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Exciting progress made in MS research during 2010

Exciting advances were made in 2010 in virtually every field of MS research. Progress toward finding new therapies for MS is illustrated by the availability of the first oral disease-modifying therapy for MS. Progress was also made toward finding ways to restore function and improving quality of life and specific MS symptoms through exercise, meditation, rehabilitation and medications, including the first therapy specifically approved to treat a symptom of MS (Ampyra).

20 Dec 2010

Tips to enjoy holiday food and other special parts of the season

While most of us look forward with anticipation to the culinary delights of the holiday season, the decedent buffet can be treacherous territory for those with food-related health concerns.

17 Dec 2010

Amira identifies novel pre-clinical candidate for autotaxin lysophosphatidic acid related program

Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has successfully identified a novel pre-clinical candidate for its newest lysophosphatidic acid (LPA)-related program, autotaxin. Autotaxin is an enzyme upstream from LPA receptors and has been implicated in a number of diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, glioblastoma, lung, breast, ovarian and thyroid cancers.

17 Dec 2010

Astonishing diversity of microbes inhabit the human body

A mounting tide of scientific evidence suggests that the old adage from Aesop's fables - "You are known by the company you keep" - also applies to the trillions of microscopic bacteria and viruses that live on the human body. Humanity's invisible but constant companions - more bacteria hang out on the palms of your hands than there are people on Earth - is the topic of an article in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS' weekly newsmagazine.

17 Dec 2010

Viron's Phase 2a trial for VT-111 meets primary, secondary endpoints in ACS patients

Viron Therapeutics Inc. today announced that the results of Viron's Phase 2a trial for VT-111 were published today in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions. In the study led by Dr. Jean-Claude Tardif, Director of the Research Centre at the Montreal Heart Institute, VT-111, also known as Serp-1, met both its primary and secondary endpoints of safety and biological activity in Acute Coronary Syndrome patients receiving coronary stents.

17 Dec 2010

MDA awards Repligen $1.4M for research of new compound with therapeutic potential for SMA

The Muscular Dystrophy Association today announced it has awarded $1.4 million in new research funding to the biopharmaceutical firm Repligen of Waltham, Mass., to complete the preclinical work needed to begin human clinical trials of a promising therapeutic compound for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

17 Dec 2010

Gen-Probe announces GTI Diagnostics acquisition from Riverside Company

Gen-Probe Incorporated announced today that the Company has acquired GTI Diagnostics, a privately held specialty diagnostics company focused on the transplantation, blood bank and specialty coagulation markets, for $53 million in cash.

17 Dec 2010

Researchers discover allium vegetable consumption may lower hip osteoarthritis

Researchers at King's College London and the University of East Anglia have discovered that women who consume a diet high in allium vegetables, such as garlic, onions and leeks, have lower levels of hip osteoarthritis

16 Dec 2010

Gene variant linked to liver cirrhosis in Caucasians

A new study by German researchers found that a variation in the PNPLA3 (adiponutrin) gene was associated with cirrhosis of the liver and elevated transaminase (liver enzyme) levels in alcoholic Caucasians. The risk of cirrhosis in alcoholics in the genetic high risk group might be as high as 25 to 50%. Full findings are published in the January 2011 issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

16 Dec 2010

Gene variation linked to liver cirrhosis in alcoholic caucasians

16 Dec 2010

MDA supports Repligen with $1.4M grant for RG3039 Spinal Muscular Atrophy development program

Repligen Corporation today announced that the Company has received $1,400,000 in research funding from the Muscular Dystrophy Association ("MDA") to support the ongoing development of RG3039 for Spinal Muscular Atrophy ("SMA"). RG3039, our lead compound, is an inhibitor of an RNA processing enzyme which targets increased production of SMN, a protein of deficient levels in patients with SMA.

15 Dec 2010

CTT, Bayer sign Research and License Option Agreement

Cancer Targeted Technology (CTT), a Seattle-based biotechnology firm focusing on small molecule cancer enzyme inhibitors for the generation of novel diagnostics and therapeutics, today announced that it has signed a Research and License Option Agreement with Bayer Pharma AG, Germany. Under the agreement, CTT will work with Bayer to optimize a novel PET imaging agent based on its unique inhibitor scaffold that recognizes a validated cancer enzyme biomarker.

