Gastric and colorectal cancers account for more than 1 million deaths worldwide every year and several research groups have been working to identify the molecular events that result in the initiation and progression of these tumors. It has been established that interfering with the function of one gene, called Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC) has a profound effect on the cells lining the innermost layer of the colon (called the epithelium) and causes them to lose control over their proliferat

How do aquatic invertebrates such as water fleas move between isolated waterbodies so as to colonize new habitats or maintain genetic exchange between populations? Darwin and other XIX century naturalists proposed that they move via waterbirds. Dispersal was proposed to occur when birds fly between ponds with eggs attached to their feathers or legs or with eggs inside their guts.

To address this question, Jordi Figuerola, Andy J. Green, and Thomas C. Michot combined data from previo

The factor of time gives scientists insight into cellular machines

Most things that happen in the cell are the work of ’molecular machines’ – complexes of proteins that carry out important cellular functions. Until now, scientists didn’t have a clear idea of when proteins form these machines – are these complexes pre-fabricated or put together on the spot for each specific job? Researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), working closely with s

In a step toward understanding the early evolution of the cell, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered that an enzyme important in the production of energy also protects the mitochondria, the energy factory itself.
The enzyme, called aconitase, is a well-known component of the pathway in cells that produces energy. But in a study using baker’s yeast, Dr. Ronald Butow, professor of molecular biology, has shown a new function for the enzyme – keeping the mitochondr

Proteins called coactivators control the process by which a single gene can initiate production of several proteins in a process called alternative splicing, said Baylor College of Medicine researchers in a report that appears in today’s issue of the journal Molecular Cell. “A major question in biology today is how human cells with 30,000 genes produce at least 120,000 proteins,” said Dr. Bert O’Malley, chair of the BCM department of molecular and cellular biology. The answer is a p

Oncologists have long thought that cancer treatments tend to be more effective at certain times of day. But they have been unable to turn this knowledge into practice, because they did not understand the phenomenon well enough. Now, researchers have discovered a molecular mechanism that explains why sensitivity to anti-cancer drugs changes with the clock. They said their findings could lead to new drug treatments that may be more effective because they harness the power and precision of the bod

Does Swiss cheese come from Swiss cows? How about blue cheese? Professor of animal science at McGill’s Macdonald campus K.F. Ng-Kwai-Hang has the answer to these questions. He has spent the last 25 years studying the genetics of cows and how this affects quality and type of cheese.

“There are more than 100 different breeds of cows. However, the best milk producers are Holsteins,” says Ng-Kwai-Hang. “Within a specific breed, the milk these cows produce is not the same – it dif

The presence of a protein known as Stat5 prevents laboratory-grown breast cancer cells from becoming invasive and aggressive, according to new research from Georgetown University. The research, which appears in the January 27 issue of Oncogene, could one day lead to advanced therapies for breast cancer patients.

“This new insight is significant because it is the invasive behavior of breast cancer cells that leads to the formation of metastatic cancer, the most advanced and seriou

Genomics, the study of all the genetic sequences in living organisms, has leaned heavily on the blueprint metaphor. A large part of the blueprint, unfortunately, has been unintelligible, with no good way to distinguish a bathroom from a boardroom, to link genomic features to cell function.

A national consortium of scientists led by BIATECH, a Seattle-area non-profit research center, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, a Department of Energy research institution in Richland,

Researchers have identified a promising new target in their fight against a dangerous bacterium that sickens people in hospitals, especially people who receive medical implants such as catheters, artificial joints and heart valves.

A substance found on the surface of Staphylococcus epidermidis has, for the first time, been shown to protect the harmful pathogen from natural human defense mechanisms that would otherwise kill the bacteria, according to scientists at the Rocky Moun

The brewing of tea formed a crucial component of a project which successfully took traditional paper laboratory books and moved them to digital formats. Now that knowledge and experience is being put to use in a subsequent project by University of Southampton computing researchers who are aiming to apply similar techniques to Bioinformatics.

The eScience project, which could revolutionize the way in which scientists share information, is appropriately called myTea. It has received f

Some of the world’s leading authorities on tropical diseases and parasitic infections will gather for an international conference at The University of Nottingham to discuss the latest breakthroughs in research and treatments.

The combined British Society for Parasitology Spring Meeting and the international Malaria Meeting, being held at University Park from April 3 to April 6, will mark the first unveiling of studies into a range of topics, including anti-parasite drugs, parasite

Visceral fat, which is the fat found around our organs, is associated with increased danger of prostate cancer say scientists in today issue of Obesity Research.

For a long time abdominal obesity has been associated with an increase in cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hypertension and some types of cancers. But until now, it has not been possible to establish a relationship between prostate cancer and weight, even if evidence supports the idea that environmental factors, suc

Mayo Clinic researchers have found that rheumatoid arthritis patients have twice the risk of heart failure, or a weakening of the heart’s ability to pump blood, as those without rheumatoid arthritis, according to a new study to be published in the February edition of the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism. About one-third of the rheumatoid arthritis patients studied developed heart failure over 30 years of the disease.

“We decided to undertake this study because we knew that patien

Procedure offers promise for diabetics

A University of Alberta and Capital Health surgeon, well known for his pioneering work in developing the Edmonton Protocol treatment for diabetes, has taken another important step in the fight against diabetes.

On January 19, at Kyoto University Hospital, Dr. Koichi Tanaka and Dr. James Shapiro, along with a team of Japanese surgeons, removed part of a 56-year-old woman’s pancreas. Dr. Shinichi Masumoto then isolated the livin

The results of the world’s first phase 3 HIV vaccine efficacy trial are reported in the March 1 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online. Although the vaccine was ineffective in preventing HIV infection, the trial represents a landmark in the fight against HIV and offers the scientific community a foundation on which to build future trials.

The multi-centered trial, conducted in the United States and the Netherlands and completed in 2003, is described