virus

Common virus is a culprit in obesity

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 06:59:59 -0400

Investigators have determined that a virus may play a key role in promoting obesity in some people. The researchers say that adenovirus-36--a well known respiratory virus--turns adult stem cells under the skin into fat cells when they are infected. And these fat cells accumulate fat at a fast rate. This isn't the sole cause of obesity, the scientists note, but the research does provide evidence that some cases of obesity can be linked to the virus. Other studies have reached similar conclusions, noting that about 30 percent of obese people have adenovirus-36 compared to 11 percent of lean people studied. And animal studies have linked adenovirus-36 and two other viruses to obesity as well. The theory is that exposure to the respiratory virus combined with a lack of exercise promotes obesity. This research points to new ways to control weight rather than relying solely on diet, exercise and surgery. The research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.

- see the release on the findings
- read the report from The Independent

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Synthetic biology spawns fresh approach to antibiotics

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 06:59:59 -0400

The amazingly hot field of synthetic biology has now spawned an engineered virus that attacks bacteria. Timothy Lu, a doctoral student in the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, says he and colleagues created the virus by drawing from a library of genes. In this particular case, the researchers took a gene that produced the enzyme dispersin B and inserted it into the genome of the T7 virus. The enzyme is known to degrade bacteria's molecular "scaffolding." At a later stage, he says, the scientists should be able to design new viruses engineered to attack specific bacteria. And these new viruses could be used to create a new generation of antibiotics--as well as industrial cleaners.

- read the report from MSNBC

ALSO: The New York Times' Nicholes Wade reviews the potential of synthetic biology after J. Craig Venter announced plans to develop new forms of synthetic life. At MIT, one program's to-do list includes "grow a house." Article

Related Articles:
It's alive! Team advances work on artificial life. Report

ALSO NOTED: Iowa opens doors to stem cell research; New gene mutations found for cancer; Postdocs choose best places to work;

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 19:01:38 -0500

Stem Cell Research

Iowa's governor has signed new legislation lifting restrictions on stem cell research, calling for the creation of stem cell lines through cloning. Report

Stem cell banks are growing in popularity, but critics say that there's still more hype than hope involved. Article

Errors in stem cell division can give rise to tumors. By studying stem cells in the fruit fly, scientists at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine have identified one of the mechanisms that govern how these cells divide. The study appears this week in the scientific journal Developmental Cell. Report

Cancer Research

An international research team headed by Michael Stratton of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge, Britain, has identified 120 new gene mutations that promote cancer. That's a significant advance on the 350 gene mutations already linked with cancer. The researchers studied 210 samples of cancerous tissue and 500 kinase genes that play a role in cell division and proliferation. Report

Dominik Duelli and Yuri Lazebnik at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York have been researching the role that viruses play in triggering cancer. They conclude that viruses trigger cell fusion, when cells unite by merging membranes, spurring a change that can lead to cancer. Report

Researchers are tracking the role of a protein, PAX8, that's involved in developing fallopian tubes and also present in ovarian cancer cells. Report

Researchers have identified markers unique to the cells of blood vessels running through ovarian tumors. The finding, while preliminary, could one day improve screening, diagnosis and treatment for this disease. Release

At the Institut Curie, INSERM and CNRS researchers have used two-photon microscopy to demonstrate, for the first time in vivo and real-time, how T lymphocytes infiltrate a solid tumor in order to fight it. Report

Investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have discovered previously unsuspected mutations that contribute to the formation of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common cancer in children. The discovery not only suggests novel methods for treating pediatric ALL, but also provides a roadmap for the identification of unsuspected mutations in adult cancers. Release

Researchers from Harvard Medical School, Boston, have found that most individuals with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) inappropriately express a protein known as CDX2 in their leukemic cells and that CDX2 has a causal role in the pathogenesis of AML. CDX2 regulates the expression of a number of genes that encode members of the HOX family of proteins, which might provide a new set of targets for the treatment of individuals with AML. Release

