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.

Delicate balance of induction and inhibition in determining tooth cusps

One of the remaining challenges for evolutionary developmental studies of mammals, whose evolution is best known from their teeth, is how their tooth shape is altered during development.

26 Sep 2005

Raf Kinase Inhibitor Protein plays a role in controlling the active movement of cells

University of Illinois at Chicago researchers report that a protein that regulates key signaling pathways in cells also plays a role in controlling the active movement or migration of cells. The finding may suggest new pharmaceutical therapies for treating a variety of diseases, including cancer.

26 Sep 2005

Change in gene may be underlying molecular defect in some colorectal cancers

Inactivation of a DNA repair gene may be an early step in the development of sporadic colorectal tumors, and detection of the molecular basis for this inactivation may ultimately be useful in risk assessment for colorectal cancer, according to a new study in the current issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

22 Sep 2005

Study clarifies insulin's role in blocking release of energy in patients with type II diabetes

Chronically high levels of insulin, as is found in many people with obesity and Type II diabetes, may block specific hormones that trigger energy release into the body, according to researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine.

22 Sep 2005

John Hopkins scientists uncover "tags" that force proteins to cell surface

Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered internal "shipping labels" that allow -- and perhaps force -- hundreds if not thousands of proteins to get to the surface of cells and stay there.

22 Sep 2005

Scintigraphy scan may help clinicians properly diagnose and then treat two forms of cardiac amyloidosis

"Clinically, this finding helps differential diagnosis and reduces the risk of misdiagnosis between two conditions with very different therapeutic options," said Claudio Rapezzi, M.D. from the University of Bologna and S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital in Bologna, Italy.

21 Sep 2005

Simple organism can produce 10 trillion varieties of a single protein

A team led by University of California, San Diego biochemists has discovered the mechanism by which a simple organism can produce 10 trillion varieties of a single protein, a finding that provides a new tool to develop novel drugs.

21 Sep 2005

Study reveals critical molecular events in the origin of fat cells

A new study reveals critical molecular events in the origin of fat cells. The findings are central to understanding chronic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes, as fat cells produce hormones critical for metabolic control, the researchers said.

21 Sep 2005

Drug that blocks acid buildup inside cells revs up the immune response to vaccines

Reporting in the current issue of The Journal of Experimental Medicine, Vincenzo Barnaba and his team at the University of Rome show that people receiving booster shots against hepatitis B virus developed more robust immune responses if given a widely used anti-malaria drug called chloroquine.

21 Sep 2005

Change in gene may be underlying molecular defect in some colorectal cancers

Inactivation of a DNA repair gene may be an early step in the development of sporadic colorectal tumors, and detection of the molecular basis for this inactivation may ultimately be useful in risk assessment for colorectal cancer, according to a new study in the September 21 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

20 Sep 2005

Green tea may protect the brain against Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at the University of South Florida (USF) have found that green tea may offer another potential health benefit - protecting the brain against the ravages of Alzheimer's disease.

20 Sep 2005

Suppression of FOXO1a gene might kill resistant alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) tumors

FOXO1a caused death of tumor cells in laboratory study by triggering expression of caspase-3, which blocks cell division and causes cells to undergo apoptosis, according to St. Jude.

20 Sep 2005

Periodontal disease develops much earlier than dentists and other health professionals thought

Periodontal disease -- a progressive, eventually painful and disruptive condition in which bacteria attack gums and the hidden roots of teeth -- develops much earlier than dentists and other health professionals thought, a major new study concludes.

20 Sep 2005

O-GlcNAc sugar is a critical regulator of cells' natural life cycle

The discovery reveals that, when disturbed, this process could contribute to cancer or other diseases by failing to properly control the steps and timing of cell division, the researchers say. The findings are described in the Sept. 23 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, available online now.

20 Sep 2005

PUMA protein offers critical insights for developing new anti-cancer drugs

The discovery of how the activities of the protein p53 initiate signals that trigger cell suicide offers critical insights for developing new anti-cancer drugs, according to investigators from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

20 Sep 2005

Snail, a molecule normally important in embryonic development, can promote breast cancer recurrence

Using a recently developed mouse model of breast cancer, a team from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine has shown that Snail, a molecule normally important in embryonic development, can promote breast cancer recurrence.

20 Sep 2005

Salicylate an active metabolite of aspirin - weakens lipid membranes

It's well known that high doses of aspirin can cause ulcers and temporary deafness, but the biochemical mechanism responsible for these phenomena has never been deciphered.

19 Sep 2005

PSA remains the best measure of the likelihood of prostate cancer recurrence after surgery

Despite recent claims by some urologists that measuring the blood protein prostate-specific antigen (PSA) may not be effective in predicting risk of prostate cancer, a Johns Hopkins study of more than 2,000 men confirms that PSA remains the best measure of the likelihood of cancer recurrence after surgery.

19 Sep 2005

Prions rapidly 'remodel' good protein into bad

Two Brown Medical School biologists have figured out the fate of healthy protein when it comes in contact with the infectious prion form in yeast: The protein converts to the prion form, rendering it infectious. In an instant, good protein goes bad.

19 Sep 2005

Discovery that protein CD38 interrupts an interaction between the AIDS virus and its point of entry into cells

Cornell University researchers have discovered the 3-D crystal structure of a protein, human CD38, which may lead to important discoveries about how cells release calcium - a mineral used in almost every cellular process.

19 Sep 2005

Protein News and Research

Further Reading

Delicate balance of induction and inhibition in determining tooth cusps

Raf Kinase Inhibitor Protein plays a role in controlling the active movement of cells

Change in gene may be underlying molecular defect in some colorectal cancers

Study clarifies insulin's role in blocking release of energy in patients with type II diabetes

John Hopkins scientists uncover "tags" that force proteins to cell surface

Scintigraphy scan may help clinicians properly diagnose and then treat two forms of cardiac amyloidosis

Simple organism can produce 10 trillion varieties of a single protein

Study reveals critical molecular events in the origin of fat cells

Drug that blocks acid buildup inside cells revs up the immune response to vaccines

Change in gene may be underlying molecular defect in some colorectal cancers

Green tea may protect the brain against Alzheimer's disease

Suppression of FOXO1a gene might kill resistant alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) tumors

Periodontal disease develops much earlier than dentists and other health professionals thought

O-GlcNAc sugar is a critical regulator of cells' natural life cycle

PUMA protein offers critical insights for developing new anti-cancer drugs

Snail, a molecule normally important in embryonic development, can promote breast cancer recurrence

Salicylate an active metabolite of aspirin - weakens lipid membranes

PSA remains the best measure of the likelihood of prostate cancer recurrence after surgery

Prions rapidly 'remodel' good protein into bad

Discovery that protein CD38 interrupts an interaction between the AIDS virus and its point of entry into cells

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