Search Results for "Cell"

Search Results for "Cell"
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Potential New Pathway Can Overcome Glioblastoma Resistance (1/25/2012 11:04:04 PM) Glioblastoma is the most prevalent and most aggressive malignant brain tumor in humans, and is one of the most resistant to current treatments. Individuals with the disease typically survive around 15 months. Earlier research concentrated on activating the (apoptosis) cell death pathway through therapeutic agents like tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). Most of these experiments were however impeded by resistance. Chunhai "Charlie" Hao, M.D., Ph.D... First Step In Strategy For Cell Replacement Therapy In Parkinson's Disease (1/25/2012 11:23:20 AM) Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) are a promising avenue for cell replacement therapy in neurologic diseases. For example, mouse and human iPSCs have been used to generate dopaminergic (DA) neurons that improve symptoms in rat Parkinson's disease models. Reporting in the current issue of the Journal of Parkinson's Disease, a group of scientists from Japan evaluated the growth, differentiation, and function of human-derived iPSC-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs) in a primate model, elucidating their therapeutic potential... Possible New Pathway Can Overcome Glioblastoma Resistance (1/25/2012 10:44:53 AM) Glioblastoma, a lethal brain cancer, is one of the most resistant to available therapies and patients typically live approximately 15 months. Previous research has focused on the activation of the apoptosis, or cell death, pathway using therapeutic agents such as tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL); however, the vast majority of these experiments have been stymied by resistance... Therapeutically Useful Stem Cell Derivatives In Need Of Stability (1/25/2012 10:44:53 AM) Human stem cells capable of giving rise to any fetal or adult cell type are known as pluripotent stem cells. It is hoped that such cells, the most well known being human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), can be used to generate cell populations with therapeutic utility. In this context, neural derivatives of hESCs are being tested in clinical trials... Study Of Plant Hormone Could Have Far-Reaching Implications For Cell Biology And Disease Research (1/25/2012 10:44:53 AM) A recent Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) study published in the journal Science investigating the molecular structure and function of an essential plant hormone could profoundly change our understanding of a key cell process, and might ultimately lead to the development of new drugs for a variety of diseases. The study builds on earlier work by the same team of investigators at VARI that was published in the journal Nature in 2009... New Discoveries In Cell Aging (1/25/2012 9:23:27 AM) A group of researchers led by the Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (IBB) and Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB) can now quantify with precision the effect of protein aggregation on cell aging processes using Escherichia coli bacteria and the molecule which triggers Alzheimer's disease as models. Scientists demonstrated that the effect can be predicted before it occurs. Protein aggregation is related to several diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases... Blood Levels Of Lead May Increase Smokers' Risk For Kidney Cancer (1/25/2012 9:23:27 AM) Higher than normal levels of lead in the blood may signal a risk two times higher than average of developing renal cell carcinoma in smokers, according to medical researchers. "Past studies (in cadavers) have shown that, compared with kidneys from individuals without cancer, kidneys from individuals with cancer have higher lead levels," said Emily B. Southard, medical student at Penn State College of Medicine. "But prior to this study, the identification of higher lead in blood as a risk factor among healthy individuals before they develop kidney cancer had not been shown... Rapist psychic found dead in cell (1/25/2012 9:04:48 AM) A convicted paedophile, whose partner is accused of murdering their children in Spain, is found hanged in his cell at HMP Manchester. 'The Artist': Why we crave silence (1/25/2012 2:24:33 AM) A.S. Hamrah says in an era of incessant cell phone talk and technology-on-steroids films, it's no surprise a silent movie has captured our imaginations. Improved Understanding Of Specific Molecular Mechanisms At Work During Cell Stress May Help Create New Therapeutic Approaches To Cancer (1/24/2012 12:05:50 PM) The expression of p53 and Mdm2 is closely related. In an article published this week in the Cancer Cell review, Robin Fahraeus and his collaborators from Inserm Unit 940 ("Therapeutic Targets for Cancer"), demonstrate that cellular response to DNA damage requires involvement from the protein kinase ATM so that Mdm2 can positively or negatively control protein p53. Much focus is placed on protein p53 in cancer research. Discovered in 1979, p53 precisely regulates cell proliferation and triggers cell distribution or programmed natural cell death (apoptosis) in accordance with requirements... Cellular Degradation May Determine The Health Benefits Of Exercise (1/24/2012 11:43:48 AM) The health benefits of exercise on blood sugar metabolism may come from the body's ability to devour itself, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report in the journal Nature. Autophagy is a process by which a cell responds to starvation and other stresses by degrading damaged or unneeded parts of itself to produce energy. It is sometimes called the cell's housekeeping pathway. "Exercise is known to have many health benefits but the mechanisms have been unclear... Researchers Report Fundamental Malaria Discovery (1/24/2012 11:43:48 AM) A team of researchers led by Kasturi Haldar and Souvik Bhattacharjee of the University of Notre Dame's Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases has made a fundamental discovery in understanding how malaria parasites cause deadly disease. The researchers show how parasites target proteins to the surface of the red blood cell that enables sticking to and blocking blood vessels. Strategies that prevent this host-targeting process will block disease. The research findings appear in the journal Cell, the leading journal in the life sciences... In Cancer Metastasis, DGK-Alpha Helps Cancer Cells Gain Traction And Mobilize (1/24/2012 11:43:48 AM) Metastasizing cancer cells often express integrins that provide better