ALSO

The Scientist has come out with its fifth annual survey on the best places for postdoc work. Report

Chemists at the University of Liverpool have designed a unique structure to capture the movement of atoms which may impact on future designs of pharmaceuticals. Release

A new report from the World Health Organization shows that neurological disorders, ranging from epilepsy to Alzheimer disease, from stroke to headache, affect up to one billion people worldwide. Neurological disorders also include brain injuries, neuroinfections, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson disease. Report

A new study from Joslin Diabetes Center may shed light on why some people can eat excessive amounts of food and not gain weight or develop type 2 diabetes, while others are more likely to develop obesity and this most common form of diabetes on any diet. The study, which used two strains of mice with differing tendencies to gain weight and develop diabetes on a high-fat diet, identified genetic and cellular mechanisms that may prevent certain mice on a calorie-dense diet from gaining weight and developing metabolic syndrome. Report

Researchers at The University of Arizona College of Medicine's Department of Immunobiology have discovered that the agent that causes tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, produces a new type of virulence factor called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Pili (MTP). Their findings suggest that MTP could be a promising, new TB-vaccine candidate. Report

Knocking out the gene for a peptide associated with insulin secretion protects mice against the harmful effects of a high-fat diet, report researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Report

VBI researchers in collaboration with scientists from the University of Maryland School of Medicine have created a new classification system for rickettsia bacteria that may assist researchers in the way they approach the development of diagnostics and vaccines for the virulent rickettsial pathogens. Report

Researchers at Texas A&M University are shedding light on a rare form of early blindness, identifying the cells involved and paving the way for possible therapies to treat or even prevent what is currently an incurable disease. Release

A new study to be published in an upcoming edition of the Journal of Reproductive Medicine reveals that Pycnogenol, an antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree, significantly reduces symptoms of endometriosis by 33 percent. Release

An estimated ten million Americans suffer from osteoporosis, and another 34 million Americans are at risk of developing the disease, which is characterized by a severe loss of bone mineral density, fragile bones and an increased risk of hip, spine and wrist fractures. The basic mechanism behind osteoporosis involves an imbalance between bone mineral formation and loss, but the detailed biological processes that lead to this imbalance are not completely understood. Release

Cancer cells much more likely to mutate

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 19:01:39 -0500

Once cells become cancerous they are 100 times more likely to genetically mutate than normal cells, according to researchers. And that conclusion could spell serious trouble for research programs that seek to control a single gene involved in malignancy. "This is very bad news, because it means that cancer cells in a tumor will have mutations that protect them from therapeutics," said lead investigator Lawrence Loeb of the University of Washington School of Medicine. The research also points to a new method to gauge the malignancy of a tumor by evaluating the number of mutations it has.

- check out the release
- read the report on the cancer study from News-Medical

Related Articles:
Cancer-killing viruses head to the clinic. Report
"Scrap" DNA can turn off tumor cell division. Report

New approach to vaccine development

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 19:01:39 -0500

The Guardian covers the development of a new generation of virus-vectored vaccines that promise to take on a number of diseases like malaria. Instead of a traditional approach using weakened virus to produce antibodies that fight disease, researchers are adding the genetic code of molecules into the DNA of the virus. That approach is believed to be more effective in supporting a strong immune response. Efficacy trials for the new approach may be mounted in Africa in three to four years, after researchers have had a chance to test a malaria vaccine. The work is being funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has funneled huge sums into the science.

