JCI table of contents -- April 5, 2007
...etastases. Treatment with an inhibitor of TGF-beta blocked the increased lung metastases. Furthermore, mice whose tumors did not express the receptor for TGF-beta did not develop increased incidence of lung metastases after treatment with radiation, indicating that TGF-beta affects the cancer cells directly,...Treatment-induced growth factor causes cancer progression
...els and accelerated metastasis, an effect that was blocked by neutralizing antibodies directed against TGF-beta. Similar results not reported in this paper have been observed with small molecule inhibitors of the TGF-beta type I receptor kinase. "We speculate, based on these observations, that this will...Scientists identify a candidate gene for osteoporosis
...ntibodies to the DARC protein, which effectively blocked the action of DARC , inhibited the formation of osteoclasts. Although the researchers have identified a number of DNA alterations in the DARC gene, they did not pinpoint the specific alteration that was responsible for the BMD differences betwee...Heart intervention doesn't outweigh medicine in study
...rvention, or PCI (procedures that involve clearing blocked vessels by inserting a catheter into a blood vessel, usually in the groin or arm, allowing the physician to access the blockage). While the study did show that patients who underwent PCI had the most relief from symptoms of angina, or mild chest pain...News tips from the Journal of Neuroscience
...zo[b] [1,4]dioxin-6-yl)acrylamide (AMG9810), which blocked hypothermia induced by capsaicin. However, AMG9810 also increased body temperature by 1C within 30 minutes. A variety of TRPV1 antagonists had the same effect, indicating that a sub-modality-specific block was not responsible. The hyperthermia was me...Ultrathin films deliver DNA as possible gene therapy tool
...linders inserted during medical procedures to open blocked arteries. While similar in concept to currently available drug-coated stents, Lynn's devices could offer additional advantages. For example, Lynn hopes to deliver genes that could prevent the growth of smooth muscle tissue into the stents, a proces...UC San Diego supercomputer simulations may pinpoint causes of Parkinson's, Alzheimer's diseases
...e destructive properties of alpha-synuclein can be blocked by beta-synuclein a finding that could lead to treatments for many debilitating diseases. The current journals cover features an image from the research that helps illustrate the scientists work. This is one of the first studies to use supercomp...Blood's clotting cells harbor 'ticking time bombs,' finding may help extend blood supply
... for cell death. Genetic or drug treatments that blocked Bcl-xL reduced platelets life span and caused mice to become platelet deficient, they found. Eliminating Bak corrected those defects, and platelets from Bak-deficient mice lived longer than normal, they reported. The drug used by the researchers wa...Trojan horse strategy defeats drug-resistant bacteria
...o multiple antibiotics. In mice, gallium treatment blocked both chronic and acute infections caused by this bacterium. The idea of using gallium as a substitute for iron was developed by a group led by Bradley Britigan, a researcher at the University of Cincinnati and a co-author on this study. The genera...Biotechnology Study Center honors Joan V. Ruderman, Salvador Moncada and Charles N. Serhan
...ate Sir John Vane, he showed that low-dose aspirin blocked the synthesis of stable prostaglandins and thromboxanes from arachidonic acid, a finding that has had a major impact on cardiovascular mortality from stroke and myocardial infarction worldwide. He next elucidated the structure of prostacyclin, a comp...Major gene study uncovers secrets of leukemia
... fail to differentiate normally and instead remain blocked at an immature stage of development. Locked in this state, the leukemic cells continue to proliferate, and this continual growth of leukemic cells eventually kills the child. "The new insights into the differentiation of B cells are extremely valu...New compound prevents alcoholic behavior, relapse in animals by blocking stress response
...r relapse. Heilig and his team showed that MTIP blocked the activity of CRF in stressful situations without affecting its activity under ordinary circumstances. They studied rats that had been put through several cycles of heavy alcohol consumption and withdrawal to create dependency, as well as animals s...News tips from the Journal of Neuroscience
... for high alcohol preference, a lower dose of MTIP blocked excessive self-administration. Paraquat-Induced Parkinsonism in the Fly Anathbandhu Chaudhuri, Kevin Bowling, Christopher Funderburk, Hakeem Lawal, Arati Inamdar, Zhe Wang, and Janis M. ODonnell Recently identified genes account for only a...News tips from the Journal of Neuroscience
...erone, prevented upregulation of the d subunit and blocked the enhancement of GABA A receptor-mediated tonic inhibition that normally occurs during diestrous. Similar effects were seen in males or ovariectomized females that were treated with progesterone, as well as in mice subjected to an acute stress (2 ...ACS News Service Weekly PressPac -- Feb. 21, 2007
...to their proper shape. When Hsp90's effects are blocked in cancer cells, those cancer-causing proteins can...the disease in its track. When Hsp90's effects are blocked in cancer cells, damaged proteins accumulate, and the cell dies. Jarvis explains that cancer cells, ...Gene therapy shows promise as treatment for diseased limbs
...r amputation because of poor circulation caused by blocked blood vessels. In a Phase I clinical trial, almost half the patients receiving gene therapy reported complete resolution of chronic pain one year after treatment and more than a quarter of patients with chronic wounds experienced complete healing o...Exploring polar regions, understanding climate
...However, new sea routes that up till now have been blocked by ice are also opening up. The International Polar Year 2007/08 comes at a time when discussion over climate change is both topical in the media, and at the forefront of peoples minds. The recently published world climate report, published by the ...New therapeutic target for Alzheimer's could lead to drugs without side effects
...en, using three different types of chemicals, they blocked the protein from functioning. When they did this, they were able to reverse the production of beta-amyloid protein, without affecting the signaling of Notch proteins. The studies suggest that an Alzheimer's therapy based on these chemicals could re...Sox17 required for steps from embryonic to heart muscle cell
...ing a technique called RNA interference, they then blocked the action of Sox17 in the embryonic stem cells. By doing so, they prevented the embryonic cells from becoming cardiac muscle, almost completely. "Knocking down Sox17 (reducing expression of the gene) had a dramatic effect, both on genes for struct......the non-secretable KISS1 cells. Furthermore, KISS1 blocked the growth of tumor cells that have already spread other organs. But, the authors conclude, the GPR54 receptors did not likely play a role in this process. The finding that KISS1 can inhibit metastatic growth in multiple organs is a particularly i...