University of Illinois at Chicago researchers report that a protein that regulates key signaling pathways in cells also plays a role in controlling the active movement or migration of cells. The finding may suggest new pharmaceutical therapies for treating a variety of diseases, including cancer.

The protein, known as Raf Kinase Inhibitor Protein, or RKIP, controls activity of kinases, a type of enzyme that acts as a key component in the biochemical signaling pathways responsible f

Playing an increasingly important role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), controlling one’s weight through healthy eating and regular exercise can directly reduce the risk of heart disease and also the impact of an existing heart condition. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) joins the World Heart Federation in trumpeting the importance of ‘Healthy Weight, Healthy Shape for a Heart for Life’ on World Heart Day, 25 September 2005.

Through its recent annual scien

Smoking may increase the risk of developing diabetes, according to new research by investigators at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and colleagues.

The surprising finding emerged when researchers examined the relationship between smoking and diabetes among participants in a major national study, the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study (IRAS). They compared the incidence of diabetes after five years among smokers and those who had never smoked.

Twenty-f

Scientists in Japan have found a way to improve on a promising diabetes treatment. In the October 3 issue of The Journal of Experimental Medicine, Masaru Taniguchi and colleagues report that transplanted insulin-producing cells survive better when the activation of a specific type of immune cell is blocked.

Insulin-dependent diabetes is caused by the destruction of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas (called islet cells) by auto-reactive T cells. The loss of insulin results

A computer-aided detection system not only helps radiologists detect more breast cancers, but also helps detect smaller tumors in younger women, a new study shows.

The study included 27,274 screening mammograms done over a three year period—19,402 were done using a computer-aided mammography detection system (CAD); 7,872 were mammography studies done before the CAD system was installed, said Tommy E. Cupples, MD of ImageCare, LLC in Columbia, SC, and the lead author of the study.

It may be possible to halt cancer in its tracks by blocking a gene critical to building tumour supply lines, according to new research carried out at the University of Queensland, Australia.

Most tumours need a blood supply to grow.

Researchers at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience have found that when new blood vessels form – in developing embryos and in tumours – a gene, known as Sox18, switches on for just 48 hours.

“In adult mice, we have found that i

ALAS, scientists at the GBF reveal the structure of a life-sustaining enzyme

Heme is the pigment responsible for the red colour of blood. All humans and animals need heme because it alone transports life-sustaining oxygen from the lungs to the tissues of the body. Scientists of the GBF and the Technical University in Braunschweig have resolved the 3-dimensional structure of the enzyme that catalyses the first step in the synthesis of heme. “This project completes a page in the

In a study that will help the food industry understand the effects of processing on allergens, IFR scientists have discovered how an apple allergy protein retains its potency.

Apples are the most widely grown and consumed fruit in Europe. At the same time, around 1 million people in Europe are allergic to apples. As well as being consumed whole, apples are processed for desserts, sauces, juices and infant foods. This is the first time that the effects of heat and the presence of s

One of the remaining challenges for evolutionary developmental studies of mammals, whose evolution is best known from their teeth, is how their tooth shape is altered during development. Researchers of the University of Helsinki together with their Japanese colleagues from the University of Kioto now propose a ‘balance of induction’ mechanism directing the placement of tooth shape features called cusps. Position and shape of cusps determine whether a tooth shape belongs to human or mouse, for exampl

The cider sector has undergone considerable changes over the last few years. With technological advances, the traditional, at times conservative, methods have experienced great changes. New systems have been introduced into the tolares (the cider-making plants), incorporating the continuous washing of the apples, new types of pressing and polyester-coated stainless steel recipients, refrigeration, etc. Also the idea that certain cultural concepts based on concrete observations often need scien

Cells can reuse the chemical messengers that carry genetic information to the machinery that makes proteins. Sometimes cells shuttle the messengers to storage and later reactivate them to make proteins, according to new research.

Learning how cells regulate the newly discovered “mRNA cycle” may provide insights into how the cellular machinery runs amok in diseases like cancer.

Scientists had previously thought the messenger molecules, known as mRNAs, were manufactured, u

The evolution of complex and physiologically remarkable structures such as the vertebrate eye has long been a focus of intrigue and theorizing by biologists. In work reported this week in Current Biology, the evolutionary history of a critical eye protein has revealed a previously unrecognized relationship between certain components of vertebrate eyes and those of the more primitive light-sensing systems of invertebrates. The findings help clarify our conceptual framework for understanding how t

Botox, used by Hollywood stars to smooth out facial wrinkles, is playing an important role in UQ research to understand how nerve cells communicate with each other.

The research is exploring basic nerve cell function, minute changes which underlie memory and learning, and possible causes of nerve diseases. Dr Frederic Meunier, a lecturer in UQ’s School of Biomedical Sciences, is studying basic physiological processes at the molecular level. Dr Meunier is one of seven UQ f

According to a recent report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, folate, a B vitamin found in foods like leafy green vegetables and citrus fruit, may protect against cognitive decline in older adults. The research was conducted by scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.

A team led by Katherine L. Tucker, PhD, director and professor of the Nutritional Epidemiology Program at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and

It is known that a key protein in the immune system, C3, bonds with and interacts with up to 40 other proteins and receptors in the blood. But until now it has not been understood what the significance of these bonds might be. In the latest issue of the scientific journal Nature a Swedish-Dutch research team has laid bare the crystal structure of the protein, which may lead to tailor-made treatments for autoimmune diseases.

Scientists at Uppsala University, in collaboration with the

The Structural Genomics Consortium, Karolinska Institutet, VINNOVA, Knut and Alice Wallenberg’s foundation (KAW) and The Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) today announces the establishment of a Swedish research node of the Structural Genomics Consortium.

A Swedish laboratory based at the Karolinska Institutet has been established by the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) in its ambitious efforts to unravel the structures of hundreds of proteins of biomedical importance. The