The best-known genetic alteration involved in neuroblastoma is the amplification of the proto-oncogene—a molecule that when overexpressed can cause cancer—called MYCN. Amplification of MYCN occurs in about 20 percent of all neuroblastoma and is associated with the high-risk form of the disease. Targeting this and related genes directly might be therapeutically tempting, the study noted, but highly problematic because the oncoproteins they produce are also required for the growth of most normal cell types. And that is why Dr. John Cleveland and colleagues focused on inhibiting ornithine decarboxylase (Odc), a protein that contributes to cancer cell growth and that is a target of the proto-oncogene MYCN. Increased levels of Odc are common in cancer, and forced Odc expression in animal models has been shown to lead to increased tumor incidence. Recent findings have shown that Odc overexpression is also an indication of poor prognosis in neuroblastoma. DFMO, the drug used by the Cleveland team, inhibits the activity of Odc. One mor interesting is at lower dose the drug is specific and it has impact on Odc only. Though the toxicity ealrier reported has to be still ascertained, it may be time to revisit the issue as the study showed that transient treatment with DFMO is sufficient to provide chemoprevention and may show benefit for this otherwise lethal malignancy. Hope the detailed study will have something inthe near future....
Sunday, January 18, 2009
An abondoned anticancer drug's rebirth...
The best-known genetic alteration involved in neuroblastoma is the amplification of the proto-oncogene—a molecule that when overexpressed can cause cancer—called MYCN. Amplification of MYCN occurs in about 20 percent of all neuroblastoma and is associated with the high-risk form of the disease. Targeting this and related genes directly might be therapeutically tempting, the study noted, but highly problematic because the oncoproteins they produce are also required for the growth of most normal cell types. And that is why Dr. John Cleveland and colleagues focused on inhibiting ornithine decarboxylase (Odc), a protein that contributes to cancer cell growth and that is a target of the proto-oncogene MYCN. Increased levels of Odc are common in cancer, and forced Odc expression in animal models has been shown to lead to increased tumor incidence. Recent findings have shown that Odc overexpression is also an indication of poor prognosis in neuroblastoma. DFMO, the drug used by the Cleveland team, inhibits the activity of Odc. One mor interesting is at lower dose the drug is specific and it has impact on Odc only. Though the toxicity ealrier reported has to be still ascertained, it may be time to revisit the issue as the study showed that transient treatment with DFMO is sufficient to provide chemoprevention and may show benefit for this otherwise lethal malignancy. Hope the detailed study will have something inthe near future....
Structure of key Ebola protein solved.....
A team led by Gaya Amarasinghe, an assistant professor in biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, has recently solved the structure from a key part of the Ebola protein known as VP35. This protien interferes with the natural resistance of host cells against viral infections. when viruses infect cells, the host immune system can fight to eventually clear the virus. But with Ebola infections, the ability of the host to mount a defense against the invading virus is lost
I think this if not controlled will be like deadly epidemic AIDS (and even worst than this...), because of the fact that the VP35 protein interferes with the host's innate immune pathways that form the first line of defense against pathogens. With the advent of technologies like combination of X-ray crystallography and nucleic magnetic resonance spectroscopy the team has achieved the structure by using non-infectious protein samples. Hope this template (known structure) will help the drug discoverers to identify and design drugs that potentially bind with VP35 and their by substantiate anti-viral drug discovery. Congrats to Gaya Amarashinghe and his team. More ....
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Genetic modification of E. coli, a bacterium to produce long-chain alcohols essential in the creation of biofuels- a new avenue of biofules ?
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
A new avenue for TB therapy !
Not only do the bacteria expand themselves within the first granuloma to form, she added, but some of the immune cells in that initial mass leave to start new granulomas elsewhere. Those new granulomas then also serve as breeding grounds for the bacteria. The finding (Lalita Ramakrishnan and J.Davis). suggests a new avenue for TB therapy at an important time in the struggle against TB infection (not only the increasing number of patients, AIDS with TB and drug resistant TB). So if one can prevent granulomas that might be therapeutic either by intercepting the bacterial signal that spurs granulomas' formation or by manipulating the human immune system in some other way. Hope this research will go a long way in finding the solution to the epidemic drug resistant TB........
Blood type - a new weapon in battle against HIV infection ?
A carbohydrate-containing antigen, termed Pk blood group which is distinct from the well-known ABO and Rh blood grouping systems, is present at variable levels on the surface of white and red blood cells in the general population. Though the percent of this type of blood Pk, is less (1 in million). The interesting thing is that, those produce excess of this blood group antigen have dramatically reduced sensitivity to HIV infection. Conversely, another slightly more common subgroup of people who do not produce any Pk (5 in a million) was found to be much more susceptible to the virus.
Though the study does not suggest that blood type alone will not determine one will get HIV exclusivel. As per the research work by Dr. Don Branch of Canadian Blood Services, it does suggest that individuals who are exposed to the virus, may be helped or hindered by their blood status in fighting the infection. The study is substantiated by the fact that by increasing the level of the Pk antigen in cells in the laboratory also resulted in heightened resistance to HIV, while lowering it increased susceptibility.
The Pk molecule has been previously studied extensively by The Research Institute at the Hospital for Sick Children Senior Scientist Dr. Cliff Lingwood; Lund University's Dr. Martin Olsson has identified underlying genetic reasons for Pk blood group variation. Hope this conclusion may pave the way for novel therapeutic approaches to induce HIV resistance and promote further understanding of the pandemic as a whole," says Dr. Lingwood.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Clioquinol as anti-aging agent?
Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18927074?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Olanzapine as long-acting injection (LAI) for acute and maintenance treatment of schizophrenia.?
New Benzothiazepine test to catch sports cheats ?
JTV-519 and S-107, benzothiazepines currently in development for the treatment of heart abnormalities, are known to increase endurance in mice. Although they have not yet entered human clinical trials, both can be detected using the test.
As soon as these drugs enter human clinical trials, there is a huge potential for them to be m isused in sports. This preventive research lets us prepare before these compounds are officially launched, says Mario Thevis, (lot of work done by his group in the spectroscopy field) Director of the Center for Preventive Doping Research at the German Sport University of Cologne, Germany, who led the research. The advantage of high resolution mass spectrometry, JTV-519 and S-107 can be detected in spiked urine at concentrations as low as 0.1 nanograms/ml. And hope they will try to achieve the detailed study of the metabolites also, which will further substantaite the evidence...More...