- read the article on vaccine research from The Guardian

Related Articles:
Gates Foundation restructures, refocuses. Report
Gates adds $287M to HIV vaccine research. Report

ALSO NOTED: New obesity drug; Researchers advance stem cell program; Vitamin A could be key to gullet cancer;

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 19:01:38 -0500

MORE RESEARCH

Steve Bloom at Imperial College London's Hammersmith Hospital is developing a new obesity drug from a hormone found in the gut. Bloom's research team has linked gut hormones, which are released while a person eats, to appetite control. Their work is concentrating on the pancreatic polypeptide to emit signals to the brain to stop eating. Report

University of Minnesota stem cell researchers, together with collaborators at Stanford University, have successfully used adult stem cells to replace the immune system and bone marrow of mice, offering the promise of new therapies for people in the future. Release

A team of researchers in the UK say that blocking the activity of vitamin A could prevent a type of gullet cancer. Report

A team led by University of Wisconsin-Madison virologist Yoshihiro Kawaoka has determined how the 1918 flu virus triggered a deadly respiratory response, showing how a similar virus could be fought. The virus triggered an immune system attack on the lungs, filling it with fluid and drowning patients. That insight could help pave the way to new antivirals to prevent a new pandemic from taking a similar course. Report

Researchers genetically mapped a stem cell gene and its protein product, Laxetin, and building on that effort, carried the investigation all the way through to the identification of the gene itself. This is the first time such a complete study on a stem cell gene has been carried out. Release

Researchers at the University of Michigan and Stanford have reported the first evidence of cancer stem cells in head and neck tumors. Release

A team of researchers from the CIMA of the University of Navarra has discovered a possible cause of thrombosis, and has developed a new diagnostic test for this disease. The scientific project was undertaken in the Hemostasis and Thrombosis Laboratory. Release

An Australian research team had discovered a number of children across Europe who, despite a complete absence of the crucial skeletal muscle protein actin, were not totally paralyzed at birth, and managed to have some muscle movements. "This intriguing finding led us to look deeper and what we saw is that while these children do not have any skeletal actin in their skeletal muscle, they have another form of the protein, known as heart actin, in their skeletal muscles. It appears the more heart actin they have in their skeletal muscles, the more movement they have." Release

A new report in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute concludes that men with gum disease run a higher rick of pancreatic cancer. The researchers weeded out other causes of pancreatic cancer such as smoking and obesity before reaching their conclusion. Report

Northwestern University researchers have discovered a genetic cause of a mysterious neurological disease in which people have trouble recalling and using words. The illness, Primary Progressive Aphasia, differs from Alzheimer's Disease in which a person's memory becomes impaired. In PPA, a little known form of dementia, people lose the ability to express themselves and understand speech. Release

Researchers have linked a structural protein called nestin to a particularly deadly form of breast cancer, identifying a new biomarker that could lead to earlier detection and better treatment. Release

Combination gene therapy delivered in lipid-based nanoparticles drastically reduces the number and size of human non-small cell lung cancer tumors in mice, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center report in the January 15 edition of Cancer Research. Release

A team of Brazilian scientists have developed a microbe-killing gel from algae which they believe could be used as a tool to protect women from HIV infection. Report

Scientists at the ProXara Biotechnology have identified a way of switching off one of the key mechanisms that leads to the development and growth of a tumor. Under the Wellcome Trust's Seeding Drug Discovery initiative, the researchers hope to use their findings to develop a drug which could be used to fight cancer. The funding will be used to develop the drug to a point at which it is close to entering a clinical trial. Release

DNA coughed up along with phlegm could point to lung cancer, say researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine who are developing an inexpensive and non-invasive gene probe to help diagnose early stage lung cancer in current and former smokers. Release

Israeli scientists have developed a way to rid the brain of glutamate which floods the area around a trauma, killing other cells. Weizmann Institute scientists rely on a blood enzyme, which could also be used to develop new therapies for preventing injury to the brain, from a stroke and more. Report

Two studies in the Jan. 18, 2007, issue of the journal Neuron shed significant light on how the brain processes numerical information--both abstract quantities and their concrete representations as symbols. The researches said their findings will contribute to understanding how the brain processes quantitative information as well as lead to studies of how numerical representation in the brain develops in children. Such studies could aid in rehabilitating people who suffer from dyscalculia--an inability to understand, remember and manipulate numbers. Release

