Scientists at the Babraham Institute are developing new methods to aid research into the causes of diabetes, a condition suffered by around 2.5 million people in the UK. A new study, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, describes an effective model of a rare form of the disease called transient neonatal diabetes mellitus (TNDM), which affects approximately 1 in 600,000 newborn babies. Babies born with TNDM initially cannot produce insulin, but symptoms disappear after about 3 mon
Babraham Institute scientists have identified chromosome ‘loops’ which have implications for healthy growth of babies in the womb. Disruption of these loops can lead to Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome (BWS) – over-large babies with various tumours – which affects 1 in 13,000 births. The risk of developing the syndrome is increased four-fold in babies born following IVF treatment.
Confirmation of the existence of the loops, described in an article published in Nature Genetics, was made
A Mayo Clinic researcher is the first to develop a series of three-dimensional (3D) models of an enzyme responsible for the replication of the deadly SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory syndrome) virus. These instantaneous “structures-in-time” are central to designing an anti-SARS drug — and are therefore a welcome advance as the virus continues to threaten public health.
The structure and dynamics of the SARS viral enzyme, called chymotrypsin-like cysteine proteinase, is described in
May lead to treatment for severed spinal cords
University of Toronto researchers have designed a method to facilitate nerve cell repair that could ultimately lead to treating severed spinal cords.
The technique, outlined in the July 6 online version of Biomaterials, involves imbedding a series of fibrous rods into a gel substance and then dissolving the rods, leaving a series of longitudinal channels. These channels are then injected with peptides, molecules that stimulate
A team of researchers have developed a method that could vastly improve the ability of atomic force microscopes to “see” the chemical composition of a sample, follow variations of the sample, as well as map its topographic structure.
The advance could have significant implications for drug development by allowing scientists to monitor the effects of potential drugs on an ever-smaller scale, according to Stuart Lindsay, director of the Center for Single Molecule Biophysics at the Bi
With the help of snake venom and sophisticated laboratory testing, scientists believe they’ve uncovered the reason why a group of new heart medications were doing some patients more harm than good. Researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues report the findings in the current on-line issue of The Journal of Molecular Biology.
“Our findings suggest that drug developers should take a different approach,” said Roy Hantgan, Ph.D., principal invest
A look inside a wristwatch reveals that timekeeping is a complex affair, involving the coordination of mechanical parts providing the impulses and feedback needed to achieve precisely recurring movement. Biological clocks are equally complex, regulated by a network of genes and transcriptional factors that interact to stabilize the rhythms of numerous physiological systems. Unlike the wristwatch, however, there is no visible readout or display showing an individual’s body time, a lack which h
Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers have designed a blood test to detect ovarian cancer using three proteins found in common in the blood of women with the disease. Their preliminary studies with the new test suggest a molecular signature exclusive to this deadly cancer, known for its ability to remain undetected and spread quickly.
The Hopkins test, described in the August 15 issue of Cancer Research, identifies the proteins as a truncated form of transthyretin, a fragm
When a protein misfolds, the results can be disastrous. An incorrect change in the molecule’s shape can lead to diseases including Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s. But scientists have discovered that misfolded proteins can have a positive side in yeast, helping cells navigate the dicey current of natural selection by expressing a variety of hidden genetic traits.
What’s more, at the center of this process is a prion, a protein that changes shape in a self-perpetuatin
An important receptor for estrogen in ovarian cells has been shown to suppress tumor growth, according to a new study published in the August 15 issue of the journal Cancer Research. When ovarian tumors develop, however, the number of these receptors–known as estrogen receptor beta (ER beta)–diminishes, encouraging these tumors to advance toward malignancy and metastasis. This disappearing act may help explain why ovarian cancers are often typically resistant to anti-estrogen drugs including Tam
By comparing three different species’ genomes and adding some good old-fashioned genetic analysis, scientists have uncovered the identity of the last of eight genes known to contribute to Bardet-Biedl syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by a combination of some otherwise common problems, including obesity, learning difficulties, diabetes and asthma.
The identification of the BBS3 gene ends the search for primary BBS-causing genes in families studied for years by a team of sc
Microscopic scaffolding to house the tiny components of nanotech devices could be built from RNA, the same substance that shuttles messages around a cell’s nucleus, reports a Purdue University research group.
By encouraging ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules to self-assemble into 3-D shapes resembling spirals, triangles, rods and hairpins, the group has found what could be a method of constructing lattices on which to build complex microscopic machines. From such RNA blocks, the g
To study the structure of the nucleus of the atom, DOE’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility develops and employs a wide range of cutting-edge detector technologies. Now, Jefferson Lab scientists have used their expertise to build a small animal medical imager that’s helping researchers develop a new gene therapy technique for cystic fibrosis.
“Our core expertise is instruments. Once you have instruments with different imaging capabilities, you want to spin-off that tech
As British scientists are given the go-ahead to clone human embryos, two Kingston University researchers have linked up with NASA in the first ever collaboration on space medicine between the United Kingdom and the United States. The $US1 million project aims to explore ways to protect astronauts from space radiation in preparation for a manned mission to Mars in 2020. Dr Colin McGuckin and Dr Nico Forraz, from the University’s School of Life Sciences, will fly out to NASA’s Johnson Space Centr
Recovery, purification of therapeutic proteins an economic and scientific challenge
The economics of producing biopharmaceuticals from transgenic plants such as tobacco is still a roadblock to producing large quantities of urgently needed medicines, especially for people in underdeveloped nations. Chenming (Mike) Zhang is testing a variety of ways to economically recover recombinant proteins from transgenic tobacco using different protein separation techniques.
Zhang, an a
Finnish company Jurilab has announced the completion of a genome-wide scan in Acute Myocardial Infarction in the East Finland Founder Population. The study gives invaluable insight into the interplay of different genes and pathways leading to coronary disease. The study has re-affirmed the majority of genes previously known to be associated with AMI. The new genes discovered include also ones, which appear to give humans a strong protection against coronary disease.
“These discov
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