Programmed Cell Death News and Research

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Researchers produce first genome-wide investigation of cap-independent translation

Because of their central importance to biology, proteins have been the focus of intense research, particularly the manner in which they are produced from genetically coded templates-a process commonly known as translation. While the general mechanism of translation has been understood for some time, protein synthesis can initiate by more than one mechanism. One of the least well understood mechanisms is known as cap-independent translation.

17 Jun 2013

Researchers to receive ASTRO Gold Medal for outstanding contributions to the field of radiation oncology

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) will award Amato J. Giaccia, PhD, Radhe Mohan, PhD, FASTRO, and Prabhakar Tripuraneni, MD, FASTRO, with the Society's highest honor—the ASTRO Gold Medal. The 2013 awardees will receive the ASTRO Gold Medal during the Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, September 24, at ASTRO's 55th Annual Meeting, September 22-25, 2013, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

5 Jun 2013

Researchers demonstrate how modified citrus pectin works against cancer

A new review by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine highlights a large body of published research demonstrating how modified citrus pectin, works against cancer.

4 Jun 2013

Research suggests medullary thymic epithelial cells may have evolved from cortical-thymic TECs

Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) allow the thymus to ensure that the body's T cells are able to distinguish between potentially harmful foreign antigens and those that are produced by the body itself.

3 Jun 2013

Ruthenium complexes could pave way for cancer treatments, say UT Arlington researchers

A team of UT Arlington researchers has identified two ruthenium-based complexes they believe could pave the way for treatments that control cancer cell growth more effectively and are less toxic for patients than current chemotherapies.

30 May 2013

EGFR gums up cell's miRNA-processing machinery under oxygen starvation conditions

Even while being dragged to its destruction inside a cell, a cancer-promoting growth factor receptor fires away, sending signals that thwart the development of tumor-suppressing microRNAs before it's dissolved, researchers reported in an early online publication at Nature.

24 May 2013

Researchers demonstrate how EGF accelerates division of cell nucleus

Biologists at Heidelberg University have discovered new approaches for the treatment of cancer. They investigated how a special signalling molecule, the epidermal growth factor (EGF), stimulates the separation of chromosomes in the cell. The researchers were able to demonstrate that EGF accelerates the division of the cell nucleus, i.e. mitosis, as well as boosts precision in chromosome segregation.

15 May 2013

ALKBH7 protein plays key role in controlling programmed necrosis pathway

When cells suffer too much DNA damage, they are usually forced to undergo programmed cell death, or apoptosis. However, cancer cells often ignore these signals, flourishing even after chemotherapy drugs have ravaged their DNA.

15 May 2013

Researchers find a way the body can remove injured axons

Many medical issues affect nerves, from injuries in car accidents and side effects of chemotherapy to glaucoma and multiple sclerosis. The common theme in these scenarios is destruction of nerve axons, the long wires that transmit signals to other parts of the body, allowing movement, sight and sense of touch, among other vital functions.

10 May 2013

Study confirms that mesenchymal stem cells may help treat cancer

Injection of human stem cells into mice with tumors slowed down tumor growth, finds research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy.

29 Apr 2013

Study: Melatonin delays symptom onset, reduces mortality in mouse model of ALS

Melatonin injections delayed symptom onset and reduced mortality in a mouse model of the neurodegenerative condition amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

25 Apr 2013

Research shows omega-3 fatty acids stop proliferation of triple-negative breast cancer cells

Researchers from Fox Chase Cancer Center have found that omega-3 fatty acids and their metabolite products slow or stop the proliferation, or growth in the number of cells, of triple-negative breast cancer cells more effectively than cells from luminal types of the disease.

10 Apr 2013

Six2 homeoprotein causes breast cancer progression, say researchers

In results presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013, researchers from the University of Colorado Cancer Center show that the Six2 homeoprotein, while not involved in primary tumor growth, allows cells to detach from substrate and survive their transition through the bloodstream to faraway sites of metastasis.

10 Apr 2013

Study provides detail on cellular-level effects of anesthetics on developing brain in newborn mouse

Exposure to the anesthetic agent isoflurane increases "programmed cell death" of specific types of cells in the newborn mouse brain, reports a study in the April issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

9 Apr 2013

Modifiable lifestyle factors may prevent progression of Barrett's-related esophageal cancer

An estimated 20 million Americans have chronic heartburn. About 2 million of these people have Barrett's esophagus, a precancerous condition that affects the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach.

2 Apr 2013

Exposure to multiple estrogen-mimicking chemicals distorts hormone action

For years, scientists have been concerned about chemicals in the environment that mimic the estrogens found in the body. In study after study, researchers have found links between these "xenoestrogens" and such problems as decreased sperm viability, ovarian dysfunction, neurodevelopmental deficits and obesity.

29 Mar 2013

Researchers identify monoclonal antibody that directly kills lymphocytic leukemia cells

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego Moores Cancer Center have identified a humanized monoclonal antibody that targets and directly kills chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells.

26 Mar 2013

Disinfectant mouthwashes may be effective against cancers of the mouth and throat

Patients who suffer from gingivitis are often advised to use disinfectant mouthwashes. In the future, the active ingredients in these products could be used in a completely different area: As scientists have reported in the journal Angewandte Chemie, Chlorhexidin and Alexidin increase programmed cell death and may be effective against cancers of the mouth and throat.

21 Mar 2013

Research shows THz pulses destroy skin tissue and increase tumor-suppressing proteins

Terahertz (THz) radiation, a slice of the electromagnetic spectrum that occupies the middle ground between microwaves and infrared light, is rapidly finding important uses in medical diagnostics, security, and scientific research. As scientists and engineers find evermore practical uses for this form of radiation, questions persist about its potential human health risks.

15 Mar 2013

SDF-1 turns on autophagy that helps cells stay in place and focused on making bone

A signaling molecule that helps stem cells survive in the naturally low-oxygen environment inside the bone marrow may hold clues to helping the cells survive when the going gets worse with age and disease, researchers report.

11 Mar 2013