Enzyme News and Research

RSS

Pyrazinamide inhibits trans-translation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

For nearly 60 years, Pyrazinamide (PZA) has been used in conjunction with other medications to treat tuberculosis (TB), but scientists did not fully understand how the drug killed TB bacteria. PZA plays a unique role in shortening the duration of current TB therapy to six months and is used frequently to treat multi-drug resistant TB.

12 Aug 2011

Mice with enzyme deficiency are unable to properly assess threat

Do you run when you should stay? Are you afraid of all the wrong things? An enzyme deficiency might be to blame, reveals new research in mice by scientists at the University of Southern California.

12 Aug 2011

NSAIDs like ibuprofen slow the spread of breast cancers

Published online on Aug. 7, 2011, the journal Nature Medicine reports that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs including ibuprofen reduce the severity of postpartum breast cancers in animal models.

12 Aug 2011

New model for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

By isolating cells from patients' spinal tissue within a few days after death, researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have developed a new model of the paralyzing disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

12 Aug 2011

Blocking type 2 receptor reduces PDA cell growth with the activation of AMPK enzyme

Pancreatic cancer researchers at Thomas Jefferson University have shown, for the first time, that blocking a receptor of a key hormone in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) reduces cancer cell growth by activating the enzyme AMPK to inhibit fatty acid synthase, the ingredients to support cell division.

11 Aug 2011

Cancer-causing fusion protein works by silencing tumor suppressor gene IL-2Rγ

Mariusz A. Wasik, MD, professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Qian Zhang, MD, PhD, research assistant professor, both from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and their colleagues, found that a cancer-causing fusion protein works by silencing the tumor suppressor gene IL-2R common gamma-chain.

10 Aug 2011

A diet of flaxseed shows protective effects against radiation in mice

Flax has been part of human history for well over 30,000 years, used for weaving cloth, feeding people and animals, and even making paint. Now, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that it might have a new use for the 21st century: protecting healthy tissues and organs from the harmful effects of radiation.

10 Aug 2011

Enobia raises US$40M through private placement

Enobia Pharma Inc., a clinical stage biotech company focused on developing novel therapeutics for serious bone disorders, today announced that it has raised US$40 million through the private placement of approximately 13,724,000 shares of its common stock to new pharmaceutical and financial investors.

10 Aug 2011

Researchers identify molecular pathway behind inflammation, mucus production in asthma

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have identified a molecular pathway that helps explain how an enzyme elevated in asthma patients can lead to increased mucus production and inflammation that is characteristic of the lung condition.

9 Aug 2011

Los Alamos team sees unprecedented proof of ion's role in enzymatic process

A Los Alamos National Laboratory research team has harnessed neutrons to view for the first time the critical role that an elusive molecule plays in certain biological reactions. The effort could aid in treatment of peptic ulcers or acid reflux disease, or allow for more efficient conversion of woody waste into transportation fuels.

9 Aug 2011

Study shows how certain woodrats put themselves on diet to avoid poisoning

Life is tough for woodrats in deserts of the U.S. Southwest. There are few plants for food, and those plants produce poison to deter rodents, insects and other animals. A new University of Utah study shows how certain woodrats put themselves on a diet to avoid poisoning: They sample a smorgasbord of toxic plants, eat smaller meals, increase time between meals and drink more water if it is available.

9 Aug 2011

Lexicon's second quarter revenues decrease 55% to $0.6 million

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing breakthrough treatments for human disease, today updated its drug development progress and reported financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011.

9 Aug 2011

Dyax initiates ecallantide Phase 2 trial for ACE inhibitor-induced angioedema

Dyax Corp. announced today treatment of the first patient in a Phase 2 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of ecallantide, a potent, selective, reversible inhibitor of plasma kallikrein, for acute treatment of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor-induced angioedema.

4 Aug 2011

Vitamin C helps identify more aggressive or treatment resistant tumours

CANCER RESEARCH UK scientists have developed a new imaging technique that uses vitamin C to detect cancers likely to be more aggressive or resistant to treatment, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society today.

4 Aug 2011

Prolonged estrogen deprivation reduces ability to prevent strokes

Prolonged estrogen deprivation in aging rats dramatically reduces the number of brain receptors for the hormone as well as its ability to prevent strokes, researchers report.

3 Aug 2011

New approach to overcome complexities of developing more effective drugs for treating diseases

Pharmaceutical scientists typically face a meager five percent success rate for anti-cancer drugs in clinical trials. To help improve this success rate, Japanese scientists, led by Dr. Tetsuya Terasaki, one of the top pharmaceutical scientists focused on drug transporters, have developed a new approach designed to overcome complexities of developing new, more effective drugs to treat diseases, including cancer.

3 Aug 2011

BARDA awards contracts for development of drugs for radiation injury to the GI tract

The first two contracts for advanced development of drugs to treat gastrointestinal (GI) tract injuries associated with acute radiation syndrome were awarded today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).

2 Aug 2011

One in six older people likely to have abnormal liver test and die from all causes

One in six people over 75 are likely to have at least one abnormal liver test and those that have two or more are twice as likely to die from cancer and 17 times more likely to die from liver disease, according to research in the August issue of Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

2 Aug 2011

Scientists design octapeptides to fight drug resistant ovarian cancer cells

Italian and German scientists have designed peptides to target the protein-protein interface of a key enzyme in DNA synthesis crucial for cancer growth. The peptides act by a novel inhibitory mechanism and curb cancer cell growth in drug resistant ovarian cancer cells.

2 Aug 2011

Drink wine to prevent sunburns: Flavonoid research

According to a new Spanish study wine could protect against harmful sunburns. The researchers from the University of Barcelona and the Spanish National Research Council find that a compound found in grapes or grape derivatives may protect skin cells from skin-damaging ultraviolet radiation.

1 Aug 2011