Tools & Technology

Thermo Fisher Scientific has introduced the Thermo Scientific Sorvall Legend Microcentrifuge Series, the latest addition to its Sorvall Legend centrifuge range. Release

Thermo Fisher Scientific acquired SwissAnalytic, which owns Spectronex and Flux Instruments. Report

Invitrogen and Wave Biotech have entered into a partnership to supply media-filled disposable bioreactors. Under the agreement, Invitrogen will offer its GIBCO brand cell culture media products to Wave Bioreactor users in filled Cellbag brand disposable bioreactor bags. Release

Deals & Dollars

Advanced Cell Technology has been awarded a research grant from the National Institutes of Health of $204,439 in conjunction with a research project currently underway with one of its academic partners, The Burnham Institute of Medical Research. Release

Cancer-killing viruses head to the clinic

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 19:01:39 -0500

Oxford University's Leonard Seymour and a group of his colleagues are preparing to move a new approach to fighting cancer into human trials. They've been working on viruses that target cancer cells in the hope that the new approach could be used to replace chemotherapy, which has a host of harsh side effects. In order to make it work, the scientists had to create a polymer coat for the virus to shield it from destruction by the human immune system. That has allowed the virus, in animal studies, to survive and then replicate to destroy the cancer. The replicated copies of the virus then circulate free of the polymer modification, killing the cancer and facing destruction by the immune system if they escape from the tumor and begin circulating in the body. The cancer-killing virus avoids any damage to healthy tissue, raising the possibility that this new approach could be significantly more effective than standard therapies. The scientists are especially excited about using cancer-killing viruses against metastases, which have a 75 percent mortality rate. Viral strategies are already in use in gene therapy, acting as carriers for the therapy.

- read the report from The Guardian

Related Articles:
Scientists find "switch" on aggressive cancer cells. Report
Genetic errors can reduce cancer risks. Report
U.K. scientists using bacteria to make cancer drugs. Report

ALSO NOTED: New T-cell research; Scientists use RNAi to stop hep B; Genetic variation linked to macular degeneration;

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 20:01:38 -0400

Immunologists studying T-cells say that the presence of even a small amount of virus can quickly turn on the T-cells, which hunt them down and kill them. Researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia say that "antigen presenting" proteins recognize the virus, attach to the virus and make it visible to the immune system, which dispatches T-cells to kill the virus. Release

Scientists in South Africa have modified a virus to enable it to carry RNAi compounds to stop HBV replication, a process they say can be used to stop hepatitis B. Report

Researchers say they've found a genetic variation that significantly increases the risk of age-related macular degeneration. Report

A team from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston say it has found a protein that activates the brain's antioxidant defenses to protect itself from toxic free radicals. Animal studies indicate that the regulatory protein PGC-1a is responsible for switching on the defense system, suggesting that it could hold the key to preventing stroke and other consequences of the aging process. Report

Dartmouth researchers are among a team of doctors that have learned more about how people may or may not benefit from taking aspirin in the effort to curb colon cancer. Release

New research suggests that statins can significantly reduce the incidence of stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), or all-cause death in patients with severe carotid arterial disease not revascularized. Release

Researchers at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada say that anxiety disorders are linked to other ailments such as thyroid disease and arthritis, and that people who suffer from anxiety also suffer from more severe forms of disability. Report

Scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University say they've learned how an interactive molecule is transported out of mast cells, suggesting a new therapeutic target that would prevent that from happening. The transportation of S1P is implicated in the development of asthma, allergies and cancer. Report

Investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have concluded that the cell wall of pneumonia-causing bacteria can trigger heart damage. Report

Scientists have successfully sequenced the DNA of 15 mouse strains which are commonly used in research, which will shed new light on the genetic traits that put people at risk of disease. Report

