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.

Genes linked to schizophrenia might function to cause the disease

Animal research at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has found how one of the genes linked to schizophrenia might function to cause the disease.

28 Oct 2004

Study suggests safer immunization approach to Alzheimer's

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have had preliminary success with a method of immunization intended to dissolve the plaques in brain tissue that are associated with Alzheimer's disease.

28 Oct 2004

Human Genome Sciences announces agreement with GSK for development of drug to treat diabetes

Human Genome Sciences today announced an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline under which GlaxoSmithKline has acquired exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize Albugon (albumin-glucagon-like peptide-1, GLP-1), a drug currently in late-stage preclinical development by Human Genome Sciences for potential use in the treatment of diabetes.

26 Oct 2004

Scientists closer to understanding the potential effects of anti-cholesterol drugs on Alzheimer's disease

Scientists at Jefferson Medical College and the Farber Institute for Neurosciences at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia have taken another step in understanding the potential effects of anti-cholesterol drugs on Alzheimer's disease.

25 Oct 2004

Scientists are testing the effectiveness of a new type of flu vaccine

The experimental vaccine instead relies on a cell line drawn from insects known as silk moths, which are better known for their role as pests attacking crops such as corn, cotton, barley and alfalfa.

25 Oct 2004

Researchers have identified a protein in the brain that halts the progression of Alzheimer's

Researchers have identified a protein in the brain that halts the progression of Alzheimer's disease in human brain tissue. The protein, known as "transthyretin," protects brain cells from gradual deterioration by blocking another toxic protein that contributes to the disease process.

25 Oct 2004

The first new TB vaccine for more than 80 years has successfully come through safety trials in the UK

The first new TB vaccine for more than 80 years has successfully come through safety trials in the UK. The vaccine, devised by a team led by Dr Helen McShane in Oxford’s Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine (CCVTM), is designed to be used in tandem with the tried and tested BCG inoculation – first introduced in 1921 – and not to replace it.

25 Oct 2004

Potential new treatment strategy against metastatic cancer cells

A team of scientists at The Scripps Research Institute has identified a potential treatment strategy against metastatic cancer cells that has never been tried before.

25 Oct 2004

Drinking regular cuppas could help improve your memory

Results of laboratory tests by a team from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne found that green and black tea inhibit the activity of certain enzymes in the brain which are associated with memory.

25 Oct 2004

Scientists identify crucial elements necessary for repairing damaged DNA

A team of University of Sussex-led scientists has identified crucial elements necessary for repairing damaged DNA - the blueprint for all living cells.

25 Oct 2004

A single change in a person’s DNA can contribute to a range of life-shortening risk factors

A woman with hypertension, low magnesium levels, and a cooperative family allowed scientists to pinpoint the mutation, which affects the genes of the mitochondria — the energy-producing power plants of the cell that are passed from mother to offspring.

25 Oct 2004

High levels of a protein called LRP6 can make cancer cells more aggressive

The protein's ability to enhance tumor development suggests that the gene that codes for LRP6 is an oncogene--a gene that contributes to tumor development when overactivated.

25 Oct 2004

Newly discovered gene could be a significant contributor to diabetes in Americans

A gene involved in the action of insulin is associated with type 2 diabetes and the body’s response to insulin, report scientists at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

25 Oct 2004

Potential new protein marker for prognosis of breast and ovarian cancer

The researchers matched tumor samples to outcomes in about 100 patients diagnosed with either breast or ovarian cancer and found that a low level of Rab25 protein on a patient's cancer sample was associated with a better clinical outcome in both cancer types.

24 Oct 2004

Detecting diseases with no more to work with than a drop of blood

The dream of monitoring a patient's physical condition through blood testing has long been realized. But how about detecting diseases in their very early stages, or evaluating how they are responding to treatment, with no more to work with than a drop of blood!

22 Oct 2004

Discovery of new protein involved in regulating the second most commonly mutated tumor suppressor in human tumors

Scientists in Tokyo have discovered a new protein, named PICT-1, that is involved in regulating PTEN, the second most commonly mutated tumor suppressor in human tumors.

22 Oct 2004

Key discovery toward understanding mechanism associated with uncontrollable muscular movements

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Lou Gehrig's and Huntington's exhibit loss of nerve function in different ways, from memory lapses to uncontrollable muscular movements, but it is now believed that these diseases share many common molecular mechanisms.

22 Oct 2004

Genes affect how asthma patients respond to albuterol

While a few weeks of regular use of albuterol improved overall asthma control in individuals with one form of the gene, stopping all use of albuterol eventually improved asthma control in those with another form of the gene. Albuterol is the most commonly used drug for relief of acute asthma symptoms, or “attacks.”

22 Oct 2004

Gene mutation causes Parkinson's disease in some families

An international research team, led by scientists at the National Institute on Aging (NIA), has discovered a gene, which when mutated, causes Parkinson's disease in some families.

22 Oct 2004

Lag-3 gene dampens immune responses by controlling regulatory T-cell function

The discovery that the Lag-3 gene acts as a brake to prevent immune system responses from running out of control solves a mystery that has puzzled researchers since the gene was discovered 14 years ago.

22 Oct 2004