korean researchers

ALSO NOTED: Genetic mutation explains beta blocker failure; CytImmune lauded for nanotech research;New adult stem cell center;

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:59:58 -0400

Research Technology

An article in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease presents a detailed characterization of a new drug discovery tool for Alzheimer's disease. It demonstrates that an abnormal form of tau protein, as it occurs in Alzheimer's disease, can be produced in very simple cell models. It also shows an example of a chemical compound, found in nature, which is highly effective to completely suppress the abnormal changes of tau. Release

Genetics Research

A genetic mutation found in 40 percent of blacks--and only two percent of whites--has been linked to a natural source of beta blockers, explaining why many blacks don't respond to beta blockers when treated for heart failure. The discovery should lead to a test to determine who would or wouldn't benefit from the painful therapy. Report

In a drive to develop new therapeutics, South Korean researchers will gather DNA from half a million people, pinpointing genetic information related to common diseases. Report

After years of effort, genetic research enthusiasts are finally able to cheer passage of a new law that bars insurers from using genetic information to set premiums or make enrollment decisions. Article

Iceland's deCODE Genetics identified two new genetic mutations linked to breast cancer and says it will swiftly develop a new genetic test for women. Article

Two new studies provide evidence that differences in people's blood levels of C reactive protein (CRP) stem in part from natural variation in known metabolic genes. Release

A gene deletion most common among Asian men makes it possible for them to take injections of testosterone but still test negative. Report

Cancer Research

CytImmune is working to create gold nanoparticles that would target cancer tumors using tumor necrosis factor. "I'd be the happiest man in the world if they can do this," said one researcher. Report

Scientists at the International Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research say that blocking the IL-11 protein signaling pathway can prevent tumor formation in animal studies of stomach cancer. Report

Stem Cell research

Queensland has opened an $18 million center for adult stem cell research. Report

A Korean biotech says it has developed a new cosmetic cream developed from the stem cells found in placentas. Story

A team of researchers led by scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have for the first time identified stem cells that allow the pituitary glands of mice to grow even after birth. Release

More research

Spaulding Clinical Research has acquired a hospital in Wisconsin for use in early-stage clinical trials of cardiac therapies. "The pharmaceutical testing world is badly in need of a drug-testing lab that specializes in cardiac technology," said Chief Executive Officer Randy Spaulding. Report

Researchers have found that the vaccinia virus--which is related to the smallpox virus--is able to disguise itself as cell waste in order to avoid detection by the human immune system. Release

A group of German scientists say that they are taking a new approach to prevent the development of plaque commonly found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Story

The Australian government is budgeting $14 million for its new National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre at the University of New South Wales. Report

ALSO NOTED: Stem cell therapy threat; Immunization stimulates antibodies to attack tumors;WHO creates genetic "clearinghouse";

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 20:01:38 -0400

Stem Cell Research

New research indicates that cell death associated with diseases like Parkinson's and ALS could be caused by toxic factors surrounding motor neurons. If the research is confirmed, it could have implications in stem cell research. Therapeutic stem cells could face the same threats that caused the disease in the first place. Report

Results of two studies funded by Project A.L.S. and appearing in today's advance online publication of Nature Neuroscience demonstrate that embryonic stem cells may provide a new tool for studying disease mechanisms and for identifying drugs to slow ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Release

Seoul National University is investigating a journal study by a team of South Korean researchers to determine if they inflated the results of a study involving cloned wolves. This is the same team that was led by disgraced scientist Hwang Woo-suk. Report

How myoblasts identify other myoblasts and how they cling together had been established, but the way that the cell membranes fuse into one has remained a mystery. Now, a study by Weizmann Institute scientists has shed light on this mystery. Release

Cancer Research

Active immunization can stimulate the body to produce highly efficient IgE antibodies that attack tumors. This breakthrough, achieved in an animal model, is based on the combination of two established experimental methods. Report

Mayo Clinic Cancer Center researchers have found that chaetocin, a by-product of a common wood mold, has promise as a new anti-myeloma agent. Results of their study show the by-product to be more effective than currently used therapies at killing multiple myeloma cells. Release

Preliminary results from a large, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial for patients with primary gastrointestinal stromal tumor, a type of tumor usually found in the stomach or small intestine, showed that patients who received imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) after complete removal of their tumor were significantly less likely to have a recurrence of their cancer compared to those who did not receive imatinib. Release

Studies of human tumor cells implanted in mice have shown that the abnormal activation of four genes drives the spread of breast cancer to the lungs. The new studies by Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers reveal that the aberrant genes work together to promote the growth of primary breast tumors. Cooperation among the four genes also enables cancerous cells to escape into the bloodstream and penetrate through blood vessels into lung tissues. Release

Researchers have developed a new mouse model that can be used in research into one of the deadliest forms of ovarian cancer. Report

Scientists at The Wistar Institute have now developed a novel way to clone an antigen recognized by a helper T cell. The new antigen-cloning approach may allow scientists to design vaccines capable of directly stimulating helper T cells, aiding the development of vaccines not only for cancer but also for infectious diseases. Release

Snake venom toxin 'Vipera lebetina turanica' may be effective in inhibiting the growth of androgen independent prostate cancer, according to a report published in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. Release

More Research

The World Health Organization is creating an Internet-based "clearinghouse" of genetic information related to a long list of diseases, including malaria and Chagas. Report

A team of U.S. and Canadian researchers has found seven genes linked to a risk for developing Crohn's disease. Four of those genes are new to investigators, offering fresh targets for drug developers. Report