An NIH-funded study suggests that inhibiting GTP cyclohydrolase activity might help to prevent or treat chronic pain, which affects as many as 50 million people in the United States. Doctors also may be able to screen people for the gene variant to predict their risk of chronic post-surgical pain before they undergo surgery. Release

Researchers at the University of Oregon say they've found an elusive neurotransmitter pathway in the skin that may play a key role in regulating body temperature. The work followed their study of the NK-1 receptor pathway. Report

Researchers at Pennington Biomedical Research Center have been studying how the human cold virus prompts fat stem cells to make fatter stem cells that spur obesity. Report

Scientists have discovered a neuronal mechanism that may explain why moderate amounts of alcohol may improve memory. The research has implications for Alzheimer's. Report

University of Oregon researchers have found an unexpected regulatory link between cellular responses to hypoxia and heat shock. Central to the discovery is a gene known as Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 (HIF-1) that is critical for both normal and pathological changes, making it a potential target for both health promotion and cancer therapies. Release

New research suggests a newfound role for wt-p53 in the control of the tumor's ability to communicate with the normal stromal cells surrounding it. Release

From humans to honey bees, neuropeptides control brain activity and, hence, our behaviors. Understanding the roles these peptides play in the life of a honey bee will assist researchers in understanding the roles they play in their human counterparts. Release

454 Life Sciences today announced that research on small RNAs, conducted by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, has revealed the dual role of the ARGONAUTE 4 protein (AGO4) in RNA-directed DNA methylation. The research, which describes a method for obtaining a comprehensive view of the total small RNAs from a single sample, was published today in Nature. Release

Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center say they've discovered that people who have suffered their first ischemic stroke have elevated inflammatory biomarkers in their blood, a discovery that could provide better insight into treating these cases. Report

The SSRI drug Paroxetine can be used to treat compulsive hoarding, according to a new study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. Report

Deals & Dollars

The Caring for Carcinoid Foundation has awarded a $250,000 grant for carcinoid research under the direction of Lee M. Ellis, M.D., professor of surgery and cancer biology and the John E. and Dorothy J. Harris Professor in Gastrointestinal Cancer Research at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Release

Researchers at North Carolina State University have received a $3.5 million grant to develop a mathematical model that can predict the best course of treatment for "acutely" infected HIV patients, or patients who have recently been infected with the virus. Release

Tools & Technology

An R&D program involving CXR Biosciences and Artemis Pharmaceuticals along with ITI Life Sciences has developed a series of new models to test for and predict toxicity. A commercial license for this model covering Europe and Japan has been granted to by CXR Biosciences and Artemis and the model is expected to be sold by the two companies to pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms. Release

A new tool that measures the autofluorescence of skin can be used to determine if diabetics are developing serious complications. Release

Researchers unveil new insights into regulatory T cells

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 20:01:39 -0400

A research team at the Medical College of Georgia has determined that regulatory T cells learn to distinguish between normal body tissue and outside invaders early in life. If researchers can learn how to control T cell education in childhood, it could form the basis for preventing autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes or lupus. The team also concluded that regulatory T cells are produced in the thymus, a small organ located in the chest area. The regulatory T cells learn in the thymus to distinguish between tissue and invaders like bacteria and viruses. In mice, that learning process occurs in the first six weeks of life, roughly equivalent to the first 15 years of a human life. The team also believes that new regulatory T cells could be introduced into the body.

