New lab technique churns out fungus' potential cancer fighter
...n. "But we need to figure out how it works, how it triggers the cancer cell to shut itself down. The key is to find exactly what buttons rasfonin is pushing, and then figure out if there's a way we can safely and more simply push those same buttons. But we couldn't do that until we have enough to test." Even ...3-D forms link antibiotic resistance and brain disease
...ure of an enzyme called pantothenate kinase, which triggers the first step in the production coenzyme A (CoA), a molecule that is indispensable to all forms of life. Enzymes are proteins that speed up biochemical reactions. CoA plays a pivotal role in the cells' ability to extract energy from fatty acids and ...Boosting key protein in brain could improve seizure treatment, Stanford study finds
...an an ideal medication. But discovering that VPA triggers an increase in neuropeptide Y not only helps expla...f children to lead normal lives. Exactly how VPA triggers the increased production of neuropeptide Y in the thalamus and hippocampus is still a puzzle. Bril...T cells activated to fight HIV basis for dendritic cell therapeutic vaccine
...r with CD4 T cells to release IL-12, which in turn triggers stimulation of killer CD8 cells that are specific to the virus. Reporting at AIDS 2006, Xiao-Li Huang, M.D., research assistant professor of infectious diseases and microbiology at GSPH, said that IL-12 could be increased when CD40 ligand, a substa...Protein plays broader role than originally thought in neurofibromatosis
...omin (NF1), a GTPase-activating protein (GAP) that triggers the abnormal activation of the protein Ras, and clinical trials are currently underway using agents that downregulate Ras activity. However, it remains unclear whether modulation of Ras activity is the only, or even major function of neurofibromin. ...JCI table of contents: August 10, 2006
...omin (NF1), a GTPase-activating protein (GAP) that triggers the abnormal activation of the protein Ras, and clinical trials are currently underway using agents that downregulate Ras activity. However, it remains unclear whether modulation of Ras activity is the only, or even major function of neurofibromin. ...Key event in cell death occurs as single, quick event
...that after cells were treated with a chemical that triggers apoptosis, it took three to 10 minutes for several proteins, cytochrome c, Smac, Omi and adenylate kinase-2 to escape together immediately following MOMP. However, the AIF protein escaped from the mitochondrial membrane much more slowly and incomple...Keep the baby, toss the bathwater: How kidneys retain proteins, discard waste
...eakage levels go too high, scientists suspect this triggers a series of chain reactions that lead to kidney failure. For their study, Jarad and colleagues in the labs of Jeffrey Miner, Ph.D., associate professor of medicine and cell biology and physiology, worked with mice lacking the gene for laminin beta ...W.M. Keck Foundation announces 2006 class of Distinguished Young Scholars in Medical Research
...r. Bogan studies a mechanism through which insulin triggers cells to take up glucose from the blood by modification of a protein complex that activates glucose uptake. Understanding this process at the molecular level could lead to improved treatments for diabetes and other metabolic disorders, such as those ...Inner-Sydney study to investigate causes of hayfever and seasonal allergies
...ed, "If specific plants are strongly implicated as triggers of allergies, this information will provide a framework for future policies aimed at reducing this hazard and improving the comfort of Sydney residents." ...JCI table of contents: July 3, 2006
...ncoding the A2B adenosine receptor (A2BAR) in mice triggers inflammation. This suggests that activation of A2BARs, particularly those present on macrophages, can have anti-inflammatory effects. In an accompanying commentary Joel Linden from The University of Virginia explores these results, highlighting that ...Identification of role for proteins in children's muscle disease could open up new treatment options
...(HSP60) that is present in chronic inflammations, triggers a response by T-cells (a type of white blood cells that plays a part in the body's own immune response) in children with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM). The specific response has earlier been observed in juvenile idiopathic arthritis, but to date, ...Early puberty may mean anxiety, abnormal eating behaviors later
...udies' findings and other research looking at what triggers puberty follow: Early puberty associated with eating and anxiety problems as young adults A study involving 1,500 college students suggests that those who experience early puberty are more likely to engage in abnormal eating behaviors and have fee...Children of diabetics show signs of atherosclerosis
...ity of nitric oxide, a key signaling chemical that triggers blood vessel dilation. The researchers reported that there was no difference between the two groups of participants in how much their blood vessels dilated after treatment with nitroglycerin, which boosts nitric oxide levels in the blood. While physi...Summer update: Melanoma research progress suggests optimism for future cures
...a is complex; while researchers know that UV light triggers melanoma both through laboratory research, including earlier work by Herlyn, as well as statistical associations the precise chain of events leading to tumor development has remained elusive. In particular, Herlyn's group has been working to unders...EGF receptor activation prevents microbes from going more than skin deep
...es from Lund University, Sweden, investigated what triggers AMP production in human skin. Interestingly, they found that AMPs were produced in human skin after sterile wounding of the skin surface, illustrating that exposure to invading microbes is not the sole trigger for the immune response in skin. The aut...Meditation may improve cardiac risk factors in patients with coronary heart disease
... unhealthy eating habits and resultant obesity are triggers for this epidemic, the demands of modern society may also be responsible for higher levels of chronic stress." Such stress causes the release of cortisol and other hormones and neurotransmitters, which over time damage the cardiovascular system. "Ou...Study uncovers 'significant' functional differences of novel estrogen receptor
... cell plasma membrane-based estrogen receptor that triggers estrogen signaling has been a point of controversy for a long time, the researchers said. The study showed that hER-?36, unlike other estrogen receptors, is predominantly localized on the cell plasma membrane that surrounds the cell cytoplasm; the re...... carried by the bloodstream to the brain, where it triggers neuro-receptors to generate positive sensations that can lead to addiction. The vaccine stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies that recognize the small nicotine molecule. Bound to these antibodies, nicotine molecules no longer can cross t...