traction. A new study in The Journal of Cell Biology reveals how a lipid-converting enzyme helps the cells mobilize these integrins. Adhesive integrin proteins continually cycle to and from the cell surface. Invasive cancer cells that carry mutant forms of the tumor suppressor p53 often bias the process, increasing the recycling of a particular integrin that offers a better grip on the fibronectin fibers found in tumors... Same Mechanism As For DNA Employed As Protein Networks Stabilize Muscle Fibers (1/24/2012 11:43:48 AM) The same mechanism that stabilises the DNA in the cell nucleus is also important for the structure and function of vertebrate muscle cells. This has been established by RUB-researchers led by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Linke (Institute of Physiology) in cooperation with American and German colleagues. An enzyme attaches a methyl group to the protein Hsp90, which then forms a complex with the muscle protein titin. When the researchers disrupted this protein network through genetic manipulation in zebrafish the muscle structure partly disintegrated... How Immune Cells Move Against Invaders (1/24/2012 10:04:42 AM) UCSF scientists have discovered the unexpected way in which a key cell of the immune system prepares for battle. The finding, they said, offers insight into the processes that take place within these cells and could lead to strategies for treating conditions from spinal cord injury to cancer. The research focused on the neutrophil, the most common type of white blood cell. Like other cells in the immune system, its job is to seek out and destroy bacteria, viruses or other foreign entities that enter the bloodstream or organs... Short-Term Pulmonary, Immunologic, Or Coagulation Status Unaffected By Duration Of RBC Storage (1/24/2012 10:04:42 AM) There is no difference in early measures of pulmonary function, immunologic status or coagulation status after fresh versus standard issue single-unit red blood cell (RBC) transfusion, according to a new study from the Mayo Clinic. "Longer duration of RBC storage is thought to increase the risk of transfusion-related pulmonary complications," said Daryl J. Kor, assistant professor of anesthesiology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine... Stem Cell Treatment For Briton's Eye Disease (1/24/2012 9:08:32 AM) A British man has become the first in Europe to take part in a stem cell trial for a rare and devastating eye disease. ip.access takes small cell technology to Middle East (1/23/2012 5:28:39 PM) Cambridge small cell pioneer ip.access has opened up Middle East markets to the burgeoning technology. Read more... ip.access takes small cell technology to Middle East (1/23/2012 4:07:03 PM) Cambridge small cell pioneer ip.access has opened up Middle East markets to the burgeoning technology. Read more... Luteolin, A Plant Flavonoid, Blocks Cell Signaling Pathways In Colon Cancer Cells (1/23/2012 10:23:58 AM) Luteolin is a flavonoid commonly found in fruit and vegetables. This compound has been shown in laboratory conditions to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties but results from epidemiological studies have been less certain. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Gastroenterology shows that luteolin is able to inhibit the activity of cell signaling pathways (IGF and PI3K) important for the growth of cancer in colon cancer cells. Colon cancer is the second most frequent cause of cancer-related death in the Western World... Mechanism Of Lung-Cancer Drug Resistance Revealed By Study (1/23/2012 10:23:58 AM) New research published in Nature Medicine indicates that targeted drugs such as gefitinib might more effectively treat non-small cell lung cancer if they could be combined with agents that block certain microRNAs. The study was led by investigators with the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC - James). It shows that overexpression of two genes, called MET and EGFR, causes the deregulation of six microRNAs, and that this deregulation leads to gefitinib resistance... Elusive Z- DNA Found On Nucleosomes (1/22/2012 9:24:05 AM) New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Cell & Bioscience is the first to show that left-handed Z-DNA, normally only found at sites where DNA is being copied, can also form on nucleosomes. The structure of DNA which provides the blueprint for life has famously been described as a double helix. To save space inside the nucleus, DNA is tightly wound around proteins to form nucleosomes which are then further wound and compacted into chromatin, which is further compacted into chromosomes... Weedinator! The new pesticide-free way to clear your garden. But beware... it packs as many volts as the electric chair (1/22/2012 4:23:44 AM) The electricity penetrates the vascular systems of weeds, boiling the water in the plant cells and breaking down the cell walls. New Drug Labels For Kidney Disease Patients (1/21/2012 9:43:55 PM) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently recommended that clinicians be more conservative when they prescribe chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with drugs that treat red blood cell deficiencies. But the drug label's recommendations fall short, according to two commentaries appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The new federal recommendations apply to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs)... Cholesterol-Lowering Statins May Treat Breast Cancer (1/21/2012 11:43:45 AM) Cholesterol-lowering statins seem to keep breast cancer at bay in some patients. Now researchers reporting in the January 20th issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, provide clues about how statins might yield those unexpected benefits. The findings also suggest that mutations in a single gene could be used to identify tumors likely to respond to statin therapy. "The data raises the possibility that we might identify subsets of patients whose tumors may respond to statins," said Carol Prives of Columbia University... Small Changes In The Genome Account For Gender Differences In Liver Cancer Risk (1/21/2012 11:43:45 AM) Men are four times more likely to develop liver cancer compared to women, a difference attributed to the sex hormones androgen and estrogen. Although this gender difference has been known for a long time, the molecular mechanisms by which estrogens prevent - and androgens promote - liver cancer remain unclear. Now, new research, published in Cell from the lab of Klaus Kaestner, PhD, professor of Genetics in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has