- read the report on T cells from Healthday

ALSO NOTED: Brain cells used to replicate tissue; New research on metastasis; B cells could promote HIV

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 20:01:38 -0400

Scientists at UF McKnight Brain Institute were able to take human brain cells from a mature epilepsy patient to create new brain tissue in mice. "We can theoretically take a single brain cell out of a human being and--with just this one cell--generate enough brain cells to replace every cell of the donor's brain and conceivably those of 50 million other people," said Dennis Steindler, Ph.D., executive director of the institute. "This is a completely new source of human brain cells that can potentially be used to fight Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, stroke and a host of other brain disorders. It would probably only take months to get enough material for a human transplant operation. Article

The New York Times takes an in-depth look at the new research work being done in metastasis and the new therapies that may help stop the spread of cancer. Dozens of genetic alterations are needed for metastasis, making it one of the most complex fields of medical research. And each form of metastasis, whether it's the way breast cancer spreads to the lungs or prostate cancer to the bones, is unique. Article

University of Pittsburgh researchers believe that B cells could play a key role in the way that HIV develops and spreads inside the body. It's already known that the virus enters cells through molecular receptors. But the B-cells make a protein--DC-SIGN--that is necessary before the cells can be infected. Report

The Boston Globe examines new research work being done to develop gene therapy for osteoarthritis. Report

Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have been studying the alligator's legendary immune system to see how it can ward off a range of viruses, bacteria and microbes, including the lethal HIV virus. Article

William Neaves, the president of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, says that some advocates of adult stem cell therapy are overstating the potential rewards from the field. Writing for Science magazine, Neaves states that the assertions by the Family Research Council claiming that 65 illnesses can be treated with adult and cord blood stem cells are overblown. Neaves is supporting efforts to preserve Missouri's constitutional protection of embryonic stem cell research. Article

Children with OCD are three times more likely to be bullied than other kids, which may play a role in worsening their symptoms. Report

By inserting a type of siRNA that targets focal adhesion kinase-proteins that play a role in promoting cancer cells--into liposomes and slipping them past tumor cell membranes, researchers at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center were able to shut the proteins down in mouse models. Report

Scientists at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the UK's Cardiff University School of Medicine say that a gene involved in brain development may also play a role in schizophrenia. DNA analysis of schizophrenia patients indicate that variations in OLIG2, which is active in myelin development, indicate a connection to the illness. Report

Researchers have used the drug valproic acid to increase the protein neuropeptide Y in the brain by about 50 percent, offering a possible new therapy for epilepsy. Report

African-American patients with hepatitis C (HCV) infections experience a lower response rate to the peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin combination treatment than Caucasian Americans, according to a study published in the August issue of Gastroenterology. Release

By discovering that particular rat brain neurons combine or "integrate" dissimilar pieces of information (e.g. location versus reward), researchers have begun to learn how the brain controls decision-making and goal-oriented behaviors. Release

Researchers at Penn State have concluded that the habit animals have of periodically waking up during hibernation could be linked to the need to periodically jump-start their immune systems, offering some clues into regulating human health. Report

Tools and Technology

Xiaowei Zhuang and a team of scientists at Harvard University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute have developed new microscopy technology that can focus on objects as small as 20 nanometers, putting them close to peering directly at living biomolecules and cells. Report

Through late June and early July, researchers from Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore tested the Rapidly Deployable Chemical Detection System (RDCDS) during a series of games. RDCDS can detect a variety of chemical warfare agents as well as the more common toxic industrial chemicals. The RDCDS platform will also readily accept other types of detectors, such as those that sense radiological material. Release

A microscopy technique pioneered with the help of Florida State University's National High Magnetic Field Laboratory has led to the development of a new light microscope capable of looking at proteins on a molecular level. Release

Deals and dollars

MorphoSys has inked a second deal to use Crucell's PER.C6 cell line for producing clinical grade material. Report

Citing a new report that puts the cost of ischemic stroke in the U.S. at $2.2 trillion by 2050, the American Academy of Neurology is asking Congress to bump up research funds for the National Institutes of Health. Report

Northwestern University has received a four-year, $4.9 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop and produce affordable diagnostic devices for infectious diseases. Release

The new appointee to run the NCI says that a shrinking budget is likely to force him to phase out some of its programs. Article

And Finally… A film crew on the set of "Casino Royale" refused to get on board a stunt plane, saying it's occupied by the ghost of a passenger who died on board from a heart attack. Report