Protein News and Research

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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.

Scientists pursue new therapies as H7N9 flu spreads in China

An experimental drug has shown promise in treating influenza, preventing lung injury and death from the virus in preclinical studies, according to University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers publishing in the journal Nature on May 1.

2 May 2013

Receiving general anesthesia not associated with dementia in elderly patients, research finds

Elderly patients who receive anesthesia are no more likely to develop long-term dementia or Alzheimer's disease than other seniors, according to new Mayo Clinic research.

2 May 2013

Exclusion diet boosts anal fissure healing

Research published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology shows that an exclusion diet combined with medical treatment can increase healing rates in patients with chronic anal fissure who have been referred for surgery.

30 Apr 2013

Specific inflammatory pattern found in patients with pneumonia and COPD

Patients with community-acquired pneumonia on a background of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have a different early inflammatory pattern than patients with CAP only, a prospective study shows.

30 Apr 2013

Glide Pharma awarded contract from Pfenex Inc. to develop a solid formulation of recombinant anthrax vaccine

Glide Pharma® today announced the award of a sub-contract from Pfenex Inc. to develop a solid formulation containing the recombinant Protective Antigen (rPA) from Bacillus anthracis expressed in Pfēnex Expression Technology™ suitable for delivery with the Glide SDI® (solid dose injector). This approach will address two important logistical constraints of the currently available vaccine, namely, long term stability during storage and ease of administration.

30 Apr 2013

Researchers find that VEGF may not have any prognostic value for advanced prostate cancer

The well-studied protein VEGF does not appear to have any prognostic or predictive value for men with locally advanced prostate cancer, researchers from the Department of Radiation Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and other institutions found in a retrospective study published online April 25 in the journal BMC Radiation Oncology.

30 Apr 2013

New study sheds light on DEAD-box proteins

Proteins, the workhorses of the body, can have more than one function, but they often need to be very specific in their action or they create cellular havoc, possibly leading to disease.

30 Apr 2013

Bioengineers use highly elastic micropatterned gels to create heart tissue

A team of bioengineers at Brigham and Women's Hospital is the first to report creating artificial heart tissue that closely mimics the functions of natural heart tissue through the use of human-based materials.

30 Apr 2013

Berkeley Lab researchers unveil analytical technique for easy comparisons of proteins in solution

A revolutionary X-ray analytical technique that enables researchers at a glance to identify structural similarities and differences between multiple proteins under a variety of conditions has been developed by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

30 Apr 2013

FDA approves Octapharma USA's BLA for octaplex

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted Octapharma USA's Biological License Application for octaplex.

30 Apr 2013

Researchers identify how a defective protein plays central role in Giant Axonal Neuropathy

A team of international researchers led by Northwestern Medicine scientists has identified how a defective protein plays a central role in a rare, lethal childhood disease known as Giant Axonal Neuropathy, or GAN.

29 Apr 2013

Revised criteria improve early-onset dementia diagnosis

Updated diagnostic criteria based on the Frontotemporal Dementia Consensus are “encouragingly” sensitive and specific in identifying patients who have early-onset dementia, a study finds.

29 Apr 2013

IL-1 antagonist relieves dry eyes

Clinical trial results point to a role for interleukin-1 targeted agents for the treatment of dry eye disease associated with meibomian gland dysfunction.

29 Apr 2013

IP-10 and neopterin show promise as biomarkers for lung disease exacerbations

Australian researchers have identified interferon-γ inducible protein-10 and neopterin as promising sputum markers of acute exacerbations of obstructive lung disease.

29 Apr 2013

Specific inflammatory pattern found in patients with pneumonia and COPD

Patients with community-acquired pneumonia on a background of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have a different early inflammatory pattern than patients with CAP only, a prospective study shows.

29 Apr 2013

Oxford BioTherapeutics, Boehringer Ingelheim team up to discover novel cancer antibody targets

Oxford BioTherapeutics and Boehringer Ingelheim today announce a new alliance focused on the discovery of novel cancer antibody targets that OBT will identify with the help of its OGAP® discovery platform.

29 Apr 2013

Research shows how pregnancy lowers risk of breast cancer

Being pregnant while young is known to protect a women against breast cancer. But why? Research in BioMed Central's open access journal Breast Cancer Research finds that Wnt/Notch signalling ratio is decreased in the breast tissue of mice which have given birth, compared to virgin mice of the same age.

29 Apr 2013

Study may pave way for new strategies to fight cancer cells

For the first time, researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have managed to obtain detailed images of the way in which the transport protein GLUT transports sugars into cells.

29 Apr 2013

Student researchers get new view of the dynamics of cancer cells as they metastasize

A team of student researchers and their professors from 20 laboratories around the country have gotten a new view of cancer cells. The work could shed light on the transforming physical properties of these cells as they metastasize, said Jack R. Staunton, a Ph.D. candidate at Arizona State University in the lab of Prof. Robert Ros, and the lead author of a paper reporting on the topic.

29 Apr 2013

Intermittent fasting: A path to weight loss and improved cardiovascular risk

Intermittent fasting is all the rage, but scientific evidence showing how such regimes affect human health is not always clear cut. Now a scientific review in the British Journal of Diabetes and Vascular Disease published by SAGE, suggests that fasting diets may help those with diabetes and cardiovascular disease, alongside established weight loss claims.

29 Apr 2013