found that the difference depends on which proteins the sex hormones bind next to... Tumor Growth Not Halted By Cell Senescence (1/21/2012 11:43:45 AM) A collaboration between a cancer biologist from the University of Milano and 2 physicists has shown that cell senescence occurs spontaneously in melanoma cells, but does not stop their growth Since cancer cells grow indefinitely, it is commonly believed that senescence could act as a barrier against tumor growth and potentially be used as a way to treat cancer... How Alpha-Synuclein Interacts With Cell Membranes In Parkinson's Disease (1/21/2012 11:43:45 AM) The accumulation of Î±-synuclein, a small, negatively charged protein, in neural cells, is one of the hallmarks of Parkinson's disease. It has been suggested that oligomeric Î±-synuclein causes membranes to become permeable, or to form channels on the outer cell membrane. Now, a group of scientists from Sweden has found a way to reliably replicate Î±-synuclein aggregation on cell membranes to investigate how different forms of Î±-synuclein interact with membranes under different conditions and to learn if any of the Î±-synuclein species can penetrate these membranes... Important Role In Acute, Chronic Urinary Tract Infections May Be Played By Bacterial Toxin (1/20/2012 1:23:24 PM) Researchers from the University of Utah have identified a process by which the most common types of urinary tract infection-causing bacteria are able to trigger bladder cell shedding and disable immune responses. According to this new study, published in Cell Host & Microbe, Î±-hemolysin, a toxin secreted by many strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli), may play an important, unexpected role during both the establishment and persistence of urinary tract infections. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common infectious diseases worldwide. Each year, 15 million U.S... New Method Pinpoints Important Gene-Regulation Proteins (1/20/2012 1:23:24 PM) A novel technique has been developed and demonstrated at Penn State University to map the proteins that read and regulate chromosomes - the string-like structures inside cells that carry genes. The specific order in which these proteins attach DNA-containing nucleosomes along the chromosome determines whether a brain cell, a liver cell, or a cancer cell is formed. Until now, it has been exceedingly difficult to determine exactly where such proteins bind to the chromosome, and therefore how they work... Study Examines Drug Resistance In ALK Positive Lung Cancer (1/20/2012 10:43:36 AM) Scientists from the University of Colorado Cancer Center have once again advanced the treatment of a specific kind of lung cancer. The team has documented how anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) becomes resistant to a drug targeting the abnormal protein in the cancer. It's the first time scientists have analyzed the frequency and type of drug resistance in ALK positive patients taking crizotinib. Crizotinib, a tablet, shrinks tumors in the majority of ALK positive patients with dramatic responses in more than 60 percent of cases... Researchers Uncover Mechanism By Which Melanoma Drug Accelerates Secondary Skin Cancers (1/20/2012 10:43:36 AM) Patients with metastatic melanoma taking the recently approved drug vemurafenib (Zelboraf®) responded well to the twice daily pill, but some of them developed a different, secondary skin cancer. Now, researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, working with investigators from the Institute of Cancer Research in London, Roche and Plexxikon, have elucidated the mechanism by which vemurafenib excels at fighting melanoma but also allows for the development of skin squamous cell carcinomas... Potential New Targets For Antibiotic Therapy Revealed By Polar Growth At The Bacterial Scale (1/19/2012 8:03:56 PM) An international team of microbiologists led by Indiana University researchers has identified a new bacterial growth process - one that occurs at a single end or pole of the cell instead of uniform, dispersed growth along the long axis of the cell - that could have implications in the development of new antibacterial strategies... Roche melanoma pill spurs growth of less harmful cancers (1/19/2012 12:24:43 PM) CHICAGO (Reuters) - A new study helps explain why up to a third of advanced melanoma patients who take Roche Holding's pill Zelboraf develop a less deadly form of skin cancer known as cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, and even points to a potential fix. TB And A Gene Mutation That Causes Lung Cancer Linked (1/19/2012 11:43:43 AM) Tuberculosis (TB) has been suspected to increase a person's risk of lung cancer because the pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis can induce genetic damage. However, direct evidence of specific genetic changes and the disease have not been extensively reported. Research presented in the February 2012 issue of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's Journal of Thoracic Oncology shows a link between TB and mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a type of gene mutation found in non-small cell lung cancer... Tiny 'MEMS' Structures May Be Built By New Microtweezers (1/19/2012 9:43:32 AM) Researchers have created new "microtweezers" capable of manipulating objects to build tiny structures, print coatings to make advanced sensors, and grab and position live stem cell spheres for research. The microtweezers might be used to assemble structures in microelectromechanical systems, or MEMS, which contain tiny moving parts. MEMS accelerometers and gyroscopes currently are being used in commercial products... Malignant Melanoma Recurrence - How To Avoid It After Targeted Treatment (1/19/2012 4:23:22 AM) According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) have demonstrated how to prevent new cancers that can occur when malignant melanoma patients are treated with drugs known as BRAF inhibitors. In the past, doctors have observed that between 15 and 30% of patients who were treated with BRAF inhibitors, including the FDA-approved drug vemurafenib (Zelboraf), developed another type of skin cancer known as cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, which required surgical removal... Scriptaid Revives Breast Cancer Treatment Receptivity (1/18/2012 10:23:43 PM) A study by researchers from the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, reveals that despite the effectiveness of endocrine therapy for breast cancer, responsiveness to the treatment depends on expression of estrogen receptors in breast