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Autophagy promotes pancreatitis

To survive tough times, cells sometimes resort to a form of self-cannibalism called autophagy. But as Hashimoto et al. reveal, autophagy can have a down side, destroying the pancreas by prematurely activating a digestive enzyme.

30 Jun 2008

Dividing cells find their middle by following a protein contour map

Self-organization keeps schools of fish, flocks of birds and colonies of termites in sync. It's also, according to new research, the way cells regulate the final stage of cell division. Scientists at Rockefeller University have shown that a protein-chemistry-based contour map, which helps individual proteins locate the center of their cell without direction from a 'master organizer,' is key to ensuring accurate division during mitosis.

30 Jun 2008

A global DNA barcode database

The idea of barcoding is familiar to many: in almost every supermarket the checkout operator shows the ticket labelled with a series of black bars to a laser scanner which responds with a beep; a computer analyses the code, identifies the product and the price is sent to the till.

30 Jun 2008

Cancer cure in mice to be tested in humans

Scientists at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center are about to embark on a human trial to test whether a new cancer treatment will be as effective at eradicating cancer in humans as it has proven to be in mice.

30 Jun 2008

Growth hormone FGF21's link to starvation may be clue to increasing life span, researchers find

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have determined that starvation blocks the effects of growth hormone via a mechanism that may have implications in treating diabetes and extending life span.

30 Jun 2008

Growth-stimulating molecule called p110beta a promising cancer drug target in prostate tumors

Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute report they have blocked the development of prostate tumors in cancer-prone mice by knocking out a molecular unit they describe as a "powerhouse" that drives runaway cell growth.

27 Jun 2008

Protein Ronin shown to be an alternate control for embryonic stem cells

Like the masterless samurai for whom it is named, the protein Ronin chooses an independent path, maintaining embryonic stem cells in their undifferentiated state and playing essential roles in genesis of embryos and their development, said Baylor College of Medicine researchers who reported on this novel cellular regulator in the current issue of the journal Cell.

27 Jun 2008

Scientists discover how an injured embryo can regenerate itself

More than 80 years have passed since the German scientist Hans Spemann conducted his famous experiment that laid the foundations for the field of embryonic development. After dividing a salamander embryo in half, Spemann noticed that one half - specifically, the half that gives rise to the salamander's 'belly' (ventral) starts to wither away.

27 Jun 2008

Seven elevated biomarkers predict prostate cancer risk with 86.6 percent reliability

A simple blood test screening for a panel of biomarkers can accurately predict whether a patient who has had prostate cancer surgery will have a recurrence or spread of the disease.

26 Jun 2008

Faulty DNA repair could be a risk factor for lung cancer in nonsmokers

People who have never smoked but whose cells cannot efficiently repair environmental insults to DNA are at higher risk of developing lung cancer than those with effective genomic repair capability, according to researchers from the Department of Epidemiology at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

26 Jun 2008

Unique pheromone detection system uncovered by researchers

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have overturned the current theory of how a pheromone works at the molecular level to trigger behavior in fruit flies.

26 Jun 2008

Discovery of second genetic risk factor for developing late-onset Alzheimer's disease

Researchers have discovered the second, strong genetic risk factor for developing late-onset Alzheimer's disease, according to a new report in the June 27th issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication.

25 Jun 2008

Study uncovers a mechanism that explains calcium abnormalities in Alzheimer's brain

A new study uncovers a mechanism that directly links mutations that cause early onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) with aberrant calcium signaling. The research, published by Cell Press in the June 26th issue of the journal Neuron, provides exciting molecular insights into the pathology of AD and may lead to new treatment strategies.

25 Jun 2008

Losartan shows promise in treating Marfan syndrome

A small study in 18 pattients assessing the effectiveness of the drug losartan for treating Marfan syndrome in children has yielded encouraging results.

25 Jun 2008

Breakthrough in plant medicine production

A research team of scientists from Wageningen University and Research Centre in the Netherlands has succeeded in further unravelling and manipulating the glycosylation of proteins in plants.

25 Jun 2008

Technique for analyzing the function of microRNAs wins Barenholz Prize for Hebrew University student

A unique technique for analyzing the function of microRNAs developed by a Hebrew University of Jerusalem doctoral student has led to the discovery of a new mechanism by which viruses evade the human immune system. This discovery has important implications for human intervention in the battle between viruses and humans.

25 Jun 2008