Cell Death News and Research

RSS

BH3 profiling can help in determining cancer's chemosensitivity

Two different anti-apoptotic proteins support cancer cell survival via an identical mechanism, yet differ in their sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs, report Brunelle et al. The study will be published online October 26, 2009 and in the November 2, 2009 print issue of the Journal of Cell Biology (JCB).

27 Oct 2009

Potential link exists between histone mRNA formation and apoptosis

A study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has identified a key player in a molecular process essential for DNA replication within cells.

26 Oct 2009

APC enzyme may be effective for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

A chemical cousin of a drug currently used to treat sepsis dramatically slows the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, in mice. The results offer a bit of good news in efforts to develop a therapy to stop or slow the progression of a disease that generally kills its victims within just a few years.

26 Oct 2009

Professor Suzanne Cory receives award for her work in cancer and immunogenetics

Professor Suzanne Cory, the former director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, Australia, has been named the recipient of the 2009 Pearl Meister Greengard Prize.

24 Oct 2009

Roche's xCELLigence RTCA SP Instrument used for in vitro testing of cells

The C-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA Polymerase II consists of multiple repeats of an evolutionary conserved motif of seven amino acids, forming a repetitive structure of 52 repeats in humans and 26 repeats in yeast. Twenty years after the first description of the RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain, its function is still unclear.

23 Oct 2009

Researchers use biotechnological tools to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease

No one has yet found a cure or a way to prevent people from developing Alzheimer's disease. Researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, among others, are breaking new ground in biotechnology to find new tools that can help provide new solutions.

20 Oct 2009

Vitamin D and progesterone combination for treating traumatic brain injury

As doctors begin to test progesterone for traumatic brain injury at sites across the country, researchers are looking ahead to optimizing the hormone's effectiveness.

20 Oct 2009

Antioxidant extracts of G.biloba leaves may protect cells from radiation damage

Antioxidant extracts of the leaves of the Gingko biloba tree may protect cells from radiation damage, according to a study published in the International Journal of Low Radiation. The discovery may one day be used to help reduce side effects in cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.

20 Oct 2009

DKC establishes link between genetic mutation affecting telomerase function and human disease

The human genetic disease dyskeratosis congenita (DKC) is an autosomal dominant disease that leads to abnormalities in tissues with a rapid cell turnover - the skin, nails, bone marrow, lungs and gut. Patients with DKC experience life-threatening symptoms. Bone marrow failure increases their risk of fatal infections and cancer. Many die before the age of 30 and management of the disease is limited to trying to treat its symptoms.

19 Oct 2009

Ruthenium and Osmium compounds show high levels of activity against ovarian cancer

Drugs made using unusual metals could form an effective treatment against colon and ovarian cancer, including cancerous cells that have developed immunity to other drugs, according to research at the University of Warwick and the University of Leeds.

19 Oct 2009

Asthma is the most common underlying condition associated with H1N1 Swine Flu: CDC Report

Cannabis Science Inc., an emerging pharmaceutical cannabis company, notes a report by epidemiologists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) saying that, among people hospitalized with severe cases of the pandemic strain of H1N1 Swine Flu, asthma is by far the most common underlying condition associated with he disease.

19 Oct 2009

APP balance critical for normal neuronal development

New data about amyloid precursor protein, or APP, a protein implicated in development of Alzheimer's disease, suggests it also may have a positive role -- directly affecting learning and memory during brain development. So is APP good or bad? Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center say both, and that a balance of APP is critical.

19 Oct 2009

Researchers test Orizon Research's ALKA-V6 silicon-based compound

Researchers at Texas State University-San Marcos have completed initial testing of a cancer chemotherapeutic and anti-retroviral compound with promising results.

14 Oct 2009

Overdose of vitamin A can impact cell growth

If a little vitamin A is good, more must be better, right? Wrong! New research published online in the FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org) shows that vitamin A plays a crucial role in energy production within cells, explaining why too much or too little has a complex negative effect on our bodies.

9 Oct 2009

Premature aging of immune system develops amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Premature aging of the immune system appears to play a role in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, according to research scientists from the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, and Sheba Medical Center in Israel.

9 Oct 2009

Proteins play vital role in transferring human genetic code from one cell to another

A Florida State University College of Medicine researcher has solved a century-old mystery about proteins that play a vital role in the transfer of the human genetic code from one cell to another. The discovery could lead to finding new ways to help the body fight a variety of diseases, including cancer.

8 Oct 2009

PP5 enzyme decrease in neurons can cause cell death in Alzheimer's disease patients

A Purdue University researcher has discovered that the amount of an enzyme present in neurons can affect the mechanism thought to cause cell death in Alzheimer's disease patients and may have applications for other diseases such as stroke and heart attack.

8 Oct 2009

New apoptosis detection kit for monitoring chromatin condensation

Enzo Biochem, Inc.’s Enzo Life Sciences division today announced the addition of a new apoptosis detection kit for monitoring chromatin condensation to its rapidly expanding CELLestial™ product line for live cell analysis.

7 Oct 2009

New study to boost immune cells for pathogen resistance and vaccine efficacy in elderly

A new study from the Trudeau Institute in Saranac Lake, New York, demonstrates that immune system cells important for both pathogen resistance and vaccine efficacy live longer in older animals but because of this longevity acquire functional defects. The work may provide new targets for boosting immune system function in older individuals.

6 Oct 2009

Myocardial and neurological effects of Tβ4 presented

REGENERX BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC. today reported on the results of several important research programs with Thymosin beta 4 (Tβ4) presented at the Second International Symposium on Thymosins in Health and Disease, in Catania, Italy.

5 Oct 2009