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Scientists create first full 3-D images of vitamin B12

In a paper published recently in the journal Nature, scientists from the University of Michigan Health System and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology report they have created the first full 3-D images of B12 and its partner molecules twisting and contorting as part of a crucial reaction called methyltransfer.

27 Mar 2012

Nanoscale sensor can conduct individual DNA sequencing

Researchers have devised a nanoscale sensor to electronically read the sequence of a single DNA molecule, a technique that is fast and inexpensive and could make DNA sequencing widely available.

27 Mar 2012

Repeated stress triggers tau protein aggregates inside brain cells

Repeated stress triggers the production and accumulation of insoluble tau protein aggregates inside the brain cells of mice, say researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine in a new study published in the March 26 Online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

27 Mar 2012

Promising results from Esperion ETC-1002 Phase 2 clinical trial for dyslipidemia

Esperion Therapeutics, a privately held biotechnology company working to discover, develop and commercialize treatments for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, today announced positive results from a Phase 2 clinical trial for ETC-1002.

26 Mar 2012

Previously unknown mechanism helps intestinal bacteria to affect formation of blood vessels

Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have discovered a previously unknown mechanism which helps intestinal bacteria to affect the formation of blood vessels. The results, which are presented in Nature, may provide future treatments of intestinal diseases and obesity.

26 Mar 2012

S. gordonii may trigger infective endocarditis

Oral bacteria that escape into the bloodstream are able to cause blood clots and trigger life-threatening endocarditis. Further research could lead to new drugs to tackle infective heart disease, say scientists presenting their work at the Society for General Microbiology's Spring Conference in Dublin this week.

26 Mar 2012

Researchers pinpoint new mechanism that potently activates T-cells in leprosy

UCLA researchers pinpointed a new mechanism that potently activates T-cells, the group of white blood cells that play a major role in fighting infections.

26 Mar 2012

European Commission grants marketing authorization for use of BYETTA with basal insulin

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company announced today that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization to BYETTA (exenatide twice-daily) as an adjunctive therapy to basal insulin, with or without metformin and/or Actos (pioglitazone), for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults who have not achieved adequate glycemic control with these agents.

23 Mar 2012

TACT believes that Halo's HT-100 may effectively treat DMD

Halo Therapeutics, LLC, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for rare fibrotic diseases, announced today that the TREAT-NMD Advisory Committee on Therapeutics (TACT) has reviewed HT-100, Halo's drug candidate for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and believes the compound has potential based on the proposed mechanism.

21 Mar 2012

PEGPH20 enzyme re-expands insides of blood vessels to allow more drugs to reach tumours

Cancer Research UK scientists have shown that an enzyme can re-expand the insides of blood vessels allowing more drugs and large antibody molecules to reach pancreatic tumours, according to research published in GUT today.

21 Mar 2012

Ampio receives U.S. patent allowance for lead drug Ampion

Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company conducting clinical trials on its three lead drugs, licensing distribution of these drugs and engaged in further drug development, today announced that it has received notice of allowance from the US Patent Office of an additional patent that complements and expands its anti inflammatory patent portfolio for its lead drug Ampion.

20 Mar 2012

Chemists produce first high resolution structure of HCV viral RNA-inhibitor complex

Chemists at the University of California, San Diego have produced the first high resolution structure of a molecule that when attached to the genetic material of the hepatitis C virus prevents it from reproducing.

20 Mar 2012

New antibiotic shows promise against bovine mastitis

Food-borne diseases might soon have another warrior to contend with, thanks to a new molecule discovered by chemists at the University of Illinois. The new antibiotic, an analog of the widely used food preservative nisin, also has potential to be a boon to the dairy industry as a treatment for bovine mastitis.

20 Mar 2012

Convergence initiates CNV1014802 Phase II study in trigeminal neuralgia

Convergence Pharmaceuticals Limited, the company focused on the development of novel and high value analgesic medicines, today announced that the Phase II proof of concept study for CNV1014802 for the treatment of pain associated with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) has started.

19 Mar 2012

Molecular ticket determines RNA's destination and speed inside egg cell

Like any law-abiding train passenger, a molecule called oskar RNA carries a stamped ticket detailing its destination and form of transport, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have found.

19 Mar 2012

Klf4 protein an important regulator of inflammation: HNK study

Microglia are the first line defence of the brain and are constantly looking for infections to fight off. Overactive microglia can cause uncontrolled inflammation within the brain, which can in turn lead to neuronal damage. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Journal of Neuroinflammation shows that, honokiol (HNK) is able to down-regulate the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory enzymes in activated microglia via Klf4, a protein known to regulate DNA.

19 Mar 2012

Scientist generates mutant version of IL-2 protein to treat advanced cancers

The utility of a naturally occurring protein given, sometimes to great effect, as a drug to treat advanced cancers is limited by the severe side effects it sometimes causes. But a Stanford University School of Medicine scientist has generated a mutant version of the protein whose modified shape renders it substantially more potent than the natural protein while reducing its toxicity.

19 Mar 2012

Sexually rejected male fruit flies binge on alcohol more than sexually satisfied peers: Study

Male fruit flies whose sexual advances are rejected by females, turn to alcohol finds a new study. Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco discovered that rejected male flies have a tiny molecule in their brain that pushes them to drink far more than their sexually satisfied counterparts. The levels of the molecule, neuropeptide F, were higher in sexually satisfied males than in those who got no sex, leading scientists to speculate that their work could shed light on brain mechanisms behind human addiction. A similar human molecule - neuropeptide Y - may also link social triggers to behaviors such as heavy drinking and drug abuse, according to the study published in Science journal.

18 Mar 2012

Novel sensor selectively screens single molecules passing through nanopores

A novel type of sensor, based on nanometer-scale pores in a semiconductor membrane, is a step closer to practical use in applications such as analyzing the protein contents of a single cell. Researchers pioneering single-molecule nanopore sensor technology at the Technische Universit-t M-nchen (TUM) have shown its potential through a succession of experiments over the past few years.

16 Mar 2012

Neuropeptide F in the fly's brain governs behavior linked with addiction

Sexually deprived male fruit flies exhibit a pattern of behavior that seems ripped from the pages of a sad-sack Raymond Carver story: when female fruit flies reject their sexual advances, the males are driven to excessive alcohol consumption, drinking far more than comparable, sexually satisfied male flies.

16 Mar 2012