A new technology developed at the University of Toronto is revealing biochemical processes responsible for diseases such as cystic fibrosis and could one day pave the way for pharmaceutical applications. Release

Researchers have found that the number of proteins involved in liver regeneration are fewer than previously believed, making is easier to develop a new method to regenerate a patient's liver. Report

A test of 85 genetic variants believed to indicate a risk for heart disease show that they are not actually useful as biomarkers. Now the researchers say they will investigate 500,000 genetic variations to find the right ones. Report

Stretching a carbon nanotube composite like taffy, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Rochester Institute of Technology have made some of the first measurements of how single-walled carbon nanotubes both scatter and absorb polarized light, a key optical and electronic property. Release

Scientists at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation have uncovered a molecular mechanism that links a gene linked to Alzheimer's to the process of Alzheimer's disease onset. Release

Some mature brain cells can grow new extensions when the amount of three particular proteins on their surface increases, a new study shows. The research examined three related receptor proteins, called GPR3, GPR6 and GPR12, on nerve cells in the brains of rats. Release

The results of a new study suggest that bacteria that cause diseases like bubonic plague and serious gastric illness can turn the genes that make them infectious on or off. Knowing how disease-causing bacteria, like Yersinia pestis and E. coli, do this may one day help scientists create drugs that control the expression of these genes, thereby making the bacteria harmless. The findings appear in the April 13 issue of the journal Molecular Cell. Release

A multi-center team funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute has published in the April 13 issue of the prestigious journal Science the complete sequence for the genome of the rhesus macaque monkey. They concluded that the monkey shares genes that cause diseases in humans, while chimpanzees do not. Release

Interspecies stem cells one step closer in Korea

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 19:01:39 -0500

A team of Korean researchers has come close to creating interspecies stem cells by combining monkey cells with cow ova. The resulting blastocyst--a source of stem cells--did not thrive. But researchers say they feel confident that their approach will deliver batches of fresh cells. Culturing new stem cell lines from animal ova would advance research testing new therapies as well as offer an approach that could conceivably avert having to use cloned human embryonic stem cells in therapeutic research. It may also substitute one controversy in exchange for another, as the scientific community confronts a reaction against the development of animal chimeras.

- read the Korea Times report

ALSO NOTED: Researchers determine how protein blocks HIV spread; Gene mutation linked to breast cancer; Scientists develop canc

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 19:01:38 -0500

More Research

A team of South Korean researchers say they've made a key breakthrough in determining how the TRIM5 protein blocks the progression of HIV. The team says it found a domain in TRIM5 that blocks advancement and also determined the three-dimensional structure of the domain. That work, they say, can advance research into finding a cure for AIDS. Report

Scientists at the University of Vermont have clarified the cellular process responsible for signaling regional blood flow changes in the brain, thereby uncovering possible causes for such disorders as stroke, migraine, and Alzheimer's disease. The study was published November 1, 2006 in the journal Nature Neuroscience. Release

U.K. researchers have determined that a damaged copy of the PALB2 gene is linked to a significantly higher risk of breast cancer. Report

By joining a sugar to a short-chain fatty acid compound, Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a two-pronged molecular weapon that kills cancer cells in lab tests. Release

Changes in blood glucose levels could help stop the development of type 2 diabetes. Report

The study of sea slugs suggests that the interaction of clusters of genes within cells influences learning and brain disorders. Report

Scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have determined that the hepatitis C virus can turn off immune system defenses by interfering with the interactions of cellular proteins. Report

Scientists at the NIH have begun human trials of an experimental DNA vaccine to combat avian flu. The vaccine relies on a part of DNA from the virus to trigger the production of antibodies. It does not contain a weakened form of the virus, as most standard vaccines do. Report

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins and Yale university medical schools have found that a simple blood test to measure uric acid, a measure of kidney function, might reveal a risk factor for cognitive problems in old age. Of 96 community-dwelling adults aged 60 to 92 years, those with uric-acid levels at the high end of the normal range had the lowest scores on tests of mental processing speed, verbal memory and working memory. Release

Researchers at the NIH have found a genetic defect responsible for one type of brittle bone disease. Report

Two MIT scientists have developed a method to create tiny natural scaffolds a thousand times smaller than current scaffolds to grow stem cells as well as cells for skin grafts and damaged brains. These minuscule scaffolds should make it easier to grow cells to use for medical procedures. Report

Scientists are making progress in understanding why toxoplasma parasites are harmless to most people but lethal to a few. Report

Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in conjunction with Hebrew University of Jerusalem found that men who had only daughters had a higher risk of prostate cancer than men who had at least one son, signifying a possible defect on the father's Y chromosome. Release

Persons with chronic hepatitis C being treated with Interferon are at risk of developing retinopathy as early as two weeks into treatment according to the results of a new study published in the January 2007 issue of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. Release

A gene linked to a risk of Alzheimer's disease also promotes cold sores, allowing the virus to be more active in the brain compared to other forms of the gene. That link is adding credibility to the theory that herpes may play a role in spurring Alzheimer's. Report

A student at Sweden's Karolinska Institutet has linked certain cases of bulimia to a hormonal imbalance that can be corrected with oral contraceptives. Report

Caucasian patients with chronic hepatitis C virus are more likely to have hepatic steatosis, or fat in the liver, compared to African-American patients. However, steatosis is not associated with HCV treatment response. Release

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have pinpointed a key regulatory protein that translates blood flow into gene expression. Release

A diet rich in fish was linked by researchers to a 50 percent reduction in the risk of developing dementia. Release