DNA vaccine against multiple sclerosis appears safe, potentially beneficial
... as myelin basic protein. Certain cytokines, small proteins produced by cells that trigger inflammation, also may play a role. Amit Bar-Or, M.D., of the Montreal Neurological Institute and colleagues tested a DNA vaccine, BHT-3009, that encodes a full-length human myelin basic protein. Between 2004 and 2006...Waist-to-hip ratio may better predict cardiovascular risk than body mass index
...re biologically active as it secretes inflammatory proteins that contribute to atherosclerotic plaque buildup, whereas fat around your hips doesnt appear to increase risk for cardiovascular disease at all, Dr. de Lemos said. We think the key message for people is to prevent accumulation of central fat early o...New cause of tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer cells discovered at Lombardi
...he smallest alterations that take place within the proteins of the tumor cells, determining what treatments sh...ptor, suggesting for the first time that these two proteins interact in the cell. This was the first evidence that the XBP1 protein may play a role in breast ca...Penn study finds pro-death proteins required to regulate healthy immune function
...of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found that proteins known to promote cell death are also necessary for...scovered that in the cells that lack the pro-death proteins Bax and Bak, calcium signaling is disrupted and energy production is reduced. Restoration of Bax cor...New study shows promise in reducing surgical risks associated with surgical bleeding
...actors that can cross-react with human coagulation proteins and possibly lead to adverse effects, including se...n 10 minutes and do so without introducing foreign proteins that can carry greater risk of development of antibodies, said William C. Chapman, MD, FACS, Departm...Chromatin remodeling complex connected to DNA damage control
...n explains, by attaching phosphate groups to other proteins involved in damage control. When ATM and ATR are t...d fuel cancer growth. "We found that one of the proteins phosphorylated was a unit of a chromatin remodeling complex we call INO80," Shen says. "We subsequen...Reductive stress linked to heart disease
...lar chaperone, normally helps long strips of other proteins fold inside cells. When it works properly, the cel...he body, triggering chemical reactions that damage proteins and causing them to form aggregates. Many people take antioxidants to prevent heart and other protei...NIH scientists target future pandemic strains of H5N1 avian influenza
...ift its adaptability. They compared the structural proteins on the surface of bird-adapted H5N1 influenza virus with those on the surface of the human-adapted strain that caused the 1918 pandemic. They focused specifically on genetic changes to one portion of the H5 protein--a portion called the receptor bind...Where's the beef? Not enough of it is on elders' plates, muscle-metabolism study suggests
...ining amino acids the chemical building blocks of proteins but this was the first time anybodys looked at a real food and its ability to stimulate muscle growth in both the young and elderly, Paddon-Jones said. What we learned was really encouraging, because it suggests that elderly people actually can bene...Penn researchers discover novel pathway for increasing 'good' cholesterol
...od cholesterol (HDL-C). The pathway by which these proteins are able to achieve an increase in HDL cholesterol involves another enzyme that normally degrades HDL-C, and was also discovered at Penn. The newly recognized relationship between these enzymes and cholesterol represents another target for ultimately...Researchers find vitamin B1 deficiency key to vascular problems for diabetic patients
...nzyme activity was due to increased amounts of two proteins THTR-1 and RFC-1 that help transport thiamine into red blood cells. The increased levels of these proteins were a direct response to there being a deficiency of thiamine in the body. The researchers found ...Stem cell transplantation procedure results in long-term survival for amyloidosis patients
...is occurs when plasma cells in bone marrow produce proteins that misfold and deposit in tissues, leading to organ failure and death. Between 1,200 and 3,200 new cases are reported each year in the United States, although researchers believe the disease is highly underdiagnosed. The researchers reviewed the...Researchers link metal ions to neurodegenerative disease
...ils are toxic," says Dr. Lynn. "Amyloid is made of proteins and proteins normally fold into beautiful structures. However, for whatever reason, some misfold and the resultin...Investigating the causes of Parkinson's disease
...ns for the formation of Lewy bodies a build-up of proteins within nerve cells in the brains of people with Parkinsons. This study is aimed at providing a platform for the development of drugs to stop nerve cell death. Dr Kieran Breen, Director of Research and Development for the Parkinsons Disease Socie...'Cars' imaging reveals clues to myelin damage
... and cytosolic phospholipase A2 - which break down proteins and molecules in the myelin called lipids. "It is possible that the same pathway causes myelin degradation in people suffering from multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injuries," Cheng said. The research demonstrates that CARS microscopy is a valu...UCLA, Italian chemists move closer to solving Lou Gehrig's disease mystery
... learn what makes them toxic. Some of the mutant proteins are very different from the normal protein, but ot...ance Center, think they know. In ALS patients, the proteins copper and zinc may not be there at all. They present evidence for this hypothesis in new research p......anoparticles with other biological ligands such as proteins and antibodies to image and target various biological systems. Beyond imaging, it may also be possible to specifically target and destroy cancer cells that internalize the nanoparticles by applying laser heat that intensifies in the presence of gold...Future therapies for stroke may block cell death
...ene expression, and in some cases produce cellular proteins that are actually neuroprotective -- they are able to block cell death. "For the first time, we show which one of the 11 histone deacetylase enzymes might be the best target to achieve cellular neuroprotection," said the study's lead investigator, ...Brightening prospects of using fluorescent nanotubes in medical applications
...remely stable and can last for months. Fluorescent proteins widely used for imaging living systems begin fading within a few hours. Quantum dots last several days before degrading. Hertels team is currently working on the next step necessary for many biomedical uses: finding a way to attach molecules to t...Loss of stem cells correlates with premature aging in animal study
...he bodys response to damaged DNA, and mutations in proteins in the DNA damage response underlie certain types of cancer and other disorders in humans. This work appears in the inaugural issue of Cell Stem Cell. The reason were seeing the early signs of aging in these mice is that were exhausting their abili...