Synthetic Molecules Hold Promise For New Family Of Anti-Cancer Drugs

Synthetic molecules designed by two Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers have succeeded in reducing and even eliminating the growth of human malignant tissues in mice, while having no toxic effects on normal tissue.For their work in developing these harbingers of a possible new generation of anti-cancer drugs, Dr.

Talking To Cells

For an organism to develop and function, the individual cells must exchange information, or communicate, with each other. Is it possible to learn their language and "talk to" the cells? Yes it is: Cameron Alexander and George Pasparakis at the University of Nottingham (UK) have been able to facilitate a conversation between bacterial cells and artificial polymer vesicles.

Enzyme Plays Key Role In Cell Fate

The road to death or differentiation follows a similar course in embryonic stem cells, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in a report that appears online in the journal Cell Stem Cell."Caspases, known as 'killer enzymes, ' that are activated during programmed cell death, are also active in the initial phases of cell differentiation, " said Dr.

Sequencing Of Brucella Abortus S19 Genome Points Toward Virulence Genes

Researchers at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech and the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, and collaborators at 454 Life Sciences of Branford, Conn., have sequenced the genome of Brucella abortus strain S19. Strain S19 is a naturally occurring strain of B.

Brown Researchers Work Toward Ending Cartilage Loss

Scientists have long wrestled with how to aid those who suffer cartilage damage and loss. One popular way is to inject an artificial gel that can imitate cartilage's natural ability to act as the body's shock absorber. But that solution is temporary, requiring follow-up injections.

Natural Inflammation-Fighting Mechanism Discovered In Body-Fat Cells

Scientists have discovered a previously unknown molecular signaling pathway in body fat cells that normally acts to suppress harmful inflammation. Cellular stress caused by obesity, however, can override this protective function and convert the pathway into a trigger of chronic inflammation that raises the risk of insulin resistance, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders.

How Drug That Blocks Cholesterol Absorption From The Diet Works

A new study in the June issue of Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication, sheds light on the action of the drug ezetimibe (trade name Zetia), which is used to treat high cholesterol. Ezetimibe is unique among cholesterol-lowering drugs in that it works by cutting the amount of cholesterol taken in from the diet rather than by blocking cholesterol's manufacture in the body.

Another 18 Substances To Be Evaluated As Part Of Government's Chemicals Management Plan, Canada

The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Health, and the Honourable John Baird, Minister of the Environment, announced on Saturday that the Government has issued notices to industry and other stakeholders for information on a sixth batch of substances identified as high priorities for action under the Chemicals Management Plan.

Experimental Evidence For Latent Developmental Plasticity: Intertidal Whelks Respond To A Native But Not An Introduced Predator

Best know your enemies. For an intertidal snail, knowing or not knowing the smell of a predator can mean the difference between life and death. Here we show that the scent of a long-established predator causes snails to produce a thicker, more predator-resistant shell.

Extreme Temperatures Increase The Deleterious Consequences Of Inbreeding Under Laboratory And Semi-natural Conditions

Lower fitness of offspring from closely related parents is commonly observed. However most of our knowledge on inbreeding effects is from laboratory investigations and we only have limited information on the importance of inbreeding in the field. In this study we investigate the consequences of inbreeding on survival in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) at a range of temperatures, both in the laboratory and under semi-natural conditions.