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.

New immunoassay appears to be valid screening method for early detection of renal cell carcinoma

A new immunoassay that tests for the presence of three biomarkers appears to be a valid screening method for the early detection of malignant kidney cancer, according to data published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

11 Mar 2013

Genetic mutation that alters PIEZO1 ion channel in RBCs contributes to familial xerocytosis

A genetic mutation that alters the kinetics of an ion channel in red blood cells has been identified as the cause behind a hereditary anemia, according to a paper published this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by University at Buffalo scientists and colleagues.

11 Mar 2013

FDA accepts Ampio’s Patient Outcome for Premature Ejaculation questionnaire

Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing drugs to treat prevalent inflammatory diseases, such as osteoarthritis (Ampion) and diabetic macular edema (Optina) and sexual dysfunction (Zertane) announced FDA acceptance of its POPE questionnaire, a modification of the Premature Ejaculation Profile (PEP) questionnaire that was used in the two successful Zertane Phase 3 clinical trials completed in Europe.

11 Mar 2013

Combining mitochondrial inhibitors could improve efficacy of BRAF inhibitors in melanoma

A multi-institutional study has revealed that BRAF-positive metastatic malignant melanomas develop resistance to treatment with drugs targeting the BRAF/MEK growth pathway through a major change in metabolism.

11 Mar 2013

Researchers identify enzymes that can regulate activity of medically important proteins

Protein activity is strictly regulated. Incorrect or poor protein regulation can lead to uncontrolled growth and thus cancer or chronic inflammation. Members of the Institute of Veterinary Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Zurich have identified enzymes that can regulate the activity of medically important proteins.

11 Mar 2013

Cell fusion studies at Johns Hopkins could lead to improved treatments for muscular dystrophy

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have established a high-efficiency cell-cell fusion system, providing a new model to study how fusion works. The scientists showed that fusion between two cells is not equal and mutual as some assumed, but, rather, is initiated and driven by one of the fusion partners. The discovery, they say, could lead to improved treatments for muscular dystrophy, since muscle regeneration relies on cell fusion to make muscle fibers that contain hundreds or even thousands of nuclei.

8 Mar 2013

Resuscitation with colloids not recommended

Resuscitation with colloids does not appear to decrease the risk for death, and may even increase mortality, a comprehensive study of trial data reveals.

8 Mar 2013

AKAP protein alterations implicated in bipolar disorder

Researchers have found increased cellular expression of the postsynaptic signaling protein AKAP5/79 in the anterior cingulate cortex of patients with bipolar disorder.

8 Mar 2013

New technology can turn off genes more precisely, say UCSF researchers

Scientists at UC San Francisco have found a more precise way to turn off genes, a finding that will speed research discoveries and biotech advances and may eventually prove useful in reprogramming cells to regenerate organs and tissues.

8 Mar 2013

Study shows reduction of brain capillaries in mice immunized with amyloid beta

University of British Columbia researchers have successfully normalized the production of blood vessels in the brain of mice with Alzheimer's disease (AD) by immunizing them with amyloid beta, a protein widely associated with the disease.

8 Mar 2013

Study helps explain why viruses often spread through the brain in patchwork patterns

Viruses often spread through the brain in patchwork patterns, infecting some cells but missing others. New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis helps explain why. The scientists showed that natural immune defenses that resist viral infection are turned on in some brain cells but switched off in others.

8 Mar 2013

Minerva scientists convert established human stem cells to the elusive naïve state

Minerva Biotechnologies, a leading cancer and stem cell development company today announced a major breakthrough in human stem cell research.

8 Mar 2013

SRSF1 protein can prevent cancerous proliferation by stabilizing p53

Some cellular proteins have multiple, and occasionally opposing, functions. Professor Adrian Krainer and colleagues at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory demonstrate in a paper published online today in Molecular Cell that the oncogenic protein SRSF1 can also trigger a stop in cell growth and prevent cancerous proliferation by stabilizing p53, the powerful tumor-suppressor protein.

8 Mar 2013

Acceleron commences ACE-536 phase 2 study in beta-thalassemia

Acceleron Pharma, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing protein therapeutics for cancer and orphan diseases, today announced the initiation of a phase 2 study of its novel, investigational protein therapeutic, ACE-536, to treat patients with beta-thalassemia, a genetic hematologic disorder causing chronic and life-threatening anemia and serious complications affecting the spleen, liver and heart.

7 Mar 2013

Salty diet may trigger autoimmune disease

Results from two studies published in Nature show that eating a salty diet may trigger the development of autoimmunity.

7 Mar 2013

CALHM1 channel protein releases ATP to make neural taste connections

Saying that the sense of taste is complicated is an understatement, that it is little understood, even more so. Exactly how cells transmit taste information to the brain for three out of the five primary taste types was pretty much a mystery, until now.

7 Mar 2013

Researchers identify role of Merlin in regulating integrity of axons

One in 25,000 people worldwide is affected by neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), a condition where the loss of a tumour suppressor called Merlin results in multiple tumours in the brain and nervous system.

7 Mar 2013

Study now tells physicians that dystonia can occur in African-American patients

A pair of studies tells the tale of how a neuroscientist at Mayo Clinic in Florida helped to discover the first African-American family to have inherited the rare movement disorder dystonia, which causes repetitive muscle contractions and twisting, resulting in abnormal posture.

7 Mar 2013

‘New Frontiers in Neurodegenerative Disease Research’ symposium to be held from Feb. 4-7

At the Keystone Symposium "New Frontiers in Neurodegenerative Disease Research," held 4-7 February in Santa Fe, New Mexico, researchers explored the processes that lead to a variety of diseases, including Alzheimer's and Lou Gehrig's disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS).

7 Mar 2013

CALHM1 protein plays critical role in sweet, bitter and umami taste perception

Working with a multidisciplinary consortium of 19 researchers from nine institutions, Monell scientists have provided critical information to identify CALHM1, a channel in the walls of taste receptor cells, as a necessary component in the process of sweet, bitter, and umami (savory) taste perception.

7 Mar 2013

Protein News and Research

Further Reading

New immunoassay appears to be valid screening method for early detection of renal cell carcinoma

Genetic mutation that alters PIEZO1 ion channel in RBCs contributes to familial xerocytosis

FDA accepts Ampio’s Patient Outcome for Premature Ejaculation questionnaire

Combining mitochondrial inhibitors could improve efficacy of BRAF inhibitors in melanoma

Researchers identify enzymes that can regulate activity of medically important proteins

Cell fusion studies at Johns Hopkins could lead to improved treatments for muscular dystrophy

Resuscitation with colloids not recommended

AKAP protein alterations implicated in bipolar disorder

New technology can turn off genes more precisely, say UCSF researchers

Study shows reduction of brain capillaries in mice immunized with amyloid beta

Study helps explain why viruses often spread through the brain in patchwork patterns

Minerva scientists convert established human stem cells to the elusive naïve state

SRSF1 protein can prevent cancerous proliferation by stabilizing p53

Acceleron commences ACE-536 phase 2 study in beta-thalassemia

Salty diet may trigger autoimmune disease

CALHM1 channel protein releases ATP to make neural taste connections

Researchers identify role of Merlin in regulating integrity of axons

Study now tells physicians that dystonia can occur in African-American patients

‘New Frontiers in Neurodegenerative Disease Research’ symposium to be held from Feb. 4-7

CALHM1 protein plays critical role in sweet, bitter and umami taste perception

Achieving and maintaining ISO 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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