G Protein News and Research

RSS

Scientists establish HCV infection in liver-like cells derived from iPSCs

Hepatitis C, an infectious disease that can cause inflammation and organ failure, has different effects on different people. But no one is sure why some people are very susceptible to the infection, while others are resistant. Scientists believe that if they could study liver cells from different people in the lab, they could determine how genetic differences produce these varying responses. However, liver cells are difficult to obtain and notoriously difficult to grow in a lab dish because they tend to lose their normal structure and function when removed from the body.

2 Feb 2012

Researchers reveal how antipsychotics affect metabolism by SMAD3 activation

In a paper published January 31 in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) reveal how antipsychotic drugs interfere with normal metabolism by activating a protein called SMAD3, an important part of the transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) pathway.

2 Feb 2012

Oxford Nanopore CTO to present at AGBT conference in Florida

Oxford Nanopore Technologies Ltd. announces that Clive G Brown, Chief Technology Officer, will present at the Advances in Genome Biology and Technology (AGBT) conference in Marco Island, Florida, on 17th February 2012 at 11.40am (EST) / 4.40pm (GMT).

From Oxford Nanopore Technologies 2 Feb 2012

Abnormal tau protein propagates along linked brain circuits

For decades, researchers have debated whether Alzheimer's disease starts independently in vulnerable brain regions at different times, or if it begins in one region and then spreads to neuroanatomically connected areas. A new study by Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers strongly supports the latter, demonstrating that abnormal tau protein, a key feature of the neurofibrillary tangles seen in the brains of those with Alzheimer's, propagates along linked brain circuits, "jumping" from neuron to neuron.

2 Feb 2012

Cancer Genomics now available online

Genome Research publishes online and in print today a special issue entitled, "Cancer Genomics," highlighting insights gained form cutting-edge genomic and epigenomic analyses of cancer.

2 Feb 2012

FDA extends Novartis' Gleevec label to three-year treatment in patients with KIT+ GIST after surgery

Novartis announced today that following a priority review, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved an update to the Gleevec (imatinib mesylate) tablets label to recommend 36 months of treatment after surgery for adult patients with KIT (CD117)-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) who met the risk of recurrence inclusion criteria of the pivotal trial.

1 Feb 2012

Cystic fibrosis drug gets FDA approval

A drug – the first of its kind - that treats the root cause of cystic fibrosis won approval Tuesday. This could be a ray of hope for patients with the deadly illness and broader hope for thousands more patients with the inherited disease.

1 Feb 2012

Health and wellness leader launches weight loss movement

Health and wellness leader MonaVie has launched a weight loss movement it is calling the "90-day MonaVie RVLution," using its RVL Premier Weight Management System in combination with Venice Nutrition Creator and NY Times Bestselling Author Mark Macdonald's "Body Confidence" program.

1 Feb 2012

Preliminary results from CINJ's Celebrex and Lipitor Phase II combination trial on prostrate cancer

Research from The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) on the FDA-approved drugs Celebrex and Lipitor -- used respectively for arthritis pain and lowering cholesterol -- shows that these drugs are well tolerated in the treatment of recurrent prostate cancer.

1 Feb 2012

Specific gene mutation triggers development of NAFLD

A team of scientists from the University of Utah and the University of California at San Francisco has discovered that the mutation of a gene encoding a ketone body transporter triggers accumulation of fat and other lipids in the livers of zebrafish.

1 Feb 2012

Study finds sharp increase in BMP use for spinal fusion surgery

The use of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) for spinal fusion surgery has risen sharply over the past decade, increasing costs with no evidence of improved outcomes, reports study in the February 1 issue of Spine.

1 Feb 2012

Crizotinib can treat ROS1-driven tumors

A report from investigators at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center has defined the role of a recently identified gene abnormality in a deadly form of lung cancer. Tumors driven by rearrangements in the ROS1 gene represent 1 to 2 percent of non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLC), the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.

1 Feb 2012

Vertex receives FDA approval for Kalydeco to treat rare form of CF

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Kalydeco (ivacaftor) for the treatment of a rare form of cystic fibrosis (CF) in patients ages 6 years and older who have the specific G551D mutation in the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Regulator (CFTR) gene.

1 Feb 2012

Kras gene plays a role in continuous growth of pancreatic cancer

A mutant protein found in nearly all pancreatic cancers plays a role not only in the cancer's development but in its continued growth, according to a new study from University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers. The finding suggests a possible target for developing new ways to treat this deadly disease.

1 Feb 2012

Biogen Idec 2011 total revenues increase 7% to $5.0 billion

Biogen Idec Inc., a global biotechnology leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing and commercialization of innovative therapies, today announced its full year and fourth quarter 2011 results.

1 Feb 2012

Study finds lack of whole grain food consumption among teens

Teens are not consuming enough whole grain foods, according to a recent study from the University of Minnesota at St. Paul and featured in the January issue of Food Nutrition & Science.

31 Jan 2012

HSP40/70 linked to hepatitis C infection

Researchers from UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a cell-permeable peptide that inhibits a hepatitis C virus protein and blocks viral replication, which can lead to liver cancer and cirrhosis.

31 Jan 2012

Anti-HER2 dendritic cell vaccine shows promise against DCIS

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania report that a short course of vaccination with an anti-HER2 dendritic cell vaccine made partly from the patient's own cells triggers a complete tumor eradication in nearly 20 percent of women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), an early breast cancer.

31 Jan 2012

Pannexin1 protein may play an important role in mechanics of tumors

By studying tumor cell behavior in a novel "scaffold-free" 3-D system, researchers have determined that the protein Pannexin1 may play an important biomechanical role in binding tissues together, an effect that is lost in cancerous cells.

31 Jan 2012

MT2 gene mutations may increase risk of diabetes

Researchers in Lille and Paris demonstrated that mutations in the melatonin receptor gene (melatonin or the "hormone of darkness" induces sleep) lead to an almost sevenfold increase in the risk of developing diabetes.

31 Jan 2012