cancer cells. However, Dr. Laura Giacinti, lead investigator of the study reports on a new molecule, Scriptaid, which revives receptivity to the treatment in breast cancer cell lines that previously tested negative for the expression of estrogen receptors. The study appears in the Journal of Cellular Physiology. Dr... Esophageal Cancer May Be Caused By Migration Of Cancer-Causing Stomach Cells (1/18/2012 2:43:55 PM) A new study is providing clues that may answer a decades-old question about the cells that give rise to a particularly lethal form of esophageal cancer. The research, published by Cell Press in the January 17th issue of the journal Cancer Cell, links inflammation and bile acid reflux with migration of cancer-causing stomach cells into the esophagus and may help guide future strategies for early therapeutic intervention. Esophageal adenocarcinoma is a cancer of the esophagus that is associated with acid reflux disease and Barrett esophagus (BE)... Plasmacytoid DCs: Tumor-killing Immune Cells (1/18/2012 2:43:55 PM) Some skin cancers, in particular basal cell carcinoma, can be successfully treated with a prescription cream containing the compound imiquimod. The antitumor effect of imiquimod is multifactorial. One of the more complex aspects of imiquimod's antitumor effects is its ability to modify the immune response. A team of researchers led by Maria Sibilia, at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, has now identified a new way in which imiquimod modifies the immune system to clear tumors in a mouse model of melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer... Researchers Elucidate Mechanism By Which Immune Cells Destroy Cancer Cells (1/18/2012 2:43:55 PM) In the treatment of large tumors, how effective is adoptive T cell therapy in comparison to drug-based cancer treatment? To answer this question, Dr. Kathleen Anders and Professor Thomas Blankenstein of the Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch and researchers of the Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope Cancer Center in Duarte, California, USA designed and carried out a study comparing the two methods. Based on a mouse cancer model, the researchers elucidated the mechanisms of the two different treatments... Victoria Couchman: Skull of missing mother, 19, killed 'by her father' found by children (1/17/2012 3:04:38 PM) Victoria Couchman's father Tony, 46, was due to stand trial for her murder but killed himself in his prison cell two days before the case was due to start, the inquest in Hastings heard. Link Between Ultra Short Telomeres And Osteoarthritis (1/17/2012 10:43:17 AM) Telomeres, the very ends of chromosomes, become shorter as we age. When a cell divides it first duplicates its DNA and, because the DNA replication machinery fails to get all the way to the end, with each successive cell division a little bit more is missed. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Arthritis Research & Therapy shows that cells from osteoarthritic knees have abnormally shortened telomeres and that the percentage of cells with ultra short telomeres increases the closer to the damaged region within the joint... BrainStorm sees positive data in ALS stem cell trial (1/17/2012 10:24:54 AM) TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Data from the first ALS patients in a clinical trial treated with BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics adult stem cell therapy did not show significant side effects and the treatment has so far proven to be safe, the company said on Tuesday. Discovery Of A New Muscle Hormone Might Allow Benefits Of Exercising To Be Induced (1/17/2012 9:03:14 AM) Researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute say they have isolated a previously unknown hormone they found in muscle cells. They sat that the protein serves as a chemical messenger triggering many of the key health benefits of exercising. Bruce Spiegelman, PhD, a cell biologist at Dana-Farber, and senior author of the report, published in Nature worked alongside Pontus BostroÃ¶m, MD, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Spiegelman lab. BostroÃ¶m said : "It's exciting to find a natural substance connected to exercise that has such clear therapeutic potential... Murder suspect 'hid gun up his bum' after speeding arrest (1/16/2012 1:48:26 PM) A murder suspect may have smuggled a gun into his prison cell by hiding it in his rectum. ip.access strengthens management (1/16/2012 1:28:24 PM) ip.access, the pioneering Cambridge developer of small cell mobile technology, has further strengthened its management team. Read more... ip.access strengthens management (1/16/2012 11:27:54 AM) ip.access, the pioneering Cambridge developer of small cell mobile technology, has further strengthened its management team. Read more... How A Motor Protein 'Steps Out' (1/16/2012 11:23:54 AM) Just like people, some proteins have characteristic ways of "walking," which (also like human gaits) are not so easy to describe. But now scientists have discovered the unique "drunken sailor" gait of dynein, a protein that is critical for the function of every cell in the body and whose malfunction has been associated with neurodegenerative disorders such as Lou Gehrig's disease and Parkinson's disease... Newly Identified Genetic Alterations In T-ALL Provide New Potential Treatment Strategies For Devastating Childhood Leukemia (1/15/2012 4:23:54 PM) A new study published in the journal Nature Medicine by NYU Cancer Institute researchers, shows how the cancer causing gene Notch, in combination with a mutated Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) protein complex, work together to cause T- cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). T-ALL is an aggressive blood cancer, predominately diagnosed in children. It occurs when one lymphoblast, an immature white blood cell, turns malignant, multiplying uncontrollably and spreading rapidly throughout the body. If left untreated, the disease can be fatal in a few weeks... New, Noninvasive Way To Identify Lymph Node Metastasis (1/15/2012 4:23:54 PM) Using two cell surface markers found to be highly expressed in breast cancer lymph node metastases, researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center, working with colleagues at other institutions, have developed targeted, fluorescent molecular imaging probes that can non-invasively detect breast cancer lymph node metastases. The new procedure could spare breast cancer patients invasive and unreliable sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsies and surgery-associated negative