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Proteins are complex molecules that are made up of amino acids. They can be found in every cell in the body, and carry out vital processes that keep human beings alive. Mutations in proteins can lead to a multitude of diseases, the most common being cancer.

EC grants orphan drug designation to aTyr Pharma's Resolaris for treatment of FSHD

aTyr Pharma, Inc., a biotherapeutics company engaged in the discovery and development of Physiocrine-based therapeutics to address rare diseases, announced today the European Commission (EC) has granted orphan drug designation to Resolaris for the treatment of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD).

19 Feb 2015

Scientists identify potential target to combat leishmaniasis

Research led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists has identified a potential target in the quest to develop a more effective treatment for leishmaniasis, a parasitic tropical disease that kills thousands and sickens more than 1 million people worldwide each year.

19 Feb 2015

TSRI scientists develop new drug candidate against HIV

In a remarkable new advance against the virus that causes AIDS, scientists from the Jupiter, Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have announced the creation of a novel drug candidate that is so potent and universally effective, it might work as part of an unconventional vaccine.

18 Feb 2015

First comprehensive maps and analyses of human epigenomes revealed

Two dozen scientific papers published online simultaneously on Feb. 18, 2015 present the first comprehensive maps and analyses of the epigenomes of a wide array of human cell and tissue types. Epigenomes are patterns of chemical annotations to the genome that determine whether, how, and when genes are activated.

18 Feb 2015

Sigma-Aldrich announces release of Next-Gen Sequencing Oligos

Sigma-Aldrich Corporation today announced that Sigma Life Science, its innovative biological products and services business, released Next-Gen Sequencing Oligos, custom next-generation sequencing adapters that improve target sequence assembly.

18 Feb 2015

UT Southwestern scientists identify new biomarker that could optimize chemotherapy response

UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists have identified a new biomarker that could help identify patients who are more likely to respond to certain chemotherapies.

18 Feb 2015

Findings may help doctors recommend appropriate treatments, improve patient outcomes

Like a car's front and back bumpers, your cell's chromosomes are capped by "telomeres" that protect this genetic material against deterioration. Still, after enough replications, a chromosome's telomeres break down and once they reach a certain point of degradation, the cell dies. This is one reason that cells are mortal: telomeres only last so long. That is, unless the enzyme telomerase builds new material onto the worn telomeres to reinforce these chromosomal "bumpers". Telomere repair can be a good thing, but in some cases it's not: overactive telomerase can lengthen telomeres until a cell becomes immortal…leading to cancer.

18 Feb 2015

Facts about precision medicine

President Barack Obama is requesting an increase of $215 million in the 2016 federal budget to launch the Precision Medicine Initiative. This boost in funding for research will give genetic causes of cancer a national focus specifically around precision or "personalized" treatments for cancer in the future.

18 Feb 2015

Caris Life Sciences announces record-setting revenue for 2014

Caris Life Sciences, a leading biosciences company focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine, today announced select year-end financial and operational results for 2014, which include record-setting revenue and continued case volume growth for its panomic, comprehensive tumor profiling service, Caris Molecular Intelligence.

18 Feb 2015

Scientists identify role of tau-associated MAPT gene in development of Alzheimer's disease

An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, has identified the microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) gene as increasing the risk for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD).

18 Feb 2015

New compound appears to play role in development of opioid tolerance

While opioids are a widely used treatment for pain, patients who take them on a regular basis can become tolerant, requiring a higher dose for continued pain relief. In a study published in Anesthesiology, the official medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, researchers identified a compound that appears to play a role in the development of opioid tolerance.

18 Feb 2015

Corticosteroids decrease treatment failure among patients with community-acquired pneumonia

Among patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia and high initial inflammatory response, the use of the corticosteroid methylprednisolone decreased treatment failure, compared with placebo, according to a study in the February 17 issue of JAMA.

18 Feb 2015

Researchers identify molecule that can block progression of Alzheimer's disease

A molecule that can block the progress of Alzheimer's disease at a crucial stage in its development has been identified by researchers in a new study, raising the prospect that more such molecules may now be found.

18 Feb 2015

Trinity scientists reveal new marvel molecule that can block key process in inflammatory diseases

Scientists at Trinity College Dublin have uncovered a marvel molecule that blocks a key driver of inflammatory diseases. The finding could meet a major unmet clinical need by inspiring new non-invasive treatments for arthritis, multiple sclerosis and Muckle-Wells syndrome, among a myriad of other inflammatory diseases.

18 Feb 2015

UT Arlington chemist receives NIH's Academic Research Enhancement Award for protein research

A University of Texas at Arlington bio-analytical chemist exploring proteins, their structures and functions by using cutting-edge analytical instrumentation called mass spectrometry has received an Academic Research Enhancement Award from the National Institutes of Health.

18 Feb 2015

CAMH scientists discover potential new approach to treat multiple sclerosis

Scientists at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health have discovered a promising new approach to treat multiple sclerosis (MS). In a new study, they've identified a previously unknown change in the spinal cord related to MS, and a way to alter this change to reduce the nerve cell damage that occurs with the disease.

18 Feb 2015

Applying NMR to biological problems: an interview with Professor Arthur Palmer

Our current focus is on areas in protein folding, molecular recognition by proteins and also enzyme catalysis. NMR spin relaxation is one of the very powerful techniques in NMR for studying conformational dynamics in proteins or chemical kinetic processes.

From Bruker BioSpin - NMR, EPR and Imaging 17 Feb 2015

Saliva test holds promise to diagnose autism spectrum disorder in children

A spit test may one day be able to diagnose autism according to researchers at Clarkson University and the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.

17 Feb 2015

Scientists demonstrate the importance of RNA editing in melanoma development

The importance of RNA editing in melanoma has been demonstrated by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The study revealed that a lack of RNA editing, a process by which information inside RNA molecules is transformed, leads to tumor growth and progression through manipulation of proteins.

17 Feb 2015

Study shows amyloid formation may link type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer disease

The pathological process amyloidosis, in which misfolded proteins (amyloids) form insoluble fibril deposits, occurs in many diseases, including Alzheimer disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D).

17 Feb 2015