Enzyme News and Research

RSS

Possible mechanism identified for how lithium treats bipolar disorder

Lithium has been established for more than 50 years as one of the most effective treatments for manic depression, clinically termed bipolar disorder. However, scientists have never been entirely sure exactly why it is beneficial.

18 Jun 2010

Biological mechanism associated with remission during pregnancy

During pregnancy, many women experience remission of autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and uveitis. Now, scientists have described a biological mechanism responsible for changes in the immune system that helps to explain the remission.

17 Jun 2010

Study reveals increase of enzyme MAO-A in female brain during immediate postpartum period

Within the first week after giving birth, up to 70 percent of all women experience symptoms of the baby blues. While most women recover quickly, up to 13 percent of all new mothers suffer from symptoms of a clinical-level postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is defined as a major depressive episode starting within 4 weeks after delivery and is a significant public health problem. Postpartum blues represents a major risk factor for developing postpartum depression and severe postpartum blues symptoms can be viewed as a prodromal stage for postpartum depression.

17 Jun 2010

Smokeless tobacco affects normal function of CYP-450 family of enzymes: Report

Far from having adverse effects limited to the mouth, smokeless tobacco affects the normal function of a key family of enzymes found in almost every organ in the body, according to the first report on the topic in ACS' monthly journal Chemical Research in Toxicology. The enzymes play important roles in production of hormones, including the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone; production of cholesterol and vitamin D; and help the body breakdown prescription drugs and potentially toxic substances.

17 Jun 2010

UF doctors administer newly available therapy for late-onset Pompe disease

The first commercially available treatment in the United States for patients with late-onset Pompe disease was administered today (Wednesday, June 16) at the University of Florida.

17 Jun 2010

Relypsa commences enrollment for RLY5016 Phase 2 study in heart failure patients with chronic kidney disease

Relypsa, Inc., today announced the initiation of patient enrollment in a Phase 2, open-label titration clinical study of the company's lead drug candidate, RLY5016, in heart failure patients with chronic kidney disease. RLY5016 is a novel non-absorbed oral potassium binder intended to prevent and treat hyperkalemia, a serious condition characterized by elevated serum potassium levels.

16 Jun 2010

Life Technologies forms GIBCO Cell Therapy Systems

Life Technologies Corporation today announced the formation of GIBCO® Cell Therapy Systems (CTS™), which will offer the life science industry's widest array of products to support cell therapy applications, including regenerative medicine. Specifically designed to help cell therapy practitioners accelerate the transition from research to clinical applications, the product portfolio will include a broad and deep offering of Invitrogen devices and reagents.

16 Jun 2010

Nuon Therapeutics NU1618 phase 2a study in hyperuricemia meets primary endpoint

Nuon Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held, clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, announced that a phase 2a study of NU1618, the company's lead program, met its primary endpoint of reduction in serum uric acid (sUA) levels in patients with hyperuricemia.

16 Jun 2010

Researchers study science and clinical treatment of FAS

It's long been known that alcohol use in pregnancy can lead to children with mental retardation and birth defects, but researchers who study fetal alcohol syndrome have not made definitive progress on preventing the disorder, detecting it early, or effectively treating it, say researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center.

16 Jun 2010

Identification of key player in signaling pathway offers hope for new targeted melanoma therapies

Identification of a key player in a signaling pathway involved in the development of melanoma - the deadliest form of skin cancer - may offer hope for new targeted melanoma therapies.

16 Jun 2010

Prevention, awareness of enlarged prostate can help save lives

We live in a country of excess where size often matters most. Supersize, grande, max, king size - but is bigger always better? Certainly not when it comes to male health and an enlarged prostate.

16 Jun 2010

University of Montreal scientists discover free radical mechanism to viral invasion

Canadian researchers have discovered a new way the body combats respiratory viral infections. In the prestigious journal PLoS Pathogens, scientists from the University of Montreal and the University of Montreal Hospital Research Center explain how the NOX2 molecule, an enzyme that generates a burst of highly reactive oxygen derivatives (or free radicals), activates defense genes and molecules when viruses invade lung cells.

16 Jun 2010

New data from Phase 2a trial support further development of BMS-945429/ALD518 monoclonal antibody for RA

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Alder Biopharmaceuticals today announced that new data from a dose-ranging Phase 2a trial support further development of BMS-945429/ALD518, an investigational monoclonal antibody directed against interleukin-6 (IL-6), as a potential treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The Phase 2a data will be presented in a scientific session on June 18, 2010, at the Annual Congress of the European League against Rheumatism (EULAR).

16 Jun 2010

Newly published research examines association between CKD and CYP24

Cytochroma today announced the publication of new data from studies in a preclinical model indicating that chronic kidney disease is associated with markedly increased expression of the vitamin D catabolic enzyme, CYP24, which contributes to vitamin D insufficiency and resistance to vitamin D therapy. Parallel analysis of kidney biopsies obtained from CKD patients confirmed abnormal CYP24 expression in human disease as well.

16 Jun 2010

ARBs may be linked with increased risk of developing cancer: US scientists

A common class of blood pressure drugs called angiotensin-receptor blockers may be linked with a slightly increased risk of developing cancer, US scientists have found.

16 Jun 2010

BIOCIUS Life Sciences, BlueSky Biotech collaborate to offer Sirtuin pre-validated assay solution

BIOCIUS Life Sciences Inc., developers of the RapidFire® high-throughput mass spectrometry system, and BlueSky Biotech, service provider of discovery biologicals, today announced their collaboration to offer the industry's only Sirtuin (SIRT, silent mating type information regulation homolog) enzyme preparations fully-validated in a label-free functional assay.

16 Jun 2010

New insight into sleeping sickness parasite

Fresh discoveries about the parasite that causes sleeping sickness could lead to new avenues of research into treatments for the disease.

15 Jun 2010

Telmisartan reduces hypertension, cardiovascular risk in ACE-intolerant patients: Boehringer Ingelheim

Telmisartan, an angiotensin receptor blocker, is one of the best researched drugs worldwide. It has been studied in clinical trials in more than 50,000 patients. Its positive safety profile has been confirmed also in a market exposure of 34.5 million patient years. Convincing safety data for patients with a high cardiovascular risk were collected in the three long-term outcome trials ONTARGET, PRoFESS and TRANSCEND which followed some of the patients for up to five years.

14 Jun 2010

Research may lead to better treatments for depression and substance abuse

In what has been hailed as a breakthrough, scientists from Columbia University Medical Center and Weill Cornell Medical College have outlined the molecular mechanism of membrane transport. The research shows how a protein transforms its shape to transport substances across the cell membrane in order to regulate transmission of the brain's messages across the synaptic gap from one neuron to another.

11 Jun 2010

New methodology may help control influenza

Scientists have uncovered the flu's secret formula for effectively evolving within and between host species: balance. The key lies with the flu's unique replication process, which has evolved to produce enough mutations for the virus to spread and adapt to its host environment, but not so many that unwanted genomic mutations lead to the flu's demise (catastrophic mutagenesis).

11 Jun 2010