Experiments on mice may help scientists understand the workings of the prion protein linked to brain disease vCJD.
Swiss researchers say there is evidence that prions play a vital role in the maintenance of the sheath surrounding our nerves.
They say it is possible that an absence of prions causes diseases of the peripheral nervous system.
One expert said there was growing evidence that the prion had a number of important roles in the body. Read the rest of this entry »
Scientists have shown how a family of “limpet-like” proteins play a crucial role in repairing the DNA damage which can lead to cancer.
They hope the finding could pave the way for a new type of drug which could help kill cancer cells, and promote production of healthy replacements.
The proteins seem to have a remarkable ability to zero in on damaged areas.
The breakthrough, uncovered independently by two teams, appears in the journal Nature. Read the rest of this entry »
Chemists and biologists from the University of Bath have developed a new technique that could be used to diagnose and develop treatments for age-related conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and cancer.
In these diseases, proteins in the body react with sugars in a process called glycation. This modifies the protein’s function and can trigger complications such as inflammation and premature aging. Read the rest of this entry »
Scientists searching for the secrets of how calorie-restricted diets increase longevity are reporting discovery of proteins in the fat cells of human volunteers that change as pounds drop off.
The proteins could become markers for monitoring or boosting the effectiveness of calorie-restricted diets – the only scientifically proven way of extending life span in animals. Their study appears online in ACS’ Journal of Proteome Research. Read the rest of this entry »
Drinks containing a cocktail of proteins found in beans, nuts and meat, could help people recover from head injuries more quickly, a study suggests.
Scientists fed a mixture of amino acids to brain-damaged mice. The drinks restored the right balance of brain chemicals in their brains which returned their learning capacity returned to normal levels.
Head researcher Dr Akiva Cohen, from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in the US, said if the results were reproduced in humans, patients with traumatic brain injuries could be given the amino acids in a drink. Read the rest of this entry »
New researchers done in Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson have found a novel mechanism by which drugs block HIV-1 from entering host cells. Cellular invasion by HIV-1 requires the concerted action of two proteins on the viral surface: gp120 and gp41.
The function of gp41 is to get the viral contents into the interior of the host cells. This requires the association of two distinct regions of gp41 called N-HR and C-HR. Anti-HIV-1 agents known as fusion inhibitors target the N-HR or C-HR and disrupt their association, which prevents the virus from entering into the host cell. Read the rest of this entry »
