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Winship-led team identifies a way to exploit cancer cells' taste for glucose

The pedal-to-the-metal signals driving the growth of several types of cancer cells lead to a common switch governing the use of glucose, researchers at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University have discovered.

23 Nov 2009

Scientists discover new potential target for treating non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Physician-scientists from Weill Cornell Medical College have discovered a molecular mechanism that may prove to be a powerful target for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects lymphocytes, or white blood cells. By exploiting this mechanism, researchers have been able to powerfully suppress tumor formation in lab testing and in animal models.

22 Nov 2009

Bacteria help in preventing inflammation after skin injury

On the skin's surface, bacteria are abundant, diverse and constant, but inflammation is undesirable. Research at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine now shows that the normal bacteria living on the skin surface trigger a pathway that prevents excessive inflammation after injury.

22 Nov 2009

Cancer promoting gene identified

Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center and VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine researchers have identified a gene that may play a pivotal role in two processes that are essential for tumor development, growth and progression to metastasis. Scientists hope the finding could lead to an effective therapy to target and inhibit the expression of this gene resulting in inhibition of cancer growth.

21 Nov 2009

Discovery holds promise in fighting cancer, AIDS and autoimmune disorders

21 Nov 2009

Discovery of Th22 cells may help in developing effective therapies for chronic skin and respiratory diseases

The newly discovered Th22 cells are a previously unknown subset of T helper cells. T helper cells are white blood cells that help activate other immune cells when the body is infected by viruses or bacteria. At the same time they help the body to tolerate own tissue and to prevent or curb inflammation.

20 Nov 2009

Dutch researcher discovers how sulfate groups can be protected during molecule construction

Sulfate groups are crucial building blocks for many molecules but are difficult to handle. Dutch researcher Martijn Huibers has discovered how sulfate groups can be protected during the construction of a molecule. Thanks to his method new molecules, which could be used for the production of medicines, can now be constructed far more easily.

20 Nov 2009

University of Michigan scientists discover how SEVI works

Since the discovery in 2007 that a component of human semen called SEVI boosts infectivity of the virus that causes AIDS, researchers have been trying to learn more about SEVI and how it works, in hopes of thwarting its infection-promoting activity.

20 Nov 2009

Scientists closer to unraveling the mechanisms of gene regulation

A team led by Penn State's Ross Hardison, T. Ming Chu Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has taken a large step toward unraveling how regulatory proteins control the production of gene products during development and growth.

20 Nov 2009

High blood pressure: A major risk factor for stroke and heart disease

Today, Jamieson Laboratories, in partnership with the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON), is holding a one day Blood Pressure Blitz in Toronto's underground PATH system in an effort to educate consumers about the number one risk factor for stroke and a major risk factor of heart disease.

20 Nov 2009

Researchers to discover new vaccine against infection from Lyme disease

A protein found in the saliva of ticks helps protect mice from developing Lyme disease, Yale researchers have discovered. The findings, published in the November 19 issue of Cell Host & Microbe, may spur development of a new vaccine against infection from Lyme disease, which is spread through tick bites.

20 Nov 2009

Ligon Discovery raises $1 million

Ligon Discovery, Inc., which uses proprietary small molecule microarray technology to find drugs against high-value targets, today announced that it has raised $1M in seed financing led by incTANK Ventures. The company will use the capital to complete its initial discovery campaign that will screen over 100 high-value disease protein targets. With this investment, incTANK Ventures General Partner Christian Bailey joins the board.

19 Nov 2009

Genetic identity of cellular receptor for the immune system's first-response antibody discovered

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have uncovered the genetic identity of a cellular receptor for the immune system's first-response antibody, a discovery that sheds new light on infection control and immune disorders. The discovery is such a crucial part of immunology that UAB researchers, in conjunction with Japanese researchers, are asking that the gene linked to this antibody receptor be renamed to better describe its role in early immune responses.

19 Nov 2009

Why avian flu virus has not caused a pandemic?

Bird flu viruses would have to make at least two simultaneous genetic mutations before they could be transmitted readily from human to human, according to research published today in PLoS ONE.

19 Nov 2009

Outdoor smoking areas: A new health hazard

Indoor smoking bans have forced smokers at bars and restaurants onto outdoor patios, but a new University of Georgia study in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that these outdoor smoking areas might be creating a new health hazard.

19 Nov 2009

Interim data from an ongoing phase 1 dose-escalation trial of XL147 reported

Exelixis, Inc. today reported interim data from an ongoing phase 1 dose-escalation trial of XL147 (SAR245408) in combination with the EGFR inhibitor erlotinib in patients with advanced solid tumors.

19 Nov 2009

Millennium commences Phase I clinical trial for its second-generation proteasome inhibitor

Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company today announced it has further expanded its protein homeostasis program with the initiation of a Phase I clinical trial for an oral formulation of MLN9708, the Company’s second-generation proteasome inhibitor. An intravenous formulation of MLN9708 entered clinical trials in March.

18 Nov 2009

New data on Synta Pharmaceuticals' elesclomol presented at the AACR-NCI-EORTC Conference

Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing small molecule drugs to treat severe medical conditions, today presented new data on the mechanism of action of elesclomol, a first-in-class oxidative stress inducer, at the AACR-NCI-EORTC Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Boston, Mass.

18 Nov 2009

Data on Synta Pharmaceuticals' STA-9090 synthetic inhibitor of Hsp90 presented

Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing small molecule drugs to treat severe medical conditions, today announced that preclinical data presented at the AACR-NCI-EORTC Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics shows that STA-9090, a novel, synthetic inhibitor of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), demonstrated strong activity in multiple tumor models.

18 Nov 2009

Pfizer Canada accepts Prix Galien Canada 2009 Innovative Product Award for CHAMPIX

Pfizer Canada accepted the Prix Galien Canada 2009 Innovative Product Award for CHAMPIX (varenicline tartrate), the first prescription treatment for smoking cessation in adults specifically designed to target nicotine addiction. The award was presented last night at a gala in Ottawa recognizing excellence in pharmaceutical research.

18 Nov 2009