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Scorpion’s toxins can reduce heart bypass failures: Research

A toxin found in the venom of the Central American bark scorpion (Centruroides margaritatus) could hold the key to reducing heart bypass failures, according to research from the University of Leeds.

22 Oct 2010

Vertex commences VX-770 and VX-809 combination Phase 2a clinical trial for cystic fibrosis

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced the initiation of a Phase 2a clinical trial that will evaluate multiple combinations of VX-770 and VX-809, investigational oral cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF). The trial is designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of VX-809 dosed alone for 14 days followed by dosing of VX-809 in combination with VX-770 for 7 days.

18 Oct 2010

New insights into HIV infection process may allow antiviral drug development

New insights into the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection process, which leads to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), may now be possible through a research method recently developed in part at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where scientists have glimpsed an important protein molecule's behavior with unprecedented clarity.

15 Oct 2010

Research may pave way to cure cystic fibrosis

A University of Missouri researcher believes his latest work moves scientists closer to a cure for cystic fibrosis, one of the world's most common fatal genetic diseases.

13 Oct 2010

Biologists determine three-dimensional structure of molecule involved in HIV, cancer

In a technical tour de force, structural biologists funded by the National Institutes of Health have determined the three-dimensional structure of a molecule involved in HIV infection and in many forms of cancer. The high-resolution structure sheds light on how the molecule functions and could point to ways to control its activity, potentially locking out HIV and stalling cancer's spread.

8 Oct 2010

Study on B-cell receptors may help develop new treatment strategies for leukaemia

In order to track down pathogens and render them harmless, the immune system must be able to recognize myriad different foreign substances and react to them. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and the Centre for Biological Signalling Studies BIOSS at the University of Freiburg have discovered how the immune system's B-cells can be activated by numerous substances from our environment.

7 Oct 2010

Anticancer drug Cisplatin induces side effects

Cisplatin, an anticancer drug widely used for treating various types of tumor, can induce side effects in the short term. A team of scientists, mostly from CNRS and the Université de Nice has provided first in vitro evidence that this antitumor agent modifies the sensitivity of cellular pressure sensors. This completely novel mechanism could help to elucidate certain neurological side effects of cisplatin hitherto unexplained.

6 Oct 2010

Scientists use directed light to cause arrhythmia in genetically modified mice

Scientists at the University of Bonn have altered cardiac muscle cells to make them controllable with light. They were thus able to use directed light to cause conditions such as arrhythmia in genetically modified mice. The method opens up completely new possibilities for researching the development of such arrhythmias. The study will be published in the upcoming edition of "Nature Methods".

5 Oct 2010

NIH awards Scripps Research grants to study the mechanisms of protein complex

For Immediate Release -Scripps Research Institute scientists have been awarded approximately $65 million in four five-year grants as part of the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) latest round of structural biology funding. The projects will focus on determining the shapes and functions of proteins and protein complexes that are important in biology and medicine.

4 Oct 2010

ASU receives grant to unravel membrane proteins in host-pathogen interaction

Arizona State University has been awarded a $7.7 million grant for the next five years from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health, to unravel the structures of membrane proteins that play a key role in protection against infectious diseases.

30 Sep 2010

Scientific advances in glycomics

The glycome, encompassing all of the complex sugars produced by an organism, is comprised of multiple families of molecules whose function in the human body is often determined by the structure, composition, and placement of the attached sugars, as explored in a comprehensive look at the field of glycomics in a group of key articles in OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (www.liebertpub.com). The relevant articles are available free online at www.liebertpub.com/omi.

13 Sep 2010

Researchers demonstrate how insulin prepares cells for glucose uptake

Using high-resolution microscopy, researchers at the National Institutes of Health have shown how insulin prompts fat cells to take in glucose in a rat model. The findings were reported in the Sept. 8 issue of the journal Cell Metabolism.

9 Sep 2010

Synthetic derivative of Retinoic acid can induce cell death

Retinoic acid (RA), a natural derivative of vitamin A, is the basis of a number of treatments against cancer. Nevertheless, it has certain disadvantages, such as the possibility of the appearance of retinoic acid syndrome, present in 25 % of cases and which can lead to death. The development of 4-HPR, a synthetic derivative of RA, has meant a considerable advance due to its greater efficacy compared to its predecessor.

8 Sep 2010

RA synthetic derivative 4-HPR's ability to induce tumour cell death

7 Sep 2010

Researchers identify two proteins in cellular response to mechanical stimulation

Scripps Research Institute scientists have identified two proteins with potential to be important targets for research into a wide range of health problems, including pain, deafness, and cardiac and kidney dysfunction.

3 Sep 2010

Cell-to-cell signaling pathway that designates future location of ear's sensory organs tracked

Researchers have tracked a cell-to-cell signaling pathway that designates the future location of the ear's sensory organs in embryonic mice. The scientists succeeded in activating this signal more widely across the embryonic tissue that becomes the inner ear. Patches of sensory structures began growing in spots where they don't normally appear.

30 Aug 2010

New high throughput sequencing technology to identify genetic defects in rare diseases

The majority of rare diseases are hereditary. But despite significant progress in genome research, in most cases their exact cause remains unclear. The discovery of the underlying genetic defect is, however, a prerequisite for their definitive diagnosis and the development of innovative approaches to their treatment. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics and the Institute of Medical Genetics at the Charit- Universit-tsmedizin - Berlin have succeeded in using a new process with which all of the genes in the human genome can be analysed simultaneously.

30 Aug 2010

Study finds BMI, thrombogenic factor increases cardiovascular risk

Although having a high body mass index (BMI) is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, researchers are only beginning to understand how BMI affects the physiological processes involved in the development of the disease. Now, a study of a subset of women in the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS), suggests that as BMI increases, so do platelet reactivity and thrombogenic microvesicles and activated protein C in the blood-all of which contribute to the formation of atherothrombosis and associated cardiovascular events.

30 Aug 2010

Pathogens can delay entry into cells to ensure their survival, say researchers

Pathogens make themselves feel at home in the human body, invading cells and living off the plentiful amenities on offer. However, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, together with colleagues at Harvard University, reveal an opposite strategy used to ensure infection success. Pathogens can actually delay their entry into cells to ensure their survival.

26 Aug 2010

New squeeze test for screening potential drugs for Alzheimer's

Brain cells exposed to a form of the amyloid beta protein, the molecule linked to Alzheimer's disease, become stiffer and bend less under pressure, researchers at UC Davis have found. The results reveal one mechanism by which the amyloid protein damages the brain, a finding that could lead to new ways to screen drugs for Alzheimer's and similar diseases.

21 Aug 2010