side effects... Stem Cell Implants Help Heal Traumatic Brain Injury In The Lab (1/15/2012 4:23:54 PM) For years, researchers seeking new therapies for traumatic brain injury have been tantalized by the results of animal experiments with stem cells. In numerous studies, stem cell implantation has substantially improved brain function in experimental animals with brain trauma. But just how these improvements occur has remained a mystery. Now, an important part of this puzzle has been pieced together by researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston... Fungi May Be Our Friends In Tackling Lead Pollution (1/15/2012 4:23:54 PM) Fungi may be unexpected allies in our efforts to keep hazardous lead under control. That's based on the unexpected discovery that fungi can transform lead into its most stable mineral form. The findings reported online in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, suggest that this interaction between fungi and lead may be occurring in nature anywhere the two are found together. It also suggests that the introduction or encouragement of fungi may be a useful treatment strategy for lead-polluted sites... Newly Identified Type Of Immune Cell May Be Important Protector Against Sepsis (1/14/2012 11:23:43 AM) Investigators in the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Systems Biology have discovered a previously unknown type of immune cell, a B cell that can produce the important growth factor GM-CSF, which stimulates many other immune cells. They also found that these novel cells may help protect against the overwhelming, life-threatening immune reaction known as sepsis... How The Brain Puts The Brakes On The Negative Impact Of Cocaine (1/14/2012 3:24:12 AM) Research published by Cell Press in the journal Neuron provides fascinating insight into a newly discovered brain mechanism that limits the rewarding impact of cocaine. The study describes protective delayed mechanism that turns off the genes that support the development of addiction-related behaviors. The findings may lead to a better understanding of vulnerability to addiction and as well as new strategies for treatment... How The Brain Computes 3-Dimensional Structure (1/13/2012 10:43:56 AM) The incredible ability of our brain to create a three-dimensional (3D) representation from an object's two-dimensional projection on the retina is something that we may take for granted, but the process is not well understood and is likely to be highly complex. Now, new research published by Cell Press in the January 12 issue of the journal Neuron provides the first direct evidence that specific brain areas underlie perception of different 3D structures and sheds light the way that the primate brain reconstructs real-world objects... Tissue Made In The Lab Picks Up The Slack Of Petri Dishes In Cancer Research (1/13/2012 10:43:56 AM) New research demonstrates that previous models used to examine cancer may not be complex enough to accurately mimic the true cancer environment. Using oral cancer cells in a three-dimensional model of lab-made tissue that mimics the lining of the oral cavity, the researchers found that the tissue surrounding cancer cells can epigenetically mediate, or temporarily trigger, the expression or suppression of a cell adhesion protein associated with the progression of cancer... Protein Linking Exercise To Health Benefits Isolated By Researchers (1/13/2012 10:03:33 AM) A team led by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has isolated a natural hormone from muscle cells that triggers some of the key health benefits of exercise. They say the protein, which serves as a chemical messenger, is a highly promising candidate for development as a novel treatment for diabetes, obesity and perhaps other disorders, including cancer. Bruce Spiegelman, PhD, a cell biologist at Dana-Farber, is senior author of the report, posted as an advanced online publication by the journal Nature... Fighting Infectious Diseases - New Strategy (1/12/2012 10:23:50 PM) Drugs for infectious diseases have so far been designed to kill the bug itself. However a study published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that these medications could be designed to obstruct the pathogen's entry into cells instead. According to the investigators, this new approach is important as several bacteria and parasites can become resistant to medications that target them. The team used an investigational agent to prevent one type of an enzyme in cell cultures and mice... Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer - Malignancy Gene Signature Found (1/12/2012 10:23:50 PM) According to an investigation published in the recent issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida have discovered that a malignancy-risk gene signature created for breast cancer has predictive and prognostic value for individuals suffering with early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). NSCLC is responsible for 80% to 90% of all lung cancers, according to corresponding author Dung-Tsa Chen, Ph.D., associate member with the Moffitt Biostatistics program... Lewy Bodies Not Found To Be The Primary Cause Of Cell Death In Parkinson's Disease (1/11/2012 11:24:04 AM) The pathology of Parkinson's disease is characterized by a loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the pars compacta of the substantia nigra (SN), an area of the brain associated with motor control, along with the development of Î±-synuclein (Î±S) protein in the form of Lewy bodies (LB) in the neurons that survive. The spread of LB pathology is thought to progress along with the clinical course of Parkinson's disease, although recent studies suggest that they are not the toxic cause of cell death... Dietary DHA Linked To Male Fertility (1/11/2012 11:24:04 AM) Who knew that male fertility depends on sperm-cell architecture? A University of Illinois study reports that a certain omega-3 fatty acid is necessary to construct the arch that turns a round, immature sperm cell into a pointy-headed super swimmer with an extra long tail. "Normal sperm cells contain an arc-like structure called the acrosome that is critical in fertilization because it houses, organizes, and concentrates a variety of enzymes that sperm use to penetrate an egg," said Manabu Nakamura, a U of I associate professor of biochemical and molecular nutrition... Diabetes Type 1 Reversed By Stem Cell Therapy (1/11/2012 10:24:03 AM) Type 1 diabetes is caused by the body's own immune system attacking its pancreatic islet beta cells and requires daily injections of insulin to regulate the