Amino Acid News and Research

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Amino Acid is one of several molecules that join together to form proteins. There are 20 common amino acids found in proteins.

Scientists have given blind nerve cells the ability to detect light

Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have given "blind" nerve cells the ability to detect light, paving the way for an innovative therapy that could restore sight to those who have lost it through disease.

24 Nov 2004

Scientists have determined the crystal structure of a protein kinase C (PKC) isozyme

This structure should prove extremely useful in the rational design of small molecule inhibitors of PKCÈ, which has been implicated in T-cell mediated disease processes including inflammation and autoimmunity.

19 Nov 2004

Sequencing of human genetic code promises to usher in a new era of genetic medicine

The ability of molecular biologists to sequence the human genetic code promises to usher in a new era of genetic medicine, but that doesn’t mean science can accurately read personal genetic codes.

16 Nov 2004

Enzyme that normally alters the activity of other protein molecules in cells may also help prevent cancer

The enzyme is known as PTPRO (for “protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor-type O”). When the gene responsible for producing PTPRO is silenced, as can happen in lung cancer, for example, the amount of the enzyme drops, allowing the cells to grow when they shouldn’t.

11 Nov 2004

New strain of mice to study nicotine addiction

A team of investigators supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, has created a strain of mice scientists can use to study nicotine addiction and its associated behaviors.

9 Nov 2004

Sexual competition among males is evident at the molecular level, as well as at behavioral and physiological levels

In what could be termed a truly seminal discovery, researchers have shown that when females are more promiscuous, males have to work harder -- at the genetic level, that is. More specifically, they determined that a protein controlling semen viscosity evolves more rapidly in primate species with promiscuous females than in monogamous species.

8 Nov 2004

alpha4 may prove to be useful target for smoking addiction therapies

Nicotine is responsible for more than four million smoking-related deaths each year. Yet people still smoke. Why? One reason is the stranglehold of addiction, started when nicotine enhances the release of a neurotransmitter called dopamine

4 Nov 2004

First home-testing device for phenylketonuria (PKU) patients

Home-testing kits have made it easier for diabetics and hypertension patients to track their conditions, but such self-monitoring hasn’t been possible for people with phenylketonuria (PKU).

1 Nov 2004

A single change in a person’s DNA can contribute to a range of life-shortening risk factors

A woman with hypertension, low magnesium levels, and a cooperative family allowed scientists to pinpoint the mutation, which affects the genes of the mitochondria — the energy-producing power plants of the cell that are passed from mother to offspring.

25 Oct 2004

Discovery of compound that renders the MRSA superbug vulnerable to antibiotics

MRSA- methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus- is defined by its ability to resist the antibiotic methicillin. Like penicillin, methicillin works by blocking bacterial enzymes called PBPs, which normally strengthen cell walls by forming cross links.

13 Oct 2004

Discovery of naturally occurring RNA "switches" that manage the amino acid glycine

Two University of Washington computer scientists are part of a team that has discovered a pair of rare, naturally occurring RNA "switches" in a class of bacteria that work cooperatively to manage the amino acid glycine.

11 Oct 2004

Researchers identify new sulfur-containing scent molecules in sweat

Sometimes, people just don't smell good – and not only in the figurative sense. The sense of smell plays an important role in interpersonal relations.

7 Oct 2004

Patients suffering from diseases as varied as Type II diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's have one thing in common

Patients suffering from diseases as varied as Type II diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and dozens of lesser known maladies have one thing in common: they suffer from a large build up of amyloids

5 Oct 2004

Biomira and Merck announce fast track status for liposome vaccine

Biomira and Merck KGaA have announced that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track status to the investigation of BLP25 Liposome Vaccine (L-BLP25) for its proposed use in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

29 Sep 2004

Gene responsible for a rare form of dystonia known as rapid-onset dystonia parkinsonism identified

Investigators funded in part by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) have identified the gene responsible for a rare form of dystonia known as rapid-onset dystonia parkinsonism (RDP).

23 Sep 2004

Stress response proteins offer a promising target for a novel drug guidance system

Their study, published in the September issue of the journal Cancer Cell, demonstrates how researchers can find protein tags that are unique to cancer cells and then tweak a drug delivery system to zero in on those tags and destroy the cells.

21 Sep 2004

Protein points to anticancer drug targets

A unique tail at one end of a protein called Ubc12 stabilizes a molecular workshop that assembles the “on-switch cells” used to accelerate cell replication.

20 Sep 2004

Higher blood levels of homocysteine may be associated with changes in deep brain tissue in middle-aged men

According to the article, high HCY levels have been associated with an increased risk for vascular diseases, and some studies have suggested that HCY may also increase the risk for brain atrophy and Alzheimer disease. Other studies have shown an inverse relationship between elevated HCY levels and cognitive functioning, the article states.

12 Sep 2004

MGI PHARMA acquires Aesgen for $32 million

MGI PHARMA today announced that they have signed a definitive merger agreement under which MGI PHARMA will acquire all outstanding equity of Aesgen for $32 million in cash.

1 Sep 2004

Researchers accurately pinpoint the types of lymphoma, Hodgkins or non-Hodgkins

“There are many types and subtypes of lymphoma, some of which are easy to detect, but many that are very difficult to identify,” says Antonio Giordano, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Sbarro Institute at Temple and one of the study’s principal investigators.