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.

TLRs contribute to brain damage following hypoxia in newborns

Two out of every thousand babies are at risk of brain damage in connection with birth. Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have identified mechanisms behind these injuries, which could lead to better treatment and a richer life for the infants affected.

23 Nov 2011

AMP opposes NIH proposal to license cancer-related proteonomics patent

The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) opposed the National Institutes of Health (NIH) proposal to exclusively license the subject matter of a cancer-related proteonomics patent application filed by the Agency.

23 Nov 2011

MU nutrition experts offer healthy Thanksgiving tips

While most people only gain about a pound of weight during the holiday season, that pound may never come off, increasing the likelihood of becoming overweight or obese and the risk of related health problems, according to a National Institutes of Health study. University of Missouri dietitians recommend families maintain healthy diet and exercise habits during the holiday season beginning with Thanksgiving.

23 Nov 2011

Mutations that affect lysosomes play a role in causing persistent stuttering

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have obtained new evidence that at least some persistent stuttering is caused by mutations in a gene governing not speech, but a metabolic pathway involved in recycling old cell parts.

23 Nov 2011

Study reveals principal mechanism of action for paracetamol

Researchers at King's College London have discovered how one of the most common household painkillers works, which could pave the way for less harmful pain relief medications to be developed in the future.

23 Nov 2011

Link between loss of wildlife access and micronutrient deficiencies in children

For the first time, researchers have uncovered a powerful connection between loss of access to wildlife and micronutrient deficiencies in children, according to a recently published study by the University of California-Berkeley, Harvard Center for the Environment and Harvard School of Public Health, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and others.

23 Nov 2011

Scientists identify P-Rex1 protein key to movement of melanoblasts

Researchers from UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center are part of a team that has identified a protein, called P-Rex1, that is key to the movement of cells called melanoblasts. When these cells experience uncontrolled growth, melanoma develops.

23 Nov 2011

Celgene to discontinue docetaxel and prednisone plus lenalidomide Phase III trial on CRPC

Celgene International Sàrl, a subsidiary of Celgene Corporation, announced that based on the recommendation from the Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) it will discontinue its pivotal double-blinded Phase III MAINSAIL trial that was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of docetaxel and prednisone with or without lenalidomide in patients with castrate-resistant prostate cancer.

23 Nov 2011

Holiday health tips for cancer survivors

Surviving the holidays with one's waistline, bank account and sanity intact can be challenging for everyone, but the season affords specific pitfalls - and opportunities - for cancer survivors who are mindful of staying healthy throughout the season and beyond.

23 Nov 2011

Treatment of Type 1 diabetes patients with DiaPep277- may have several medical benefits

The clinical trial was random, regulated, double-blinded and broad-based. The drug was tested on 457 patients, aged 16-45, who had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes a short time before joining the trial. The trial took place in around 40 medical centers in Europe, Israel and South Africa. The patients in the trial were randomly assigned to one of two groups: One received the trial drug (DiaPep277-) through a subcutaneous injection once every three months, for a period of two years, while the control group was given a placebo in the same way.

23 Nov 2011

Biochemists identify structure of hydroxyurea that specifically inhibits proteasome

As the "recycling plant" of the cell, the proteasome regulates vitally important functions. When it is inhibited, the cell chokes on its own waste. Cancer cells, in particular, are very sensitive because they need the proteasome for their uncontrolled growth. Biochemists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) have now identified the lead structure of a new class of drugs that attacks the proteasome in an unusual way. New medication could be developed on the basis of this previously unknown binding mechanism.

22 Nov 2011

FDA accepts Regeneron's ARCALYST sBLA for review

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review the Company's supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for ARCALYST Injection for Subcutaneous Use for the prevention of gout flares in patients initiating uric acid-lowering therapy.

22 Nov 2011

Researchers discover molecular sensor that detects wound-induced hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide isn't just that bottled colorless liquid in the back of the medicine cabinet that's used occasionally for cleaning scraped knees and cut fingers. It's also a natural chemical in the body that rallies at wound sites, jump-starting immune cells into a series of events. A burst of hydrogen peroxide causes neutrophils, the immune system's first responders, to rush to the wound to fight microorganisms, remove damaged tissue and then start the inflammation process.

22 Nov 2011

WSU receives NHLBI grant to develop new CF treatments

A Wayne State University research team led by Fei Sun, Ph.D., assistant professor of physiology in the School of Medicine, recently received a grant with an anticipated amount of nearly $1.9 million from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health to better understand how this defective protein in cystic fibrosis patients is prematurely digested.

22 Nov 2011

Study reveals specific functional deficit in inner ear mechanotransduction channels

National Institutes of Health-funded researchers have identified two proteins that may be the key components of the long-sought after mechanotransduction channel in the inner ear-the place where the mechanical stimulation of sound waves is transformed into electrical signals that the brain recognizes as sound.

22 Nov 2011

Sluggish recycling of protein-slicing enzyme could promote Alzheimer's

Sluggish recycling of a protein-slicing enzyme could promote Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published online on November 21 in The Journal of Cell Biology.

22 Nov 2011

New way to enhance effects of anandamide in the body

UC Irvine and Italian researchers have discovered a new means of enhancing the effects of anandamide - a natural, marijuana-like chemical in the body that provides pain relief.

22 Nov 2011

Gene-therapy trial to restore hearing in deaf mice

Researchers have found long-sought genes in the sensory hair cells of the inner ear that, when mutated, prevent sound waves from being converted to electric signals - a fundamental first step in hearing. The team, co-led by Jeffrey Holt, PhD, in the department of otolaryngology at Children-s Hospital Boston, and Andrew Griffith, MD, PhD, of the NIH-s National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), then restored these electrical signals in the sensory cells of deaf mice by introducing normal genes.

22 Nov 2011

Scientists search for main culprit behind Sj-gren's syndrome

Researchers want to find the main culprit behind the dry, irritated eyes, mouth, throat, skin, nose and more afflicting 1-3 percent of the population.

22 Nov 2011

Researchers identify EGFR protein as therapeutic target for Cushing disease

Cushing disease is a hormone disorder that causes a diverse array of symptoms, including fat accumulation, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, muscle wasting, and ultimately death. It is caused by a tumor in the anterior pituitary gland that results in the secretion of excess amounts of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Treatment options are essentially limited to surgical resection. However, tumors commonly recur, meaning that new treatment options are needed.

22 Nov 2011