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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.

Highly specific assay developed to detect ERG alterations in prostate cancer

Researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Center for Prostate Disease Research, in collaboration with investigators at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology and Walter Reed Army Medical Center, have developed a highly specific assay for the detection of ERG, a protein associated with tumor formations which is present in more than half of all prostate cancers.

1 Jul 2010

FnBP is central to bacteria's ability to invade organs: Researchers

Scientists studying the so-called "superbug" MRSA have identified one of the components responsible for making it so deadly. Staphylococcus aureus is a type of bacteria commonly found on the skin that is relatively harmless unless it gets into the bloodstream, where it can cause blood poisoning and create abscesses in organs such as the heart and brain.

1 Jul 2010

Pre-clinical data of BiTE antibody technology published in PNAS

Micromet, Inc., today announced the publication of pre-clinical data in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, demonstrating the potency of new product candidates based on the Company's proprietary BiTE antibody technology. BiTE antibodies are a new class of agents designed to harness a patient's T cells to kill cancer cells.

1 Jul 2010

Key mechanism present in virgin olive oil protects body against breast cancer: Researchers

Researchers at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, led by Dr Eduard Escrich, have discovered a key mechanism by which virgin olive oil, in contrast to other vegetable oils, protects the body against breast cancer.

30 Jun 2010

Antibacterial ingredient in honey identified

Sweet news for those looking for new antibiotics: A new research published in the July 2010 print edition of the FASEB Journal explains for the first time how honey kills bacteria. Specifically, the research shows that bees make a protein that they add to the honey, called defensin-1, which could one day be used to treat burns and skin infections and to develop new drugs that could combat antibiotic-resistant infections.

30 Jun 2010

Celgene signs definitive merger agreement to acquire Abraxis BioScience

Celgene Corporation and Abraxis BioScience Inc. today jointly announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement in which Celgene has agreed to acquire Abraxis BioScience. Under the terms of the merger agreement, each share of Abraxis BioScience common stock will be converted into the right to receive an upfront payment of $58.00 in cash and 0.2617 shares of Celgene common stock.

30 Jun 2010

Genetic variation makes women sub-fertile, less likely to respond to ovarian stimulating hormones

Researchers have discovered that some women carry a genetic variation that makes them sub-fertile and less likely to respond to ovarian stimulating hormones during fertility treatment. The discovery opens the way to identifying these women and devising personalised fertility treatments that could bypass the problem caused by the genetic abnormality.

30 Jun 2010

Renowned experts discuss new approaches to cancer therapy at international conference

An international conference attended by more than 70 of the world's leading experts and investigators in the field of Ephs and ephrins was held locally this week and hosted by Waldemar Debinski, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Brain Tumor Center of Excellence at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

30 Jun 2010

European Congress of Nephrology unveils results of various clinical trials

The 47th ERA-EDTA/DGfN congress in Munich has been the setting for a wide range of new clinical data. The results of the following clinical trials were presented at "Late-Breaking Clinical Trials Sessions."

30 Jun 2010

InNexus develops IXS312 small protein fragment as topical therapy for AMD, diabetic retinal dysplasia

InNexus Biotechnology Inc., a drug development company commercializing the next generation of antibodies based on its groundbreaking Dynamic Cross Linking (DXL™) technology, today announced that it has developed IXS312(VEGF), an antibody fragment with activity against the growth factor VEGF for planned use in ocular treatments.

30 Jun 2010

Study: Near-normal glucose control does not delay risk of organ damage in diabetes patients

In people with longstanding type 2 diabetes who are at high risk for heart attack and stroke, lowering blood sugar to near-normal levels did not delay the combined risk of diabetic damage to kidneys, eyes, or nerves, but did delay several other signs of diabetic damage, a study has found. The intensive glucose treatment was compared with standard glucose control.

30 Jun 2010

Study highlights importance of individualized, patient-centered therapies

In an analysis from the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial, one of the largest studies of its kind to determine whether intensive blood glucose (sugar) control worked better than standard blood sugar control among diabetics, results show that the benefits of intensive therapy need to be balanced against the increase in total and cardiovascular disease-related death, increased weight gain, and high risk for severe low blood sugar.

30 Jun 2010

Metabolex, Sanofi-Aventis sign global license deal to develop GPR119 for type 2 diabetes treatment

Metabolex and Sanofi-Aventis announced today that they have entered into a global license and development agreement for the research, development, manufacture and commercialization of small molecules that modulate the G-protein coupled receptor 119 (GPR119), a receptor in the gut and pancreas that interacts with bioactive lipids to stimulate glucose-dependent incretin and insulin secretion.

30 Jun 2010

New hope for patients with drug-resistant depression

New research shows that a unique strain of laboratory mice characterized at Penn State University has behavioral, hormonal, and neurochemical characteristics that are similar to those of human patients with drug-resistant forms of depression.

30 Jun 2010

Asbestos induces cell necrosis, promotes tumor growth

More than 20 million people in the U.S., and many more worldwide, who have been exposed to asbestos are at risk of developing mesothelioma, a malignant cancer of the membranes that cover the lungs and abdomen that is resistant to current therapies.

30 Jun 2010

Preliminary findings show RA drug reduces brain damage in stroke patients

A drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis also reduces the damage a stroke inflicts on the brain according to lab research and preliminary findings from a clinical trial of stroke patients. The results open the door for a larger clinical study to refine the drug anakinra's use as an effective therapy for victims of stroke.

From The University of Manchester 30 Jun 2010

Importance of cell-cell communication in ischaemia

A team from the Bristol Heart Institute have investigated the importance of cell-cell communication in regulating the formation of new blood vessels following the restriction in blood supply to the heart or back leg in mice.

29 Jun 2010

Alnylam receives Portuguese, Swedish, British approvals to initiate ALN-TTR01 Phase I study in ATTR

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today that its applications for ALN-TTR01 have been given clearance by Portuguese, Swedish, and British regulatory authorities to begin clinical testing. The trial will begin enrolling patients shortly in a blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter Phase I study.

29 Jun 2010

Zymeworks closes $3.2 million financing round

Zymeworks Inc., a privately held biotechnology company focused on the development of next generation antibody-based therapeutics, today announced the close of a financing totaling $3.2 million. The financing consists of a follow-on round of institutional investment by CTI Life Sciences Fund, L.P. ("CTI") which led the Company's previous financing in 2009.

29 Jun 2010

Individual cells react differently to complex signals: Study

Using new technology that allows scientists to monitor how individual cells react in the complex system of cell signaling, Stanford University researchers have uncovered a much larger spectrum of differences between each cell than ever seen before.

29 Jun 2010