Biochemistry News and Research

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'Histone code' needs to be used with caution

The function of histones -- the proteins that enable yards of DNA to be crammed into a single cell -- depends on a number of chemical tags adorning their exterior. This sophisticated chemical syntax for packaging DNA into tight little coils or unraveling it again -- called the "histone code" -- is the latest frontier for researchers bent on understanding how genetics encodes life.

17 Dec 2010

Genetic biomarker linked to increased risk for breast cancer found in 'junk' DNA

A new genetic biomarker that indicates an increased risk for developing breast cancer can be found in an individual's "junk" (non-coding) DNA, according to a new study featuring work from researchers at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech and their colleagues.

17 Dec 2010

UT Southwestern and Rabin Medical Center enter innovative 5-year affiliation agreement

UT Southwestern Medical Center and Rabin Medical Center, Israel, two of the world's top academic medical centers, announced today that they have entered into an innovative affiliation agreement for the next five years.

16 Dec 2010

New study contradicts presence of oxysterols in multiple sclerosis patients

New research findings appearing in the January Journal of Lipid Research indicate that compounds called oxysterols are not present in any significant amount in multiple sclerosis patients, contradicting a previous study that suggested that some of these cholesterol metabolites were associated with MS and could be used as diagnostic tools in the clinic.

16 Dec 2010

New findings says TRIM24 protein plays active role in breast cancer formation

The recently identified TRIM24 protein plays an active role in pushing normal breast cells into rapid cell proliferation and, potentially, into breast cancer.

16 Dec 2010

Houston Endowment awards UH $5 million to increase number of doctoral student graduates

Houston Endowment Inc. has awarded $5 million to the University of Houston, which it will use to help increase the number of doctoral students it graduates annually, a key element in UH's mission to become a Tier One institution.

16 Dec 2010

Study broadens understanding of role of IDH1 and IDH2 mutations in AML

Agios Pharmaceuticals, the leading biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel drugs in the rapidly emerging field of cancer metabolism, today announced the publication of a paper in Cancer Cell that illuminates the mechanism by which 2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG), and the mutations in the metabolic genes IDH1 and IDH2 that produce it, may be driving the growth of tumors in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

15 Dec 2010

German Research Foundation opens four new research units

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) is establishing four new Research Units. The decision was made by the DFG Senate at its December session in Bonn. The establishment of the Research Units will enable researchers to explore prevailing topical questions and generate new approaches in their respective fields.

15 Dec 2010

Reversible two-step binding mechanism to stop cancer cell growth

What makes cancer cells so dangerous is that they grow in an unregulated way and proliferate much faster than other cells. The proteasome, a large protein complex, plays a key role in this process: By breaking down used proteins for recycling, it clears the way for the next cycle.

14 Dec 2010

Osteoporosis drug reduces bone loss in oral cancer

A drug currently approved for osteoporosis treatment has been shown to reduce bone loss in a study of mice with oral cancer, suggesting it could serve as an important supplemental therapy in patients with head and neck cancers that erode bone.

14 Dec 2010

New osteoporosis drug appears to reduce bone loss in mice with oral cancer

14 Dec 2010

ORNL's software scans molecular databases, may help scientists to develop new drug treatments

A quicker and cheaper technique to scan molecular databases developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory could put scientists on the fast track to developing new drug treatments.

13 Dec 2010

Researchers generate insulin-secreting pancreatic islet cells from human SSCs

Insulin-secreting pancreatic islet cells have been generated from human spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) directly isolated from human testicular tissue, researchers reported today at the American Association of Cell Biology 50th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia.

13 Dec 2010

Simple molecular sensor color test to determine safe fluoride levels

Used in the proper amounts, it can make teeth stronger and aid in the treatment of osteoporosis. When excessive amounts are consumed, however, it can be a killer - a carcinogen that causes bone, lung and bladder cancers. The "it" is fluoride, a common additive in most American communities' drinking water and an ingredient in the vast majority of commercially produced adult toothpastes.

10 Dec 2010

Haitian cholera pathogen closely related to 'El Tor O1' variant from South Asia

Scientists from Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. and Harvard Medical School have successfully employed single molecule, real-time (SMRT™) DNA sequencing technology to rapidly characterize the pathogen responsible for the recent deadly cholera epidemic in Haiti. Published online Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, the results provide the first whole genome sequence analysis and most detailed genetic profile to date of the Haitian Vibrio cholerae outbreak strain.

10 Dec 2010

Research findings could lead to new therapies to correct neurological disorders

Yale University researchers have found that a single molecule not only connects brain cells but also changes how we learn. The findings, reported in the December 9 issue of the journal Neuron, may help researchers discover ways to improve memory and could lead to new therapies to correct neurological disorders.

9 Dec 2010

Anchor Therapeutics announces publication describing pepducin technology as novel approach to target GPCR

Anchor Therapeutics today announced the publication of new research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. The paper describes the identification and characterization of a pepducin-based allosteric agonist that targets CXCR4, a chemokine G protein-coupled receptor found on hematopoietic stem cells and other bone marrow-derived cells.

9 Dec 2010

Low-cost protein gets big results in people with elevated blood pressure

Beverages supplemented by whey-based protein can significantly reduce elevated blood pressure, reducing the risk of stroke and heart disease, a Washington State University study has found.

8 Dec 2010

QLT's oral synthetic retinoid granted orphan drug designation for treatment of Leber Congenital Amaurosis

QLT Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation for QLT091001, its oral synthetic retinoid, for the treatment of Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA). LCA is an inherited progressive retinal degenerative disease that leads to retinal dysfunction and visual impairment beginning at birth. QLT091001 is an orally administered synthetic retinoid replacement for 11-cis-retinal, which is a key biochemical component of the visual retinoid cycle.

8 Dec 2010

FDA grants QLT's QLT091001 orphan drug designation for treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa

QLT Inc. today announced that QLT091001, the Company's oral synthetic retinoid, has been granted orphan drug designation for the treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This follows the FDA grant of orphan drug designation for QLT091001 for the treatment of Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) also on December 7, 2010.

8 Dec 2010

Biochemistry News and Research

'Histone code' needs to be used with caution

Genetic biomarker linked to increased risk for breast cancer found in 'junk' DNA

UT Southwestern and Rabin Medical Center enter innovative 5-year affiliation agreement

New study contradicts presence of oxysterols in multiple sclerosis patients

New findings says TRIM24 protein plays active role in breast cancer formation

Houston Endowment awards UH $5 million to increase number of doctoral student graduates

Study broadens understanding of role of IDH1 and IDH2 mutations in AML

German Research Foundation opens four new research units

Reversible two-step binding mechanism to stop cancer cell growth

Osteoporosis drug reduces bone loss in oral cancer

New osteoporosis drug appears to reduce bone loss in mice with oral cancer

ORNL's software scans molecular databases, may help scientists to develop new drug treatments

Researchers generate insulin-secreting pancreatic islet cells from human SSCs

Simple molecular sensor color test to determine safe fluoride levels

Haitian cholera pathogen closely related to 'El Tor O1' variant from South Asia

Research findings could lead to new therapies to correct neurological disorders

Anchor Therapeutics announces publication describing pepducin technology as novel approach to target GPCR

Low-cost protein gets big results in people with elevated blood pressure

QLT's oral synthetic retinoid granted orphan drug designation for treatment of Leber Congenital Amaurosis

FDA grants QLT's QLT091001 orphan drug designation for treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa

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