patient's blood glucose levels. A new method described in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Medicine uses stem cells from cord blood to re-educate a diabetic's own T cells and consequently restart pancreatic function reducing the need for insulin. Stem Cell Educator therapy slowly passes lymphocytes separated from a patient's blood over immobilized cord blood stem cells (CBSC) from healthy donors... As Monotherapy And In Combinations, Ganetespib Showed Activity In KRAS-Mutant NSCLC (1/11/2012 10:24:03 AM) The investigational drug ganetespib, a synthetic second-generation Hsp90 inhibitor, slowed the growth of cancer cells taken from non-small cell lung cancer tumors with a mutation in the KRAS gene. The drug was even more active when combined with traditional lung cancer treatments and other investigational targeted therapies, according to preclinical study data. David A. Proia, Ph.D., and Jaime Acquaviva, Ph.D., scientists at Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp... China stops unapproved stem cell treatments (1/10/2012 3:24:15 PM) BEIJING (Reuters) - China has ordered a halt to all unapproved stem cell treatments and clinical trials, state media reported on Tuesday, as Beijing seeks to rein in the largely untested stem cell therapies now on offer across the country. Researcher Nears Creation Of Superlens (1/10/2012 2:04:15 PM) A superlens would let you see a virus in a drop of blood and open the door to better and cheaper electronics. It might, says Durdu Guney, make ultra-high-resolution microscopes as commonplace as cameras in our cell phones. No one has yet made a superlens, also known as a perfect lens, though people are trying. Optical lenses are limited by the nature of light, the so-called diffraction limit, so even the best won't usually let us see objects smaller than 200 nanometers across, about the size of the smallest bacterium... Circulating Tumor Cells Analyzed In Patients With Lung Cancer (1/10/2012 1:24:16 PM) Researchers have developed a method to analyze circulating tumor cells in the blood of patients with non-small cell lung cancer. This method, which can analyze a sample size as small as three cells, may allow clinicians to track cancer progress and treatments and could help them develop new therapies. "We have developed an extremely sensitive test that could be able to detect mutations present in circulating tumor cells (CTCs), and we are hoping that from their characterization, we would be able to understand diagnostic, prognostic and predictive markers," said Heidi S. Erickson, Ph.D... Study Suggests Potential For Reversing Age-Associated Effects In Multiple Sclerosis Patients (1/10/2012 11:24:23 AM) New research highlights the possibility of reversing ageing in the central nervous system for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The study is published in the journal Cell Stem Cell. As we get older, our bodies' ability to regenerate decreases. This is not only true for our skin (which is evident in the wrinkles that develop as we age) but also true for other tissues in the body, including the regenerative processes in the brain. For diseases which often span several decades and are affected by regenerative processes, such as multiple sclerosis, this can have massive implications... Researchers Find Malignancy-Risk Gene Signature For Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (1/10/2012 11:24:23 AM) A malignancy-risk gene signature developed for breast cancer has been found to have predictive and prognostic value for patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer. The advancement was made by researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., who published their study results in a recent issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. According to corresponding author Dung-Tsa Chen, Ph.D., associate member with the Moffitt Biostatistics program, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 80-90 percent of all lung cancers... Sorafenib Effective In Patients With Non-small Cell Lung Cancer, But Low Survival Rates Reported (1/10/2012 11:24:23 AM) Sorafenib was effective in patients with non-small cell lung cancer and a KRAS mutation, but survival rates were reportedly "unsatisfactory," according to data presented at the AACR-IASLC Joint Conference on Molecular Origins of Lung Cancer: Biology, Therapy and Personalized Medicine, held Jan. 8-11, 2012. Patients with lung cancer and a KRAS mutation are believed to have a poor prognosis and may not benefit from treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors, according to study author Wouter W. Mellema, M.D... VIDEO: Conman held in Dominican Republic jail (1/10/2012 9:44:15 AM) Convicted conman Michael Brown is being held in a cell in the Dominican Republic while the country works out the next step in his complex case Who's The Boss? Research Shows Cells Influence Their Own Destiny (1/10/2012 4:24:44 AM) In a major shake-up of scientists' understanding of what determines the fate of cells, researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute have shown that cells have some control over their own destiny. The researchers, from the institute's Immunology division, drew their conclusion after studying B cells, immune system cells that can make antibodies. B cells can have multiple fates. Some of the more common fates are to die, divide, become an antibody-secreting cell or change what antibody they make. This all happens while the cells are proliferating in the lymph nodes... Ideal New Anti-Malaria Target Revealed In Parasite Protein Structure (1/10/2012 4:24:44 AM) Scientists have cracked the structure of a protein that is vital to the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, the one that causes the most deadly form of malaria. They suggest the protein, a key enzyme in the generation of cell membranes, could be an ideal target for anti-malaria drugs, particularly as the protein is not present in humans. The study was led by the Department of Biology at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, and a report on it appears as the "Paper of the Week" in the 6 January issue of The Journal of Biological Chemistry... Flatworms' Minimalist Approach To Cell Division Reveals Molecular Architecture Of Human Centrosome (1/9/2012 5:44:06 PM) Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco and the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have discovered that planarians, tiny flatworms fabled for their regenerative powers, completely lack centrosomes, cellular structures that organize the network of microtubules that