first countries in the world to implement new screening technology across all States that will help detect an increased number of diseases in newborns.

21 Dec 2004

Findings could lead to new knowledge that could speed the development of drugs to block botulism or tetanus toxins more rapidly

The first detailed structure of a botulism toxin attached to its target protein reveals that the toxin snakes the protein around itself — a sort of “reverse anaconda” — to recognize the receptor.

13 Dec 2004

New malaria enzyme laid bare with help of computer calculations

Using only computers, a research team at Uppsala University in Sweden has managed to reveal both the structure and the function of a newly discovered enzyme from the most dangerous malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum.

8 Dec 2004

Common ingredient in some shampoos (methylisothiazolinone) stunts developing neurons of rats

An antimicrobial agent found in some shampoos and hand creams and widely used in industrial settings inhibits the development of particular neuron structures that are essential for transmitting signals between cells.

6 Dec 2004

Genetic mutations and cellular modifications may provide clues to the associations between slight genetic abnormalities and often fatal diseases

Modern research is delving deep into the human genome to find the answers to medical mysteries and, hopefully, cures for the most deadly diseases. According to four new studies presented during the 46th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology

5 Dec 2004

Study focused on patients with chemotherapy-related anemia

Findings from an interim analysis of a new study comparing the hemoglobin response rates of Epoetin alfa and darbepoetin alfa in the treatment of chemotherapy-related anemia were published in the November 15, 2004 issue of the Medical Journal 'Blood' as part of the American Society of Hematology 46th Annual Meeting and Exposition.

4 Dec 2004

Gene decoding revealed at atomic level

A recent finding by a North Carolina State University biochemist advances the fundamental biology of how genetic information, encoded in DNA, is decoded for the production of proteins.

4 Dec 2004

A vitamin B pill that drastically lowers blood levels of homocysteine could one day be used to prevent dementia

High blood levels of homocysteine are a risk factor for stroke and dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Raised levels damage nerves and blood vessels, and lead to a loss of brain tissue in patients.

4 Dec 2004

Cancer Research Technology grants AstraZeneca an exclusive license to a key patent

Cancer Research Technology Limited has announced that AstraZeneca has licensed exclusive worldwide rights to a patent family relating to a nuclear receptor/co-activator binding motif.

1 Dec 2004

Scientists have given blind nerve cells the ability to detect light

Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have given "blind" nerve cells the ability to detect light, paving the way for an innovative therapy that could restore sight to those who have lost it through disease.

24 Nov 2004

Scientists have determined the crystal structure of a protein kinase C (PKC) isozyme

This structure should prove extremely useful in the rational design of small molecule inhibitors of PKCÈ, which has been implicated in T-cell mediated disease processes including inflammation and autoimmunity.

19 Nov 2004

Sequencing of human genetic code promises to usher in a new era of genetic medicine

The ability of molecular biologists to sequence the human genetic code promises to usher in a new era of genetic medicine, but that doesn’t mean science can accurately read personal genetic codes.

16 Nov 2004

Enzyme that normally alters the activity of other protein molecules in cells may also help prevent cancer

The enzyme is known as PTPRO (for “protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor-type O”). When the gene responsible for producing PTPRO is silenced, as can happen in lung cancer, for example, the amount of the enzyme drops, allowing the cells to grow when they shouldn’t.

11 Nov 2004

New strain of mice to study nicotine addiction

A team of investigators supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, has created a strain of mice scientists can use to study nicotine addiction and its associated behaviors.

9 Nov 2004

Sexual competition among males is evident at the molecular level, as well as at behavioral and physiological levels

In what could be termed a truly seminal discovery, researchers have shown that when females are more promiscuous, males have to work harder -- at the genetic level, that is. More specifically, they determined that a protein controlling semen viscosity evolves more rapidly in primate species with promiscuous females than in monogamous species.

8 Nov 2004

alpha4 may prove to be useful target for smoking addiction therapies

Nicotine is responsible for more than four million smoking-related deaths each year. Yet people still smoke. Why? One reason is the stranglehold of addiction, started when nicotine enhances the release of a neurotransmitter called dopamine

4 Nov 2004

Amino Acid News and Research

Further Reading

Molecular pathway turns a juvenile heart into an adult heart

High levels of homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood, may indicate an increased risk of stroke

What makes an allergen an allergen?

Chamomile tea shown to boost the immune system and fight infections associated with colds

Australia leads the way in new screening technology for babies

Findings could lead to new knowledge that could speed the development of drugs to block botulism or tetanus toxins more rapidly

New malaria enzyme laid bare with help of computer calculations

Common ingredient in some shampoos (methylisothiazolinone) stunts developing neurons of rats

Genetic mutations and cellular modifications may provide clues to the associations between slight genetic abnormalities and often fatal diseases

Study focused on patients with chemotherapy-related anemia

Gene decoding revealed at atomic level

A vitamin B pill that drastically lowers blood levels of homocysteine could one day be used to prevent dementia

Cancer Research Technology grants AstraZeneca an exclusive license to a key patent

Scientists have given blind nerve cells the ability to detect light

Scientists have determined the crystal structure of a protein kinase C (PKC) isozyme

Sequencing of human genetic code promises to usher in a new era of genetic medicine

Enzyme that normally alters the activity of other protein molecules in cells may also help prevent cancer

New strain of mice to study nicotine addiction

Sexual competition among males is evident at the molecular level, as well as at behavioral and physiological levels

alpha4 may prove to be useful target for smoking addiction therapies

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