Lipids News and Research

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Lipids are a broad group of naturally-occurring molecules which includes fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E and K), monoglycerides, diglycerides, phospholipids, and others. The main biological functions of lipids include energy storage, as structural components of cell membranes, and as important signaling molecules.

A reliable way to replicate α-synuclein aggregation on cell membranes in Parkinson's disease patients

The accumulation of α-synuclein, a small, negatively charged protein, in neural cells, is one of the hallmarks of Parkinson's disease. It has been suggested that oligomeric α-synuclein causes membranes to become permeable, or to form channels on the outer cell membrane.

19 Jan 2012

UI chemists debunk misconception about amphotericin

With one simple experiment, University of Illinois chemists have debunked a widely held misconception about an often-prescribed drug.

17 Jan 2012

TAMEST honors UT Southwestern scientist with Edith and Peter O'Donnell Award

Dr. Philipp Scherer, director of the Touchstone Center for Diabetes Research at UT Southwestern Medical Center, was recognized today as a rising star in Texas research by The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas.

13 Jan 2012

Nature journal publishes Ember's brown fat biology data

Ember Therapeutics, Inc., a company harnessing breakthroughs in brown fat biology and insulin sensitization to revolutionize the treatment of metabolic disease, today announced the publication of key data supporting its lead brown fat biology program in the journal Nature.

12 Jan 2012

Spherix completes SPX-106 28-day rat toxicology study

Spherix Incorporated – an innovator in biotechnology for therapy in diabetes, metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis, and provider of technical and regulatory consulting services to food, supplement, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, today reported the successful completion of its 28-day rat toxicology study of its drug candidate, SPX-106.

11 Jan 2012

Proteomics: Thermo Fisher Scientific and PREMIER Biosoft to co-market SimGlycan software

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, and PREMIER Biosoft, have announced an agreement to co-market PREMIER Biosoft’s SimGlycan® software. The agreement aims to advance glycobiology by dramatically speeding the characterization of complex glycans through automated interpretation of the rich data produced by Thermo Scientific mass spectrometer systems.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 8 Jan 2012

Trail of research that led to discovery of aspirin's role in prevention of first heart attack

Charles H. Hennekens, M.D., DrPH, the first Sir Richard Doll Research Professor as well as first recipient of an endowed chair in the new Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University, has published a Citation Classic in the current issue of Clinical Chemistry. Hennekens was the founding principal investigator (PI) of the landmark Physician's Health Study and was the first to demonstrate that aspirin prevents a first heart attack.

7 Jan 2012

Adiponectin may play a role in development of all-cause dementia and AD in women

A hormone derived from visceral fat called adiponectin may play a role as a risk factor for development of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer disease (AD) in women, according to a study published Online First by the Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

3 Jan 2012

Faulty lipid metabolism may cause MS, says forensic anthropologist

An article to be published in the December 2011 issue of The Quarterly Review of Biology argues that multiple sclerosis, long viewed as primarily an autoimmune disease, is not actually a disease of the immune system.

23 Dec 2011

EETs may also drive growth and spread of cancer

A group of small molecules called EETs - currently under scrutiny as possible treatment targets for a host of cardiovascular diseases - may also drive the growth and spread of cancer, according to researchers at the Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center (DF/CHCC) and other institutions.

20 Dec 2011

Short spiral-shaped proteins can efficiently deliver DNA segments to cells

Clinical gene therapy may be one step closer, thanks to a new twist on an old class of molecules. A group of University of Illinois researchers, led by professors Jianjun Cheng and Fei Wang, have demonstrated that short spiral-shaped proteins can efficiently deliver DNA segments to cells. The team published its work in the journal Angewandte Chemie.

16 Dec 2011

Beef can play a role in a cholesterol-lowering diet

A new study published in the January 2012 edition of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that beef can play a role in a cholesterol-lowering diet, despite commonly held beliefs.

16 Dec 2011

Isis announces addition of three new drug development candidates

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has added three new drugs to its development pipeline, ISIS-APOARx, ISIS-DGAT2Rx and ISIS-FVIIRx.

15 Dec 2011

Research describes advantages of new vaccine adjuvant

New research from the laboratory of Dr. Elizabeth Leadbetter at the Trudeau Institute may lead to a whole new class of vaccines. Dr. Leadbetter's lab has discovered new properties of a potential vaccine adjuvant that suggest it could be useful for enhancing protection against a number of different infections.

13 Dec 2011

Geron commences GRN1005 Phase 2 trial in breast cancer

Geron Corporation today announced the initiation of GRABM-B (GRN1005 Against Brain Metastases - Breast cancer), a Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate GRN1005 in patients with brain metastases arising from breast cancer.

13 Dec 2011

Hormone-blocking therapy for prostate cancer does not raise risk of heart attacks

Hormone-blocking therapy for prostate cancer doesn't raise the risk of fatal heart attacks - as some recent studies had suggested - according to a new report from Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center.

7 Dec 2011

Fatty livers burn more fat, not less

When our livers become loaded with fat, it isn't because they are slacking. A new study of human patients in the December Cell Metabolism shows that fatty livers actually burn more fat, not less. All that "hard work" may be at the root of the organ damage that comes with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition associated with insulin resistance that affects about one in three in the U.S. population.

6 Dec 2011