pulls chromosomes apart during cell division. The flatworms' unique and unexpected characteristic, detailed in the Jan. 5, 2012 issue of Science Express, not only allowed lead author Juliette Azimzadeh, Ph.D... Discovery Of Protein Essential To Survival Of Malaria Parasite Is Ideal Target For An Anti-Malarial Drug (1/9/2012 9:43:58 AM) A biology lab at Washington University has just cracked the structure and function of a protein that plays a key role in the life of a parasite that killed 655,000 people in 2010. The protein is an enzyme that Plasmodium falciparum, the protozoan that causes the most lethal form of malaria, uses to make cell membrane. The protozoan cannot survive without this enzyme, but even though the enzyme has many lookalikes in other organisms, people do not make it. Together these characteristics make the enzyme an ideal target for new antimalarial drugs... Research Proving Link Between Virus And MS Could Point The Way To Treatment And Prevention (1/9/2012 9:43:58 AM) A new study from researchers at Queen Mary, University of London shows how a particular virus tricks the immune system into triggering inflammation and nerve cell damage in the brain, which is known to cause MS. Previous research has suggested a link between the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and multiple sclerosis but the research has remained controversial since scientists have so far failed to substantiate the link. The new study proves the virus is involved in a manner more sophisticated and subtle than previously imagined, and may offer new ways to treat or prevent the disease... Flexible Adult Stem Cells, Right There In Your Eye (1/9/2012 9:43:58 AM) In the future, patients in need of perfectly matched neural stem cells may not need to look any further than their own eyes. Researchers reporting in the January issue of Cell Stem Cell, a Cell Press publication, have identified adult stem cells of the central nervous system in a single layer of cells at the back of the eye. That cell layer, known as the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), underlies and supports photoreceptors in the light-sensitive retina. Without it, photoreceptors and vision are lost... Dogs Read Our Intent (1/9/2012 9:43:58 AM) Dogs pick up not only on the words we say but also on our intent to communicate with them, according to a report published online in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on January 5. The findings might help to explain why so many people treat their furry friends like their children; dogs' receptivity to human communication is surprisingly similar to the receptivity of very young children, the researchers say... Love and war rage as PBS' 'Downton Abbey' returns (1/8/2012 1:09:22 PM) ' It's an irony that acid-tongued Violet, aka the dowager countess of Grantham, would savor: One of TV's hottest romances is playing out among English nobility, with nary a cell phone or laptop in sight and, most shockingly, on PBS. Cell-CT: A New Dimension In Breast Cancer Research (1/8/2012 11:04:13 AM) Despite advances in both the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, the disease remains a leading worldwide health concern. Now, a new imaging technology under investigation at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University may help researchers pinpoint subtle aberrations in cell nuclear structure, the molecular biosignature of cancer, thus significantly improving diagnostic accuracy and prognosis by providing early detection of the disease... Love and war rage as PBS' 'Downton Abbey' returns (1/8/2012 9:49:23 AM) ' It's an irony that acid-tongued Violet, aka the dowager countess of Grantham, would savor: One of TV's hottest romances is playing out among English nobility, with nary a cell phone or laptop in sight and, most shockingly, on PBS. Monkeys Born From Stem Cells (1/7/2012 5:24:22 AM) The birth of three monkeys from a stem cell research program is being hailed as a major breakthrough in genetic engineering. It appears that the mouse stem cells widely used in studies, follow a different developmental process, that was previously thought to be identical to primate and human. Scientists have opened a window to a new strategy, and one which has seemed out of reach for more than ten years. Now it is possible for cloning primate and even human stem cells, into living breathing organisms. The monkeys were all male and appear to be healthy... Custirsen Shows Promise For Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (1/7/2012 4:03:54 AM) Data assessing custirsen (OGX-011/TV-1011), an investigational compound, in individuals with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were published online in the January 2012 issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced January 4th. Results from the trial provide further clinical evidence of the potential of custirsen, a medication developed to prevent clusterin generation. Clusterin is a cell survival protein frequently over-produced in many types of cancer. The single-arm trial was carried out at 15 locations in North America... Prisoner who stabbed warden with broken bottle let off after claiming "stress" (1/7/2012 2:07:52 AM) As the cell door opened, the convicted triple killer emerged brandishing a broken bottle. Miracle or meddling? 'Chimeric' monkeys made from cells of six different 'parents' spark protests (1/6/2012 12:44:50 PM) Scientists at the Oregon Primate Centre have created monkeys which each contain a cocktail of cells from other embryos. Scientists say they could help stem cell research - but animal campaigners are horrified. Broader Vaccines - Targeting Cell Membrane Proteins (1/6/2012 6:04:06 AM) A study published online in Immunity reveals that by stimulating specialized immune cells to identify foreign cell membrane proteins that are shared across bacterial species, scientists may be able to develop vaccines with a broader reach. The researchers of the study from the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMS and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine say that this strategy could prove especially beneficial in preventing infections caused by multi-drug resistant organisms. Senior author Jay K. Kolls, M.D... Miracle 'chimeric' monkeys made from cells of six animals spark protests (1/6/2012 3:05:24 AM) Scientists at the Oregon Primate Centre have created monkeys which each contain a cocktail of cells from other embryos. Scientists say they could help stem cell research - but animal campaigners are horrified. Cell photos murderer disciplined (1/5/2012 6:24:04 PM) A