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 enhance capabilities of solid-state nanopores

The latest advance in solid-state nanopore sensors - devices that are made with standard tools of the semiconductor industry yet can offer single-molecule sensitivity for label-free protein screening - expands their bag of tricks through bionanotechnology.

20 Apr 2012

Rare CARD14 gene mutations can lead to plaque psoriasis

Scientists led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified the first gene directly linked to the most common form of psoriasis, a chronic skin condition.

20 Apr 2012

SK Biopharmaceuticals receives FDA Orphan Drug status for carisbamate

SK Biopharmaceuticals, a South Korean pharmaceutical company, announced today that it was granted special status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for carisbamate for the management of patients with infantile spasms (IS), a form of epilepsy associated with increased risk of death or mental retardation.

20 Apr 2012

BuruliVac project getting closer to a vaccine

During a meeting in Lisbon, the partners of the BuruliVac research consortium found the project to be running smoothly, and getting closer to a vaccine against Buruli ulcer, a disfiguring and mutilating disease that causes a lot of suffering and now is difficult to treat. Several vaccine candidates work well in mice and are ready for further testing on blood of patients; one is ready for testing in mice.

19 Apr 2012

Developments in mesothelioma treatment presented at 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference

New results presented at 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference in Geneva, Switzerland show important steps being made to improve the diagnosis and treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer of the outer lining of the lungs caused by asbestos exposure.

19 Apr 2012

Two studies show true impact of liver disease across Europe

Two studies presented at the International Liver Congress- 2012 show the true impact that liver disease has across Europe. One highlights the financial cost of liver disease to the community and the second highlights the high mortality rates associated with cirrhosis.

19 Apr 2012

New techniques show promise in detecting early-stage lung cancer

New techniques for identifying lung cancer earlier -including a new type of chest screening, a nanotech 'nose' and a method to examine the cells of the cheek-- are showing substantial promise, according to presentations at the 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC) in Geneva.

19 Apr 2012

Differentiated luminal-like breast cancer cells can generate larger tumors

New findings in breast cancer research by an international team of scientists contradict the prevailing belief that only basal-like cells with stem cell qualities can form invasive tumors. Research led by Ole William Petersen at the University of Copenhagen (CU) and Mina Bissell of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and has shown that luminal-like cells with no detectable stem cell qualities can generate larger tumors than their basal-like counterparts.

19 Apr 2012

Myomatrix 2012 conference to take place from April 22-24

The nation's leading scientists and clinicians exploring treatment breakthroughs for congenital muscular dystrophy will convene April 22-24 on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno, where research by Dean Burkin has led to a potential therapy.

19 Apr 2012

Study explains why some people develop kidney stones and others do not

Kidney stones strike an estimated 1 million Americans each year, and those who have experienced the excruciating pain say it is among the worst known to man (or woman).

19 Apr 2012

Latest fad ‘feeding tube’ diet concerns experts

The New York Times reports that some women with upcoming weddings are opting for a calorie-restricted crash diet consisting of shakes siphoned through a medically implanted feeding tube. It is the so-called “K-E diet” that's given by Dr. Oliver R. Di Pietro in his clinic in Bay Harbor Islands, Fla.

18 Apr 2012

Testosterone may help heart failure patients: Study

The researchers used testosterone patches and injections that improved the breathing and exercise abilities of people with heart failure, a chronic inability of the heart to pump enough blood to the rest of the body. Although most of the study participants were men, the researchers said the results would likely apply to women as well, through much smaller doses of testosterone.

18 Apr 2012

Study demonstrates how Parkinson's disease protein can spread in patient's brain

Last year, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that small amounts of a misfolded brain protein can be taken up by healthy neurons, replicating within them to cause neurodegeneration. The protein, alpha-synuclein (a-syn), is commonly found in the brain, but forms characteristic clumps called Lewy bodies, in neurons of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative disorders.

18 Apr 2012

FDA's three draft guidances on biosimilars - BIO submits comments

The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) submitted comments yesterday to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on three draft guidance documents on biosimilar products.

18 Apr 2012

MD Anderson develops series of food plate worksheets on nutrition and cancer prevention

As part of National Minority Cancer Awareness Week during April 15 to 21, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has developed a series of food plate worksheets that focus on nutrition and cancer prevention for African American, Hispanic and Vietnamese audiences.

18 Apr 2012

Medgenics seeks IND approval to initiate EPODURE Biopump Phase IIb anemia study in ESRD patients

Medgenics, Inc., the developer of a novel technology for the sustained production and delivery of therapeutic proteins in patients using their own tissue, today announced that it has filed an Investigational New Drug application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to initiate a Phase IIb multi-center, 100-patient clinical trial.

18 Apr 2012

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus senses and reacts to host cell's impending death

A research team led by Children's National Medical Center has identified a trigger that causes latent Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) to rapidly replicate itself. KSHV causes Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma, and other cancers that commonly affect immunocompromised patients, including those with AIDS.

18 Apr 2012

Autologous HSPPC-96 vaccine clinically beneficial for GBM patients

Study results from a Phase II multicenter clinical trial tracking the impact that autologous heat shock protein-peptide vaccine (HSPPC-96) has on recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients showed that such a vaccine may be clinically beneficial.

18 Apr 2012

Engineered particles tied to penetratin discover, deliver ligands for mitochondria, ribosomes

Scientists who developed a technology for identifying and targeting unique protein receptor ZIP Codes on the cellular surface have found a way to penetrate the outer membrane and deliver engineered particles - called iPhage - to organelles inside the cell.

18 Apr 2012

Study sheds light on why ageing makes us more susceptible to gum disease

New research from Queen Mary, University of London in collaboration with research groups in the USA sheds light on why gum disease can become more common with old age.

18 Apr 2012