Protein C News and Research

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Tetracycline-like compound raises hope for treatment of spinal muscular atrophy

A chemical cousin of the common antibiotic tetracycline might be useful in treating spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a currently incurable disease that is the leading genetic cause of death in infants. This is the finding of a research collaboration involving Adrian Krainer, Ph.D., of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and scientists from Paratek Pharmaceuticals and Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science.

5 Nov 2009

Researchers develop new molecular tools to investigate Alzheimer's disease

One of the many mysteries of Alzheimer's disease is how protein-like snippets called amyloid-beta peptides, which clump together to form plaques in the brain, may cause cell death, leading to the disease's devastating symptoms of memory loss and other mental difficulties.

5 Nov 2009

Pfizer and Flamel Technologies sign license agreement

Flamel Technologies today announced that Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) has exercised its option to license Flamel’s Medusa® technology for the development of a controlled release formulation of an already-marketed therapeutic protein.

5 Nov 2009

Possible cure for Parkinson's disease

Researchers at Iowa State University have found an essential key to possibly cure Parkinson's disease and are looking for others.

4 Nov 2009

Exelixis to present 13 abstracts of its development candidates at the 2009 AACR-NCI-EORTC Conference

Exelixis, Inc. announced today that thirteen abstracts related to the company’s development candidates have been accepted for presentation at the 2009 AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, which is being held November 15-19 in Boston. Interim data from ongoing phase 1 clinical trials of XL147 and XL765 will be reported in four poster presentations.

4 Nov 2009

Reduced VEGF can lead to degeneration of retina

Scientists at Schepens Eye Research Institute have found that when the eye is missing a diffusible form of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), i.e. one that when secreted can reach other cells at a distance, the retina shows defects similar to "dry" macular degeneration, also called geographic atrophy (GA).

4 Nov 2009

New improved enzyme could help facilitate spinal cord injuries

Researchers have developed an improved version of an enzyme that degrades the dense scar tissue that forms when the central nervous system is damaged. By digesting the tissue that blocks re-growth of damaged nerves, the improved enzyme - and new system for delivering it - could facilitate recovery from serious central nervous system injuries.

4 Nov 2009

New molecular pathway for preventing potassium from being excreted normally through kidney identified

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have made an important discovery about why potassium builds up to dangerous levels in the bloodstream, a relatively common medical problem that affects about eight percent of hospitalized patients.

4 Nov 2009

XanGo Juice lowers levels of C-reactive protein in overweight and obese people

A new study published in Nutrition Journal indicates that XanGo- Juice, a market-leading, premium mangosteen beverage, has lowered levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in overweight and obese people in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human trial.

4 Nov 2009

Findings may lead to new drug therapies to reduce breast cancer metastasis

Researchers have reduced breast cancer metastasis to bone using an experimental agent to inhibit ROCK, a protein that was found to be over-expressed in metastatic breast cancer.

4 Nov 2009

H1N1 vaccine: Discussions and debates

You can't avoid H1N1 media coverage. It's front-page news on the web, the presses, the airways. Vaccine details, or lack of, are spurring discussion and debate. And a lot of people are in a quandary about whether or not to have the H1N1 shot based on their personal views and the information disseminated for public knowledge.

4 Nov 2009

The Children’s Hospital leads the charge against childhood obesity

The Children’s Hospital is leading the charge against childhood obesity, a problem that is impacting more and more families across the country. Experts from The Children’s Hospital offer a pediatric perspective on proactive steps parents can take to ensure their children maintain nutritious diets and healthy, active lifestyles.

4 Nov 2009

Aethlon Medical begins collaborative biomarker program to study neurodegenerative disease

Aethlon Medical, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: AEMD) announced today that it has initiated a collaborative biomarker discovery program with the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy (CSTE) at Boston University School of Medicine and the Sports Legacy Institute (SLI).

3 Nov 2009

Scientists discover two genes that can lead to aggressive leukaemia

Two genes, each one of which is known to cause cancer on its own, together can lead to aggressive leukaemia. This is the conclusion from new research carried out on gene-modified mice at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The discovery has surprised scientists, and may lead to new treatments.

3 Nov 2009

NIH awards Trevena $7.65M Grand Opportunity grant

Trevena Inc., a leader in the discovery of G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) biased ligands announced today that it was awarded a $7.65 million Grand Opportunity (GO) Grant by the office of the director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This grant will further fund Trevena’s work to identify and characterize functionally selective biased ligands for a wide range of GPCRs.

3 Nov 2009

Two cancer-causing genes together can lead to aggressive leukaemia

3 Nov 2009

A new blood test for breast cancer

A healthy 44-year-old woman will celebrate many future birthdays thanks to the efforts of Dr. Keri Sweeten and a new blood test for breast cancer

3 Nov 2009

Study reveals high risk of recurrence for early-stage breast cancer patients with HER2 positive tumors

Early-stage breast cancer patients with HER2 positive tumors one centimeter or smaller are at significant risk of recurrence of their disease, compared to those with early-stage disease who do not express the aggressive protein, according to a study led by researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

3 Nov 2009

Caliper Life Sciences to use SRU Biosystems’ label-free BIND technology for new functional assays

SRU Biosystems today announced that Caliper Life Sciences will use SRU Biosystems’ label-free BIND® technology to offer new functional assays as part of its Discovery Alliances and Services.

3 Nov 2009

Phase 1 study of STX107 for Fragile X syndrome begins

NIH-supported scientists at Seaside Therapeutics in Cambridge, Mass., are beginning a clinical trial of a potential medication designed to correct a central neurochemical defect underlying Fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability. There has to date been no medication that could alter the disorder's neurologic abnormalities. The study will evaluate safety, tolerability, and optimal dosage in healthy volunteers.

3 Nov 2009