convicted Birmingham murderer is disciplined after photographs of him taken in his prison cell reportedly appeared online. Smaller Sibling Protein Calls The Shots In Cell Division (1/5/2012 6:24:04 PM) Scientists have found at least one instance when the smaller sibling gets to call the shots and cancer patients may one day benefit. The protein Chk1 has long been known to be a checkpoint in cell development: it keeps normal cells and damaged cells from dividing until their DNA has been fully replicated or repaired. Now scientists at Georgia Health Sciences University and the California Institute of Technology have discovered a shorter form they've dubbed Chk1-S ("S" stands for short) that essentially neutralizes its longer sibling so cell division can proceed... Possible Link Between Autism, Abnormal Immune System Characteristics And Novel Protein Fragment (1/5/2012 10:43:53 AM) Immune system abnormalities that mimic those seen with autism spectrum disorders have been linked to the amyloid precursor protein (APP), reports a research team from the University of South Florida's Department of Psychiatry and the Silver Child Development Center. The study, conducted with mouse models of autism, suggests that elevated levels of an APP fragment circulating in the blood could explain the aberrations in immune cell populations and function - both observed in some autism patients... News From The Journal Of Clinical Investigation: Jan. 3, 2012 (1/5/2012 10:43:53 AM) ONCOLOGY: Cbx7 suppresses tumor growth The unregulated cell growth that occurs in cancer is in part related to changes in the expression of genes that control the cell cycle. CBX7 is a gene known to be involved in a repressor complex that is capable of altering the proteins around which DNA is wrapped such that genes cannot be expressed. Previous research has implicated the loss of CBX7 in cancer progression; its loss is correlated with malignancy and poor prognosis in many tumor types... How Muscle Growth Is Triggered By Exercise (1/5/2012 10:43:53 AM) We take it for granted, but the fact that our muscles grow when we work them makes them rather unique. Now, researchers have identified a key ingredient needed for that bulking up to take place. A factor produced in working muscle fibers apparently tells surrounding muscle stem cell "higher ups" that it's time to multiply and join in, according to a study in the January Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press journal. In other words, that so-called serum response factor (Srf) translates the mechanical signal of work into a chemical one... Explaining Link Between Heart Failure And Diabetes (1/5/2012 10:43:53 AM) Either heart failure or diabetes alone is bad enough, but oftentimes the two conditions seem to go together. Now, researchers reporting in the January Cell Metabolism appear to have found the culprit that leads from heart failure to diabetes and perhaps a novel way to break that metabolic vicious cycle... North Wales News: Gwynedd bone marrow transplant teen back on the football field (1/5/2012 9:08:03 AM) A FOOTBALL-MAD schoolboy who had a life-saving bone marrow cell transplant from his three-year-old brother is back playing soccer after recovering from gruelling treatment. Aging-Related Degeneration Can Be Caused By Defects Of Energy Metabolism In Tissue Stem Cells (1/4/2012 10:43:56 AM) Aging-related tissue degeneration can be caused by mitochondrial dysfunction in tissue stem cells. The research group of Professor Anu Suomalainen Wartiovaara at the University of Helsinki, with their collaborators in Max Planck Institute for Biology of Aging, Karolinska Institutet and University of Wisconsin, reported on the 3rd January in Cell Metabolism their results on mechanisms of aging-associated degeneration. Stem cells are called the spare parts for tissues, as they maintain and repair tissues during life... Correction: Stem cell research on donor eggs often not disclosed (1/3/2012 8:44:17 PM) NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Many U.S. fertility clinics don't tell egg donors that embryos made from their eggs may end up being used in stem cell research, according to a new government survey. A Firmer Understanding Of Muscle Fibrosis In Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (1/3/2012 2:23:55 PM) Researchers describe how increased production of a microRNA promotes progressive muscle deterioration in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), according to a study published online on January 2 in the Journal of Cell Biology*. As DMD patients age, their damaged muscle cells are gradually replaced by collagen-rich, fibrous tissue. This muscle fibrosis is partly induced by the growth factor TGF-beta, which is highly activated in DMD patients, though exactly how this cytokine promotes fibrogenesis is unclear... Two Recent Studies Distinguish Kidney Cancer Subtypes And Provide Promising New Drug Targets (1/3/2012 2:23:55 PM) Two recent studies by Van Andel Research Institute scientists are providing a foundation for a more complete understanding of distinct kidney cancer subtypes, which could pave the way for better treatments. In a study published in Cancer Cell led by Kyle Furge, Ph.D. and Aikseng Ooi, Ph.D., researchers provide a more complete understanding of the biology of Type 2 papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC2), an aggressive type of kidney cancer with no effective treatment, which lays the foundation for the development of effective treatment strategies... Fixing Common Blood Disorder Would Make Kidney Transplants More Successful (1/3/2012 11:44:03 AM) Correcting anemia, a red blood cell deficiency, can preserve kidney function in many kidney transplant recipients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results indicate that aggressively treating anemia may help save the kidneys and possibly the lives of many transplant recipients. Anemia commonly arises in patients with kidney disease because the kidneys secrete most of the hormone erythropoietin that stimulates red blood cell production... Toddlers Don't Listen To Their Own Voice Like Adults Do (1/3/2012 10:43:43 AM) When grown-ups and kids speak, they listen to the sound of their voice and make corrections based on that auditory feedback. But new evidence shows that toddlers don't respond to their own voice in quite the same way, according to a report published online on December 22 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication. The findings suggest that very young children must have some other strategy to control their speech production, the researchers say...