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Notch1 and Jagged1 genes are likely markers indicating a patient's probable aggressive breast cancer

In a new study, scientists at The Hospital for Sick Children and Princess Margaret Hospital have shown that two genes called Notch1 and Jagged1 are linked to more aggressive breast cancers and that patients are less likely to survive the disease when these two genes are highly expressed.

26 Sep 2005

Neurologix announces positive interim results of gene therapy clinical trial for patients with Parkinson's disease

Neurologix has announced positive interim results of its landmark gene therapy clinical trial for patients with Parkinson's disease. Neurologix's 12-patient, dose-escalating Phase I trial is the world's first study to use a viral vector (the non-pathogenic adeno-associated virus, or AAV) for the treatment of an adult neurological disease.

26 Sep 2005

Raf Kinase Inhibitor Protein plays a role in controlling the active movement of cells

University of Illinois at Chicago researchers report that a protein that regulates key signaling pathways in cells also plays a role in controlling the active movement or migration of cells. The finding may suggest new pharmaceutical therapies for treating a variety of diseases, including cancer.

26 Sep 2005

Study clarifies insulin's role in blocking release of energy in patients with type II diabetes

Chronically high levels of insulin, as is found in many people with obesity and Type II diabetes, may block specific hormones that trigger energy release into the body, according to researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine.

22 Sep 2005

22 biomarkers that provide a more accurate screening for prostate

Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a panel of 22 biomarkers that together provide a more accurate screening for prostate cancer than the current prostate specific antigen, or PSA, test.

22 Sep 2005

Simple organism can produce 10 trillion varieties of a single protein

A team led by University of California, San Diego biochemists has discovered the mechanism by which a simple organism can produce 10 trillion varieties of a single protein, a finding that provides a new tool to develop novel drugs.

21 Sep 2005

Antibiotic resistance has put humans in an escalating 'arms race' with infectious bacteria

...as scientists try to develop new antibiotics faster than the bacteria can evolve new resistance strategies. But now, researchers have a new strategy that may give them a leg up in the race -- reproducing in the lab the natural evolution of the bacterial enzymes that confer resistance.

21 Sep 2005

Key neural system at risk from prenatal exposure to alcohol

In a study of adult monkeys who were exposed to moderate amounts of alcohol in utero, scientists have found that prenatal exposure to alcohol - even in small doses - has pronounced effects on the development and function later in life of the brain's dopamine system, a critical component of the central nervous system that regulates many regions of the brain.

21 Sep 2005

O-GlcNAc sugar is a critical regulator of cells' natural life cycle

The discovery reveals that, when disturbed, this process could contribute to cancer or other diseases by failing to properly control the steps and timing of cell division, the researchers say. The findings are described in the Sept. 23 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, available online now.

20 Sep 2005

Low-dose aspirin might prevent the cardiovascular damage known to arise from use of the painkiller rofecoxib (Vioxx)

Their findings that a chemical imbalance might underlie such damage could also lead to the development of anti-inflammatory drugs without the adverse side effects, the researchers said.

20 Sep 2005

PUMA protein offers critical insights for developing new anti-cancer drugs

The discovery of how the activities of the protein p53 initiate signals that trigger cell suicide offers critical insights for developing new anti-cancer drugs, according to investigators from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

20 Sep 2005

Possible new target for treating obesity and diabetes

The new target, a molecule called hVps34, is activated by amino acids (nutrients) entering the cell. This molecule triggers the activation of an enzyme, S6 Kinase 1 (S6K1), whose function UC researchers linked last year to obesity and insulin resistance.

19 Sep 2005

Researchers detail molecular images of a piece of the spike-shaped protein that the SARS virus uses initiate the first stages of infection

Researchers have determined the first detailed molecular images of a piece of the spike-shaped protein that the SARS virus uses to grab host cells and initiate the first stages of infection.

19 Sep 2005

Scientists have discovered a new and potent anti-cancer compound in beans

Scientists have discovered a new and potent anti-cancer compound in everyday food. The collaborative study led by UCL (University College London) shows that the compound - inositol pentakisphosphate - found in beans, nuts and cereals inhibits a key enzyme (phosphoinositide 3-kinase) involved in tumour growth.

19 Sep 2005

Molecular pathway in mice that makes prostate cells vulnerable to cancer-causing oxygen damage

Scientists from Maryland and New Jersey have identified a molecular pathway in mice that makes prostate cells vulnerable to cancer-causing oxygen damage.

19 Sep 2005

Why do estrogen-dependent breast-cancer cells grow and spread rapidly?

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign say it may be because estrogen virtually eliminates levels of a vitally important regulatory protein.

10 Sep 2005

Letrozole following tamoxifen may benefit women with breast cancer

Switching to the drug letrozole following 5 years of treatment with tamoxifen reduces the risk of hormone-dependent breast cancer recurrence, but not overall survival, among postmenopausal women, according to a new study in the September 7 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

7 Sep 2005

New ways to enhance or block fertilization

Researchers have capitalized on the unique properties of a sperm cell to follow cell membrane fusion as it occurs during fertilization, tracking the full cascade of events for the first time. The findings could reveal new ways to enhance or block fertilization, as well as how to control the secretion of neurotransmitters and hormones such as insulin.

6 Sep 2005

Double whammy of vitamin D and anti-inflammatory zaps prostate cancer cells

Scientists from Stanford University say they have discovered that vitamin D, known as the "sunshine vitamin,"can limit the growth of prostate cancer cells when combined with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

6 Sep 2005

Sports and exercise - in addition to preventing obesity and diabetes - directly improve vascular function and reduce atherosclerosis

When asked about his personal recipe for old age, Winston Churchill used to answer: "First of all: No sports." While being a visionary figure in world politics researchers in cardiovascular exercise science today would unanimously reply to his medical hypothesis: "Sorry, you are wrong."

5 Sep 2005

Enzyme News and Research

Notch1 and Jagged1 genes are likely markers indicating a patient's probable aggressive breast cancer

Neurologix announces positive interim results of gene therapy clinical trial for patients with Parkinson's disease

Raf Kinase Inhibitor Protein plays a role in controlling the active movement of cells

Study clarifies insulin's role in blocking release of energy in patients with type II diabetes

22 biomarkers that provide a more accurate screening for prostate

Simple organism can produce 10 trillion varieties of a single protein

Antibiotic resistance has put humans in an escalating 'arms race' with infectious bacteria

Key neural system at risk from prenatal exposure to alcohol

O-GlcNAc sugar is a critical regulator of cells' natural life cycle

Low-dose aspirin might prevent the cardiovascular damage known to arise from use of the painkiller rofecoxib (Vioxx)

PUMA protein offers critical insights for developing new anti-cancer drugs

Possible new target for treating obesity and diabetes

Researchers detail molecular images of a piece of the spike-shaped protein that the SARS virus uses initiate the first stages of infection

Scientists have discovered a new and potent anti-cancer compound in beans

Molecular pathway in mice that makes prostate cells vulnerable to cancer-causing oxygen damage

Why do estrogen-dependent breast-cancer cells grow and spread rapidly?

Letrozole following tamoxifen may benefit women with breast cancer

New ways to enhance or block fertilization

Double whammy of vitamin D and anti-inflammatory zaps prostate cancer cells

Sports and exercise - in addition to preventing obesity and diabetes - directly improve vascular function and reduce atherosclerosis

Measuring Drug-Target Residence Times with Biochemical Assays eBook

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