Small Molecules News and Research

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UC Santa Cruz-led study offers new insights into molecular mechanisms of biological clock

A new study led by UC Santa Cruz researchers has found that a protein associated with cancer cells is a powerful suppressor of the biological clock that drives the daily ("circadian") rhythms of cells throughout the body.

3 Jun 2015

MedImmune, AstraZeneca present encouraging results from new combination-focused immuno-oncology portfolio at ASCO 2015

AstraZeneca and MedImmune, the company’s global biologics research and development arm, today presented encouraging results from their novel combination-focused immuno-oncology portfolio at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting 2015.

2 Jun 2015

Amgen creates catalog of qualified tools and reagents to advance basic discoveries in biology

Amgen today announced the creation of a catalog of qualified tools and reagents available to academic institutions to help further research and advance basic discoveries in biology, as well as deepen relationships with academic institutions.

29 May 2015

Researchers find weak spot in some antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Using a complex modeling program that helps analyze the physical dynamics of large, structurally complex protein molecules, a research team has made progress towards finding a weak spot in the architecture of a group of enzymes that are essential to antibiotic resistance in a number of bacteria.

29 May 2015

Janssen, Bayer HealthCare initiate CALLISTO program to study rivaroxaban in patients with active cancer

Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and its development partner, Bayer HealthCare, today announced the initiation of CALLISTO, a new comprehensive clinical research program for their novel oral anticoagulant, rivaroxaban, in patients with active cancer. The studies are evaluating the medicine for the prevention and treatment of life-threatening blood clots in patients with a wide range of cancer types.

28 May 2015

Breakthrough in fight against rare kidney disease - Membranous Nephropathy

Scientists at The University of Manchester and Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have made a significant breakthrough in the fight against Membranous Nephropathy (MN) - a rare kidney disease which can lead to kidney failure.

22 May 2015

Researchers make major step toward finding target to combat drug-resistant neuroblastoma

Researchers at Children's Hospital Los Angeles have made an important step toward finding a target in the fight against drug-resistant neuroblastoma (NBL), the most common solid malignancy found, outside of the skull, in children.

14 May 2015

Researchers submit patent application for drug that could destroy acute lymphoblastic leukemia

A patent application for a drug that could destroy the deadly childhood disease known as acute lymphoblastic leukemia — and potentially other cancers as well — has been submitted by researchers at Sandia National Laboratories, the University of Maryland and the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

14 May 2015

Scientists uncover mechanism behind 'tubulin code'

Driving down the highway, you encounter ever-changing signs -- speed limits, exits, food and gas options. Seeing these roadside markers may cause you to slow down, change lanes or start thinking about lunch. In a similar way, cellular structures called microtubules are tagged with a variety of chemical markers that can influence cell functions.

13 May 2015

DNMT1 gene essential to maintain breast and cancer stem cells

The gene and hormone soup that enables women to breastfeed their newborns also can be a recipe for breast cancer, particularly when the first pregnancy is after age 30.

12 May 2015

Removing bacterial biofilms could help prevent and treat colon cancers, study suggests

A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has uncovered a big clue to how bacteria may promote some colon cancers.

8 May 2015

Luxembourg biologists provide complete image of human 'miRNome' in blood samples

In an elaborate study, biologists of the University of Luxembourg have found out that small molecules named microRNAs are, against many hopes, not yet suitable for early diagnosis of skin cancer, as well as supposedly for other types of cancer, in blood samples. For the first time they analysed all microRNAs in the serum of healthy people and thus provided a first complete image of the human "miRNome" in blood samples, in reference to the better-known "genome".

6 May 2015

UNC researchers use exosomes to deliver potent Parkinson's treatment directly to the brain

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have used exosomes -- tiny bubbles of protein and fat produced naturally by cells -- to bypass the body's defenses and deliver a potent antioxidant directly to the brain to treat Parkinson's disease.

5 May 2015

Researchers identify mechanism responsible for steroid resistance in leukemia patients

Researchers led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have identified a mechanism that helps leukemia cells resist glucocorticoids, a finding that lays the foundation for more effective treatment of cancer and possibly a host of autoimmune diseases.

5 May 2015

Researchers identify molecular switch for protein that causes HER2-positive breast cancer

Herceptin has been touted as a wonder drug for women with HER2-positive breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease that is fueled by excess production of the HER2 protein. However, not all of these patients respond to the drug, and many who do respond eventually acquire resistance.

28 Apr 2015

Several drugs could lead to new MS treatment options

New research published this week in Nature has found several drugs could lead to new treatment options for multiple sclerosis (MS), including two drugs that effectively treat MS at the source, in vivo. When administered at the peak of disease, these two drugs showed a striking reversal of disease severity.

23 Apr 2015

Latest genome sequencing techniques help identify new autoimmune syndrome in children

Using the latest genome sequencing techniques, a research team led by scientists from UC San Francisco, Baylor College of Medicine, and Texas Children's Hospital has identified a new autoimmune syndrome characterized by a combination of severe lung disease and arthritis that currently has no therapy.

21 Apr 2015

New automated tool rapidly delivers large particles into mammalian cells

A new device developed by UCLA engineers and doctors eventually help scientists study the development of disease, enable them to capture improved images of the inside of cells and lead to other improvements in medical and biological research.

10 Apr 2015

RNA could be a potential target for new anticancer drugs, say UC Berkeley scientists

Most of today's anticancer drugs target the DNA or proteins in tumor cells, but a new discovery by University of California, Berkeley, scientists unveils a whole new set of potential targets: the RNA intermediaries between DNA and proteins.

7 Apr 2015

Arvinas, Merck team up to create new therapeutics using protein degradation technology

Arvinas LLC, a private biotechnology company creating a new class of drugs based on protein degradation, announced a strategic collaboration with Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, in which Arvinas' novel PROTAC technology will be used to degrade target proteins, with the goal of creating novel therapeutics.