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.

Stroma plays an important role in regulating spread of cancer cells

A major breakthrough by scientists at Queen's University Belfast could lead to more effective treatments for throat and cervical cancer.

8 Aug 2012

Tips to avoid and cope with kidney stones

Summer can mean more than just an increase in temperatures, humidity and outdoor physical activity. It can also mean an increased risk of kidney stones, which affect approximately 3.8 million people in the United States and are on the rise.

8 Aug 2012

Elimination diet may help manage cow's milk protein allergy in infants

Cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA), although difficult to diagnose in young children, shows a causative relationship to otolaryngic symptoms. A new study in the August journal, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery suggests an elimination diet may help manage such conditions in children under two and reduce the need for more serious upper airway tests and interventions.

8 Aug 2012

New class of drugs reduces adverse effects of cellular damage from cancer chemotherapy

Chemotherapy kills tumor cells, but it also wreaks havoc on the rest of the body. A team of researchers led by Igor Roninson of the South Carolina College of Pharmacy just reported the discovery of a new class of drugs that reduces the adverse effects of cellular damage from chemotherapy.

8 Aug 2012

TXNIP protein provides best available target for therapies against diabetes, Wolfram syndrome

Inflammation and cell stress play important roles in the death of insulin-secreting cells and are major factors in diabetes. Cell stress also plays a role in Wolfram syndrome, a rare, genetic disorder that afflicts children with many symptoms, including juvenile-onset diabetes.

8 Aug 2012

Study signals biomarker hope for monitoring COPD

The biomarkers desmosines and C-reactive protein could be used to assess disease severity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, show the results of a Swedish study.

7 Aug 2012

Creating new non-influenza vaccines: an interview with Julie Phillips, CEO of BioDiem

BioDiem recently signed a collaborative agreement with The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) for the development of non-influenza vaccines using BioDiem’s proprietary live attenuated influenza virus (LAIV) technology.

7 Aug 2012

Applied BioCode receives U.S. patent for ‘Light Transmitted Assay Beads’

Applied BioCode, Inc. today announced that the United Stated Patent and Trademark Office has granted US Patent #8,232,092 "Light Transmitted Assay Beads," describing the method of decoding barcodes and analyzing bioassays using Barcoded Magnetic Beads (BMB) multiplex products.

7 Aug 2012

Astrocytes help reduce damaging effects of epilepsy

Epileptic fits are like thunderstorms raging in the brain: Nerve cells excite each other in an uncontrolled way so that strong, rhythmic electrical discharges sweep over whole brain regions. In the wake of such a seizure, the nerve cells are severely affected, and permanent damage is possible. The glia, a class of cells that surround the neurons in the brain, was long suspected to contribute to the damaging effects of epilepsy.

7 Aug 2012

Scientists discover biological marker that may help identify patients’ response to antidepressants

Scientists have discovered a biological marker that may help to identify which depressed patients will respond to an experimental, rapid-acting antidepressant. The brain signal, detectable by noninvasive imaging, also holds clues to the agent's underlying mechanism, which are vital for drug development, say National Institutes of Health researchers.

7 Aug 2012

Clinical trial targets breast cancer cells by injecting trastuzumab directly into the spinal fluid

In two to five percent of women with breast cancer, tumor cells migrate into the spinal fluid invading the tissue surrounding the brain and spinal cord called the meninges. While a rare complication, the condition is challenging because there is no agreed-upon standard of treatment, leaving little hope for patients affected. Northwestern Medicine- researchers are currently examining a novel approach to delivering an FDA approved drug that they hope will advance research for this type of cancer and lead to discoveries that may improve outcomes in the future.

7 Aug 2012

Blood levels of IL-6 protein may also serve as red flag for relapse in schizophrenia patients

Blood levels of a protein that helps regulate inflammation may also serve as a red flag for relapse in some schizophrenia patients, researchers said.

7 Aug 2012

Researchers identify myostatin as potential therapeutic target for muscular disorders

The study of muscular system protein myostatin has been of great interest to researchers as a potential therapeutic target for people with muscular disorders. Although much is known about how myostatin affects muscle growth, there has been disagreement about what types of muscle cells it acts upon. New research from a team including Carnegie's Chen-Ming Fan and Christoph Lepper narrows down the field to one likely type of cell.

7 Aug 2012

Study investigates role of inflammation in ALS mouse model

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disease wherein the cells of the central nervous system (CNS) involved in movement and coordination are destroyed. Although the mechanism of ALS is not completely understood, inflammation is believed to play a role in the disease process. A recent study by Howard Weiner and colleagues at Harvard Medical School and Tufts School of Medicine investigated the role of inflammation in a mouse model of ALS.

7 Aug 2012

Studies in mice reveal how mood-altering drugs may affect brain stem cells

Working with mice, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have figured out how stem cells found in a part of the brain responsible for learning, memory and mood regulation decide to remain dormant or create new brain cells. Apparently, the stem cells "listen in" on the chemical communication among nearby neurons to get an idea about what is stressing the system and when they need to act.

7 Aug 2012

Topline results from Janssen bapineuzumab Phase 3 trial on mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's

Pfizer Inc. announced today that the co-primary clinical endpoints, change in cognitive and functional performance compared to placebo, were not met in the Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy R&D LLC (Janssen AI)-led Phase 3 trial of intravenous (IV) bapineuzumab in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease who do not carry the ApoE4 (apolipoprotein E epsilon 4) genotype (Study 301).

7 Aug 2012

Mutations in Ras gene alone may not cause tumours

Despite a huge amount of research effort, the molecular mechanisms that underlie the transition from a "normal" cell to a cancerous cell are only poorly understood. After the discovery of the first cancer-causing genes or oncogenes and the finding that they are mutated forms of normal cellular genes, it was widely believed that a single mutation was enough to cause cancer.

6 Aug 2012

Protein News and Research

Further Reading

Stroma plays an important role in regulating spread of cancer cells

Tips to avoid and cope with kidney stones

Elimination diet may help manage cow's milk protein allergy in infants

New class of drugs reduces adverse effects of cellular damage from cancer chemotherapy

TXNIP protein provides best available target for therapies against diabetes, Wolfram syndrome

Study signals biomarker hope for monitoring COPD

Creating new non-influenza vaccines: an interview with Julie Phillips, CEO of BioDiem

Applied BioCode receives U.S. patent for ‘Light Transmitted Assay Beads’

Astrocytes help reduce damaging effects of epilepsy

Scientists discover biological marker that may help identify patients’ response to antidepressants

Clinical trial targets breast cancer cells by injecting trastuzumab directly into the spinal fluid

Blood levels of IL-6 protein may also serve as red flag for relapse in schizophrenia patients

Researchers identify myostatin as potential therapeutic target for muscular disorders

Study investigates role of inflammation in ALS mouse model

Studies in mice reveal how mood-altering drugs may affect brain stem cells

Topline results from Janssen bapineuzumab Phase 3 trial on mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's

Mutations in Ras gene alone may not cause tumours

Previously uncharacterized protein dramatically influences inflammation

Potential drug targets and prognostic markers for prostate cancer

Common ragweed may induce airways irritation through terpenoids

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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