Phase 2 enzyme inducers appear to stop harmful inflammation

Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that plant-derived compounds known for their ability to protect tissue also appear to block the activity of an enzyme that triggers inflammation in joints. Their findings, based on experiments with human cells in a lab, could lead to new arthritis treatments and better methods of making artificial cartilage.

The discovery was detailed in a paper published in the Sept.

Obese mice are more susceptible to liver abnormalities

Mice that were fed diets high in fat and sugar developed immune system abnormalities in their livers, including reduced numbers of natural killer T (NKT) cells. These diet-related changes may contribute to obesity-related liver disease, according to a new study. The study is published in the October 2005 issue of Hepatology, the official journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). Published by J

Two new studies on Hepatitis C (HCV) patients who underwent liver transplants examined a potential biomarker that could be used to predict who might develop hepatic fibrosis, a formation of scar-like tissue that can lead to cirrhosis. The studies found that changes in a certain type of liver cell were useful in determining those who were at the greatest risk for developing this serious complication.

The results of these studies appear in the October 2005 issue of Liver Transplanta

For the first time, a team of investigators at Carnegie Mellon University has shown that the binding of metal ions can mediate the formation of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) duplexes from single strands of PNA that are only partly complementary. This result opens new opportunities to create functional, three-dimensional nanosize structures such as molecular-scale electronic circuits, which could reduce by thousands of times the size of today’s common electronic devices. The research results wi

Virginia Commonwealth University researchers studying hemoglobin genes, mutations of which play a role in genetic blood disorders like sickle cell anemia and beta-thalassemia, have shown in studies with mice that the KLF2 protein is crucial for making young red blood cells.

The findings may point researchers to future gene therapies for patients with sickle cell anemia and beta-thalassemia.

In the October issue of Blood, the journal of the American Association for Hem

Significant for Huntington’s disease and colon cancer

Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered the inner workings of a defective DNA repair process and are first to explain why certain mutations are not corrected in cells. The finding is important because genetic instability and accumulations of mutations lead to disease. This discovery may lead to ways of fixing the process to avoid Huntington’s disease and some types of colon cancer.

The Mayo team discovered that unde

The first close-up look at a pro-inflammatory signaling molecule involved in immune response in mammals suggests that researchers “should rethink what they are doing” in creating drugs based on a fruit-fly model, scientists say.

Reporting in the Oct. 1 issue of the Journal of Immunology, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign unveiled the crystal structure of mouse interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase-4 (IRAK-4).

They found a distinct highly stru

A University of York scientist has won the world’s most prestigious award for the excellence of his research into carbohydrates.

The International Carbohydrate Organization is to present the Roy L Whistler International Award for 2006 to Professor Gideon Davies, of the University’s Department of Chemistry.

Professor Davies is only the second UK-based scientist to win the award, which recognises scientists “who have made contributions of excellence in carbohydrat

The latest issue of The Biochemist is all about live cell imaging. Articles range from studying whole embryos – using an entirely new technique – to tracking individual molecules: all this, and a broadside on the honesty of images in the digital age. Comment, reviews, days out – something for everyone in the October Biochemist.

Single molecule detection

By Laurent Groc, Daniel Choquet, Brahim Lounis and Laurent Cognet
Over the last decade, Single-Molecule Detection (S

University of Wisconsin-Madison biochemists have developed an approach that allows them to measure with unprecedented accuracy the strengths of hydrogen bonds in a protein. The scientists were then able to predict the function of different versions of the protein based on structural information, a novel outcome that was published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Professor of biochemistry John Markley, along with a team that included graduate student I-

Fast, highly reliable detection of residues that could indicate the presence of explosives and other hazardous materials inside luggage is now possible with technology under development at Purdue University.

A research team led by R. Graham Cooks has found a way to determine the presence on a surface of trace quantities of chemicals – such as those found in biological and chemical warfare agents, as well as several common explosives – within a few seconds. The researchers&#14

Microarray technology could be used to tailor therapy according to the individual, and prevent breast cancer patients from having to undergo painful unsuccessful therapies. In a study published in the journal Breast Cancer Research, researchers analysed tumour tissue samples and identified a group of 64 genes that can be used to predict a patient’s response in the five years after adjuvant therapy for breast cancer. Identifying patients whose breast tumours express these genes could potenti

The largest-ever experimental analysis of duplicated genes provides insight into mechanisms of evolution

When Mother Nature creates an identical copy of a gene in an organism’s genome, the duplicated copy is usually deleted, inactivated, or otherwise rendered nonfunctional in order to prevent genetic redundancy and to preserve biological homeostasis. In some cases, however, gene duplicates are maintained in a functional state. Until now, the biological and evolutionary force

For the rats of Hamelin, it was the Pied Piper’s tune. For the destructive sea lamprey of the Great Lakes, it’s a chemical attractant, or pheromone, released by lamprey larvae living in streambeds. Following the pheromone trail, adults are drawn to streams favorable for spawning. Researchers have long wanted to identify the pheromone so it could be synthesized and used to control the sea lamprey, which laid waste to Great Lakes fisheries of lake trout and other species in the mid-20th century. Now

The molecular roots of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases such as asthma, arthritis, and multiple sclerosis (MS) have been discovered by a team of researchers led by The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. They say their findings may point to ways to effectively treat these diseases – if not stop them before they start.

In a lead article in the November issue of Nature Immunology (released online on Oct. 2), the scientists report finding a novel type of “T helper”

Researchers at Jefferson Medical College and at the Wadsworth Center in New York have identified a gene defect in mice resulting in a range of abnormalities, from cyclical hair loss and skin cancer to severe problems in normal skin development. The work may lead to improved treatments for skin injuries, including burns, and might have implications for diseases such as eczema and psoriasis, as well as certain cancers.

Linda Siracusa, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology an