Other highlights in the May 19 JNCI
... to two new studies. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is overexpressed in the tumors of 20-30% of breast cancer patients and is associated with an increased risk of relapse and death in patients with early-stage breast cancer. In earlier clinical trials, adding trastuzumab, which blocks the eff...Drug combo effective in advanced breast cancer
...cts than traditional therapies. Herceptin blocks a receptor on the surface of the cell that receives excess growth signals, interrupting the out-of-control growth that characterizes cancer. Slamon, director of Clinical/Translational Research at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center, said the two studies are important ...When 'reaper' gene comes, cell death follows
... to its receptor, EcR/USP. This binding allows the receptor to activate three key regulatory genes--E93, BR-C, and E74A. Those genes turn on reaper and hid, which then deactivate the death inhibitor DIAP1. When DIAP1 is no longer functioning, cell death is unleashed in the salivary glands, leading to the dest...Mouse study yields clue to why liver is less prone to rejection, say Pitt researchers
... Ph.D., identified the key molecule as a Toll-like receptor known as TLR-4. Toll-like receptors are like night watchmen that look for suspicious activity characterized by unusual patterns of other molecules. TLR-4 is known to react to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a component found in the cell wall of bacteria. R......bility by creating antibodies directed against the receptor to which bacteria bind in order to infect the cell...howed that use of antibodies against the toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) in lipopeptide-challenged mice blocked the release of markers of the inflammatory response,...JCI table of contents, 17 May 2004
...bility by creating antibodies directed against the receptor to which bacteria bind in order to infect the cell...howed that use of antibodies against the toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) in lipopeptide-challenged mice blocked the release of markers of the inflammatory response,...Nonalcoholic beverages may impart cardiovascular benefits without the negative effects of alcohol
...e reduced the expression of activated aggregation receptor on platelets and the degranulation of platelets as well as the formation of monocyte-platelet-aggregates. In other words, nonalcoholic beer reduced platelet activation and blood coagulation just as well as the alcoholic beverages. "The secretion and...Cannabinoids spell relief in colon inflammation
...sity in Munich identify the body's own cannabinoid receptor as a protective system against colon inflammation ...e to show that mutant mice lacking the cannabinoid receptor are much more prone to experimentally induced colon inflammation as compared to wild-type control mi...Latest findings on PCBs to be subject of June workshop at Illinois
...fects: 1. Cross-talk between the Aryl hydrocarbon receptor and estrogen receptors, Paul Cooke, University of ...Republic; Break 5. Interaction of the pregnane x receptor with environmental chemicals, David Waxman, Boston University; 6. Interaction of thyroid hormone re...Second generation targeted antibodies - It's all in the binding
...r 'overexpression', of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is one of the most common aberrations in ca...e the targeting to EGFR, or any other cell surface receptor for that matter, you need to have an understanding of how the molecule works. The results from these...Taxanes may enhance immunity in breast cancer patients
...unction, including age, menopausal status, hormone receptor status, treatment, hormonal therapy at 12 months and cell counts, among others. "This was totally unexpected," says Dr. William Carson, a surgeon and associate director of clinical research for the OSUCCC-James. "Most oncologists believe taxanes ju...Gene therapy reduces drinking in rats with genetic predisposition to 'alcoholism'
...ith gene transfer to increase the level of a brain receptor for dopamine, a chemical important for transmittin...n then use the genetic instructions to make the D2 receptor protein themselves. As an additional measure in this study, the scientists used micro-positron emiss...Painstaking work targeting TRPV1
...g resiniferatoxin (RTX). RTX is a potent vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1) agonist that leads to cellular cytotoxicity through excessive calcium influx. The researchers demonstrated, immunohistochemically, that local administration of RTX selectively deleted TRPV1-positive neurons. They then showed, using assays f...Animal studies show promise treating severe chronic pain
...to bind to a much-studied protein called vanilloid receptor 1 (VR1), which is displayed on the surface of cert...ned." The study is titled, "hDeletion of vanilliod receptor 1-expressing primary afferent neurons for pain control." It is published in the May 2004 issue of T...New papillomavirus target could lead to specific antiviral drugs for precancerous cervical lesions
... percent. "All the evidence pointed to BRD4 as the receptor for E2," said You. That is probably true of human papillomavirus as well. You and colleagues found that human papillomavirus E2 interacts with BRD4. In fact, the region on the E2 protein that binds BRD4 is highly conserved in all species of papilloma...New analysis gives cancer patients personalized prognosis
...linical variables, such as lymph node and estrogen receptor status, and multiple, complex patterns of gene activity, or "genetic fingerprints," of a patient's tumor. They integrated these data to formulate unique predictions about individual patients' recurrence risk. While the Duke study focused on patients ...Newly discovered gene controls levels of 'bad' cholesterol in mice
...sk9 has no effect on cholesterol levels unless LDL receptor molecules are present. In addition, Maxwell found that normal mice injected with the Pcsk9 lost their liver LDL receptors. This indicates that Pcsk9 directly affects LDL receptors. "LDL receptors are the main way of getting LDL out of the blood," sai...Two molecules work together to aid transport of immune cells, UT Southwestern researchers find
...he researchers also found that if part of the CD44 receptor is missing, the bimolecular complex does not form, inhibiting the T-cells from moving out of the bloodstream. The research results may aid in future development of treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, for example, a condition in which T-cells travel ...Alcoholism risk linked to gene involved in brain chemistry
... is one of several genes that produce parts of the receptor for the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, GABA. GABA is a chemical messenger that carries information between nerve cells; when GABA binds to the GABA-receptors on a nerve cell, it inhibits the firing of that cell. GABA is known to be invo...Cinnamon may help to alleviate diabetes says UCSB researcher
...s, looking at how it works with the cell's insulin receptor and other proteins involved in reactions associated with the action of insulin. Graves said that other major diseases could possibly be helped by cinnamon. For example one prospect is pancreatic cancer, a disease in which abnormal amounts of insulin...