ALSO NOTED: New discovery in metastasis;China to emerge as research leader;

More Research

The protein p120 catenin plays a key role not only as in the "glue" that holds cells together but as a catalyst in breaking them up as tumors metastasize, say researchers at the Mayo Clinic. And they believe that their discovery maps the way to a new designer drug that can help prevent cancer. The team focused on the early stages of metastasis. Researchers have noted that the p120 catenin protein seems mysteriously two-faced: While it normally strengthens cell-cell bonding, in some cases it can also negatively affect cell adhesion. They also have found that over-production of p120 increases a cell's ability to move. But the significance of these observations had eluded scientists. Release

A new target for cancer therapy has been identified by Monash University scientists investigating the cell signaling pathways that turn on a gene involved in cancer development. A team led by Associate Professor Jun-Ping Liu, from the Department of Immunology, has identified two proteins that are involved in stopping the gene from producing a protein called telomerase that is essential if cancer cells are to proliferate. Telomerase plays a key role in controlling the life span of cells by modifying structures called telomeres that are found at the end of chromosomes. Release

China has only made small inroads into the drug development world, but a host of outfits believe that China will eventually develop a major research industry that will devote itself to developing new therapies. Article

A researcher who worked with Korea's disgraced stem cell scientist Hwang Woo-Suk says he was repeatedly able to fabricate research without attracting Hwang's attention. Report

Researchers at the Burnham Institute studying histone deacetylase inhibitors found that they could counter muscle weakness and fiber deterioration associated with muscular dystrophy in two different mouse models. Deacetylase inhibitor Trichostatin A, currently being studied as a therapy for breast cancer, restored skeletal muscle mass and prevented the impaired function normally linked to MD. Report

A group of Parkinson's disease researchers concluded there are no observable differences between those who have two copies of the most common mutation of the recently discovered LRRK2 gene and those who have only one copy. Their study will be published in the September edition of the Archives of Neurology. Release

Research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ties low levels of a hormone secreted by the uterus and embryos to problems with pregnancy and fetal development. The findings also suggest that the hormone, adrenomedullin, plays a key role in maternal susceptibility to pre-eclampsia, a serious pregnancy complication that occurs in the third trimester. Pre-eclampsia affects roughly one in 15 pregnant women and is the leading cause of death among expectant mothers. Release

Researchers from IDIBAPS, the Universitat de Barcelona and Queensland University in Australia have released their conclusions regarding the importance of caveolin-1 in liver regeneration. Without this protein, they say, liver regeneration does not occur. Release

A study undertaken at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine has concluded that the moderate consumption of Cabernet Sauvignon may help reduce the incidence of Alzheimer's. Report

Curcumin, the active ingredient in the curry spice turmeric, has demonstrated an ability to block a gastrointestinal hormone that is linked to colorectal cancer, according to scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Curcumin has long been a mainstay in Indian traditional medicine. Release

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center believe they've found a mutation that shutters an important protein transport pathway that caused deformities in zebrafish. In humans, the mutation could cause craniofacial deformities. Their work is detailed in the September 17 online issue of Nature Genetics. Report

Physiologic Communications, a biotech company founded by University of Rochester Medical Center cardiologist Spencer Rosero, M.D., is developing implantable biosensors--integrating living cells with electronics--to create a "biological chip." When implanted, this chip can detect physiologic and chemical changes in the body, alerting physicians to the onset of disease. The company says that the first use of the chip may be in testing new therapies. Release

Lymphatic filariasis, a mosquito-borne tropical disease that afflicts 120 million people worldwide, can cause debilitating swelling of the legs and genital areas. According to a new study published in the open access journal PLoS Pathogens, these pathologies can be treated with doxycycline, a tetracycline antibiotic. Release

Researchers at the Warwick Medical School have uncovered some of the secrets of what can interfere with the protecting properties of Nitric Oxide for pregnant women. NO--a common pollutant--is also a critical compound required by pregnant women to avoid hypertension and pre-eclampsia. Release

Tools & Technology

Pfizer is using new data mining tools to better understand how to design clinical trials and discover new uses for drugs. Article

Oxford Instruments' new MQC benchtop NMR analyser has received an Instrument Business Outlook Industrial Design Award for innovation and distinction in analytical and life science instrumentation. Release

Bionas GmbH has launched a device for in vitro profiling of the metabolic activity of cells to understand cellular function. The Bionas 2500 is a bench-top instrument that measures multiple metabolic parameters simultaneously, such as acidification, oxygen consumption and adhesion of living cells for high quality and predictive safety pharmacological studies during preclinical phases of drug discovery. Release

TTP LabTech has initiated the second generation of high content screening systems with the launch of the triple laser Acumen eX3 microplate cytometer. Release

Deals & Dollars

A scientific consortium led by the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill will receive a $21.3 million grant to research new drugs for African sleeping sickness (Trypanosomiasis) and Leishmania. Release

The National Center for Research Resources, a part of the National Institutes of Health, today announced it will grant $117.3 million to fund four new and seven continuing Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence. The awards support multidisciplinary centers that strengthen institutional biomedical research capability and enhance research infrastructure. COBREs are a component of the Institutional Development Award program, designed to improve the competitiveness of investigators in historically under-funded states. Release