15 Dec 2010

DSM licenses c-LEcta's alcohol dehydrogenases for enzyme screening programs

DSM Pharmaceutical Products, the custom manufacturing organization of Royal DSM NV, today announces a license agreement with c-LEcta GmbH for proprietary screening technology.

15 Dec 2010

Study broadens understanding of role of IDH1 and IDH2 mutations in AML

Agios Pharmaceuticals, the leading biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel drugs in the rapidly emerging field of cancer metabolism, today announced the publication of a paper in Cancer Cell that illuminates the mechanism by which 2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG), and the mutations in the metabolic genes IDH1 and IDH2 that produce it, may be driving the growth of tumors in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

15 Dec 2010

Study links large waistline to increased risk of heart problems and type 2 diabetes

Researchers at Eastern Virginia Medical School’s Strelitz Diabetes Center and the school’s department of physiological sciences have published research showing a strong link between a large waistline and increased risk of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

14 Dec 2010

Lexicon reports top-line results from LX2931 Phase 2a study in rheumatoid arthritis

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering breakthrough treatments for human disease, announced top-line results from a recently completed Phase 2a study of LX2931 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). LX2931 is an orally-delivered, small molecule drug candidate that inhibits sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) lyase, an enzyme important for modulating the immune system by controlling S1P levels in lymphoid tissues.

14 Dec 2010

Novel labeling technique helps researchers to explore DNA chemical modification

Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine and the University of Chicago have developed a method for labeling and mapping a "sixth nucleotide," whose biological role scientists are only beginning to explore.

14 Dec 2010

Alzheimer’s research update

Alzheimer’s disease researchers have been working for a while with a small, sticky protein fragment, beta amyloid, that clumps into balls in the brains of patients with this degenerative neurological disease. It is a normal protein that is present in every normal brain but in Alzheimer’s it starts to accumulate into these balls or plaques. On buildup of amyloid symptoms of the disease appear.

13 Dec 2010

Exemestane may provide post-surgery option for postmenopausal women with hormone-receptor positive breast cancer

Exemestane, an aromatase inhibitor that blocks production of estrogen, may provide another post-surgery option for postmenopausal women with hormone-receptor positive, early-stage breast cancer.

13 Dec 2010

Scientists demonstrate triple-drug cocktail for triple negative breast cancer at AACR symposium

A gene target for drug resistance, a triple-drug cocktail for triple negative breast cancer, and patients' risk for carpal tunnel syndrome are among study highlights scheduled to be presented by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center scientists during the 33rd Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 8-12.

13 Dec 2010

Enzyme News and Research

Exciting progress made in MS research during 2010

Tips to enjoy holiday food and other special parts of the season

Amira identifies novel pre-clinical candidate for autotaxin lysophosphatidic acid related program

Astonishing diversity of microbes inhabit the human body

Viron's Phase 2a trial for VT-111 meets primary, secondary endpoints in ACS patients

MDA awards Repligen $1.4M for research of new compound with therapeutic potential for SMA

Gen-Probe announces GTI Diagnostics acquisition from Riverside Company

Researchers discover allium vegetable consumption may lower hip osteoarthritis

Gene variant linked to liver cirrhosis in Caucasians

Gene variation linked to liver cirrhosis in alcoholic caucasians

MDA supports Repligen with $1.4M grant for RG3039 Spinal Muscular Atrophy development program

CTT, Bayer sign Research and License Option Agreement

DSM licenses c-LEcta's alcohol dehydrogenases for enzyme screening programs

Study broadens understanding of role of IDH1 and IDH2 mutations in AML

Study links large waistline to increased risk of heart problems and type 2 diabetes

Lexicon reports top-line results from LX2931 Phase 2a study in rheumatoid arthritis

Novel labeling technique helps researchers to explore DNA chemical modification

Alzheimer’s research update

Exemestane may provide post-surgery option for postmenopausal women with hormone-receptor positive breast cancer

Scientists demonstrate triple-drug cocktail for triple negative breast cancer at AACR symposium

Biochemical Assays for Efficient Hit Prioritization After Screening eBook

Latest eBooks

Industry Focus eBook - Analytical Chemistry (3rd edition)

Industry Focus eBook - Microbiome (1st edition)

Industry Focus eBook - Cell biology (5th edition)

Advancing degrader and proximity-based drug development

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo