Blocking cell signaling can stymie viral infections, study shows
...ss with a signaling protein called smallpox growth factor (SPGF). SPGF flows from the virus to a "receptor" called erb-B1 on the cell surface; when it binds, the cell is primed to become a factory for the virus. "This suggested that the process of viral replication could be hindered by short-circuiting the ...Gene therapy promising for growing tooth-supporting bone
... research team has found that introducing a growth factor protein into a mouth wound using gene therapy helped generate bone around dental implants, according to a new paper in the February issue of the journal Molecular Therapy. In a patient with a sizeable mouth wound, replacing a tooth takes more than si...Progress toward a more targeted treatment of Alzheimer's disease
... into the operation of γ-secretase, a crucial factor in the origin of the disease. Their research has revealed that the action of γ-secretase is not homogeneous - as previously assumed - but quite differentiated. This discovery opens up perspectives for new medicines that will have fewer undesired...Stopping smallpox in its tracks: A new anti-viral approach
...bitor of signaling mediated by the smallpox growth factor (SPGF). SPGF targets the erbB-1 signaling molecule, which normally initiates an intracellular cascade that facilitates viral replication. This study shows that drugs that interfere with erbB-1 signaling inhibit SPGF-induced viral replication and s...Research using mouse models reveals a novel key player in the initiation of colon cancer
... had earlier published research on a transcription factor called Foxl1 that is also expressed in the colon, but in a different layer of cells, adjacent to the epithelium, called the mesenchyme. They had seen that mice that are deficient for the Foxl1 protein show a similar accumulation of the beta-catenin p...Marsh-dwelling mole gives new meaning to the term 'fast food'
...cologists have formalized this relationship with a factor called prey profitability. By reducing its handling time to a fraction of a second, the star-nosed mole may be able to achieve a net energy "profit" with a diet of insect larvae and other food sources. Of course, that doesn't mean it turns up its nos...BioMed Central welcomes the new National Institutes of Health public access policy
...xample set by NIH. All NIH grantees now have a new factor to take into account when choosing where they wish to publish their research. To fulfil the NIH request, authors publishing with most of the traditional subscription publishers will be expected to go through a process of resubmitting their papers to ...Rats infected as newborns grew up vulnerable to memory problems during an immune challenge
... and cerebral palsy; bacterial infection is a risk factor for Parkinson's disease. Up to 20 percent of pregnancies have complications involving infections of the uterus and its contents, a number that will rise as more children are born premature. In the study, a team led by Staci Bilbo, PhD, injected a gr...International HapMap consortium expands mapping effort
...nome for hereditary factors in common disease by a factor of 20 to 40 compared with current, brute force approaches. "This new partnership underscores the private sector's enthusiasm for the HapMap and its potential as a tool for the understanding of disease. The willingness of these firms to contribute to ...Research news from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University
..., PhD, and colleagues shed some light on a genetic factor in obesity. Ordovas, director of the Nutrition an...B12 deficiency may be an important modifiable risk factor for osteoporosis. "Osteoporosis is becoming a much greater issue now that people are living so much ...Amgen's decision to block reinstatement of GDNF is faulted by a leading Parkinson's advocacy group
...est the efficacy and safety of GDNF. This trophic factor has long been viewed by scientists as a potentially beneficial treatment to slow and possibly reverse the effects of Parkinson's disease. Since the trial was halted last summer, many of these people, supported by organizations and thousands of well...Prior caesarean delivery not linked to increased risk of stillbirth
...and found that prior caesarean delivery was also a factor in increased risk of stillbirth. Bahtiyar and his team decided to confirm the previous study using U.S. data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's combined birth and death certificates from 1995 to 1997. They used a statistical an...Mouse model of leukemia yields exciting therapeutic implications for rare childhood cancer
...ia. The protein Shp2 is required for normal growth factor and cytokine signaling. Mutations in Shp2 cause Noonan Syndrome (NS), which is associated with an increased risk of juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML), and Shp2 mutations have been associated with sporadic JMML as well as other leukemias. Dr. ...Studies reveal methods viruses use to sidestep immune system
...nals to other proteins to activate a transcription factor called interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF-3). This protein turns on the genes responsible for producing interferon, which neutralizes v...Diabetes' link to obesity broken in mice
...d obesity. By genetically altering production of a factor found in skeletal muscle, scientists produced mice that can't get fat but do develop early signs of diabetes. Reversing the alteration produced mice that can become obese but do not develop diabetes. The findings provide important insights for scient...Findings suggests that blocking estrogen may be crucial to lung cancer survival
...ith another receptor pathway the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The investigators combined an age...ing the estrogen receptor and the epidermal growth factor receptor pathways together is more effective," said Dr. Stabile. In the second study, Pamela Hershb...Anita Roberts to deliver Excellence in Science lecture
...ieved international acclaim for her work in growth factor research, having discovered and characterized, together with Dr. Michael Sporn, the cytokine transforming growth factor- (TGF-). Growth factors are proteins that bind to receptors on cell surfaces to activate cellular proliferation and differentiati...Embryonic stem cells treated with growth factor reverse hemophilia in mice
...ryonic stem cells treated in culture with a growth factor and then injected into the liver reverse a form of...netically altered mice lack the clotting substance factor IX, which in humans results in the hereditary bleeding disorder known as hemophilia B. This disease,...Are IVF embryos starved of a vital ingredient?
...at the University of Adelaide, at least one growth factor is needed. Her team compared the fate of three gro... IVF embryos grown in a medium containing a growth factor called GMCSF, which a range of mammals produce, including humans. The placentas of the mouse embryos...... and resorption by osteoclasts. The transcription factor c-Fos modulates both of these cell types, and, when overexpressed, causes a bone cancer called osteosarcoma. c-Fos activity is regulated through phosphorylation by kinases including RSK2. Patients without active RSK2 develop Coffin Lowry syndrome (...