Peptides News and Research

RSS

Protein finding could lead to new topical treatment for inflammatory diseases

A protein that undesirably shields a skin poxvirus from the immune system may become the key ingredient in a new topical treatment for inflammatory diseases, say medical researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

11 Jan 2006

Gene that increases risk for Alzheimer's disease

An international team of researchers, led by investigators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, are zeroing in on a gene that increases risk for Alzheimer's disease. They have identified a region of chromosome 10 that appears to be involved in risk for the disease that currently affects an estimated 4.5 million Americans.

10 Jan 2006

p11 gene may play a key role in depression

For the more than 18 million Americans who suffer from depressive illnesses, the best pharmacological treatments are those that increase levels of serotonin, the brain chemical that regulates mood, sleep and memory.

5 Jan 2006

Researchers discover how a gene linked to Parkinson’s disease can keep brain cells alive

Researchers at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center’s School of Medicine have uncovered how a gene linked to Parkinson’s disease can keep brain cells alive. The results suggest the possibility for new drugs that might regulate the gene and protect Parkinson’s patients from further cell damage.

29 Dec 2005

Controlled delivery of peptide nanofibers for myocardial protection

Reminiscent of the 1966 sci-fi thriller Fantastic Voyage, where a surgical team is miniaturized and injected into a dying man, researchers from Harvard Medical School have used injectable self-assembling peptide nanofibers loaded with the pro-survival factor PDGF-BB to protect rat cardiomyocytes from injury and subsequent heart failure.

15 Dec 2005

Anti-Abeta42 and Anti-Abeta40–specific monoclonal antibodies attenuate amyloid deposition in an Alzheimer disease mouse model

Current hypotheses suggest that it is the accumulation over time of amyloid beta peptide 1–42 (Abeta42) that triggers changes in the brain that lead to cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease.

13 Dec 2005

GRK2 protein - potential drug target for heart failure

A protein that plays an important regulatory role in heart failure in the heart also exerts powerful effects on the adrenal gland, Jefferson Medical College researchers have found. The protein, GRK2, is a potential drug target for heart failure.

28 Nov 2005

Fear gene discovered

In the Nov. 18 issue of Cell, researchers report the discovery of a gene that controls the ability to react with appropriate fear to impending danger.

26 Nov 2005

Persistent amyloidosis following suppression of Ab production in a transgenic model of Alzheimer disease

Alzheimer Disease (AD) is characterized by hallmark lesions called amyloid plaques in the brain.

20 Nov 2005

Genetically modified allow scientists to examine the potential usefulness of new therapies for Alzheimer's disease

Researchers with the University of Florida and the California Institute of Technology have developed a new strain of genetically modified mice that allow scientists to examine the potential usefulness of new therapies for Alzheimer's disease.

20 Nov 2005

Molecular origins of diabetes

An unexpected twist to a discovery reported just two months ago may significantly improve our understanding about the molecular origins of diabetes.

14 Nov 2005

First clinical study of FX06 treatment against damage caused by heart attacks

Central to the study is FXO6, a peptide developed and patented by Austro-American company Fibrex Medical. Fibrex will now test the tolerability and pharmacokinetics of FX06 in humans. The peptide reduces inflammatory responses of the heart muscle that can arise after treatment for a myocardial infarction. Tests will begin immediately on the first - healthy - subjects at the Vienna General Hospital.

7 Nov 2005

Resveratrol effective in lowering amyloid-beta peptides

A study published in the November 11 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry shows that resveratrol, a compound found in grapes and red wine, lowers the levels of the amyloid-beta peptides which cause the telltale senile plaques of Alzheimer's disease.

7 Nov 2005

New high-resolution data on intact ribosome

A new, sharper picture of the nano-machine that translates our genetic program into proteins promises to help researchers explain how some types of antibiotics work and could lead to the design of better ones.

7 Nov 2005

New targeted cancer drug delivery system

Prostate, breast and other cancer patients may be offered a new, stauncher targeted drug delivery system to treat their diseases in the next decade.

3 Nov 2005

Cancer Vaccine - Synthetically generated glycopeptides from tumor cells can stimulate the formation of specific antibodies

Tumor cells and healthy somatic cells differ in the structures on their surfaces. In principle, it should thus be possible to develop a vaccine that causes a patient’s immune system to form antibodies that attack and destroy tumor cells while sparing healthy cells.

3 Nov 2005

Vaginal gel shown to protect female monkeys against an HIV-like virus

Research with female monkeys at the Tulane National Primate Research Center has for the first time shown that three different anti-viral agents in a vaginal gel protect the animals against an HIV-like virus.

1 Nov 2005

Hormone found naturally in the body has the ability to cause limited weight loss

Research at the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) at Oregon Health & Science University has demonstrated that a hormone found naturally in the body has the ability to cause limited weight loss. Specifically, the research revealed that peptide YY (PYY) can reduce food consumption in the morning, leading to a mild level of weight loss in the short term.

30 Oct 2005

Antisense molecules may hold promise in treating brain chemical problems such as Alzheimer's

Saint Louis University research shows a new class of drugs may hold promise in treating brain chemical problems such as Alzheimer's disease, says the principal investigator of research published in an early on-line version of Peptides.

25 Oct 2005

Leeches, useful tools in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases

The leech has recently confirmed its biomedical interest for scientists by showing that it contains an extensive list of new potential molecules that may become useful tools in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

24 Oct 2005