The Burnham buzz( Enzyme May Hold the Key to Muscular...)

Enzyme May Hold the Key to Muscular Dystrophy

A mutation in the gene coding the protein dystrophin has long been known to be associated with muscular dystrophy, but the role the protein plays in the disease was unknown. Lorenzo Puri, M.D., Ph.D. and colleagues have discovered that the dystrophin mutation causes an increase in the amount of the histone deacetylase enzyme, HDAC2. Increased HDAC2 activity alters the gene expression profile in the diseased muscle cells compared to normal muscle cells. By inhibiting HDAC2 with small molecule compounds or RNA interference, Dr. Lorenzo was able to return the muscle cells with the dystrophin mutation to normal histology and function. This advancement may lead to novel therapies for muscular dystrophy.

Microscopic Race for New Cures

Jeff Price, M.D., Ph.D. has created a next generation robotic microscope which can be used for high-throughput cellular image analysis to discover new potential drugs. The novel instrumentation utilizes chromatic aberrationthe difference in focus between different colors of light in optical systemsto simplify and speed auto-focusing of the microscope via digital color cameras. This advancement will increase screening from the 20,000 -- 40,000 compounds possible per day with existing technology, to more than 100,000 screens per day, a five-fold increase in productivity.

Nanoworms Make Tumors Squirm

Nano-scale worms made out of iron oxide (rust) may be the next big breakthrough in cancer treatment. Erkki Ruoslahti, M.D., Ph.D., along with collaborators at the University of California, San Diego and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has shown that iron oxide nanoworms can bind to tumors when coated with tumor-homing peptides. The team is now attempting to design nanoparticles that will seek out tumors in the body, send a diagnostic signal and release a drug at the site of the tumor in a controlled manner.

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