( A new technology developed at the Unive...)New Technology Reveals Proteins Responsible for Diseases,Health

A new technology developed at the University of Toronto is revealing biochemical processes responsible// for diseases such as cystic fibrosis and could one day pave the way for pharmaceutical applications.

Researchers have designed a device to test for proteins that play an important role in human health and disease. The technology, iMYTH (or integrated membrane yeast-two hybrid system), scans cells to detect proteins that interact with key proteins called ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters – proteins that, when impaired, can cause disease. One of the best known ABC transporters is the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR), which, when disabled by mutation, causes cystic fibrosis, a hereditary disease that results in progressive disability and early death. Another important ABC protein is the Multidrug Resistance Protein (MRP), which normally removes drug metabolites and toxins from cells in our bodies but when overzealous can contribute to the drug resistance of tumors, thereby thwarting chemotherapy.

"All the cells in our bodies contain transporters that are poised in cellular membranes and act as ‘gatekeepers’ to allow the entry of certain substances, like nutrients, into the cell and promote the export of other substances, like toxins, out of the cell," says Professor Igor Stagljar, Department of Medical Genetics and Department of Biochemistry at the University of Toronto and lead author of the study. "When the function of these transporters is impaired, disease can result. This device gives us insights as to what proteins are interfering with this process."

iMYTH works by scanning cells to reveal proteins that fit with the transporters, the only screening system sophisticated enough to work with delicate membrane proteins. Simply, if two proteins interact in iMYTH, they will stain the yeast cell blue. "Like lock and key, if two proteins interact with one another, it is safe to assume they particip
'"/>




Page: 1 2
Related medicine news :

1. New Technology In MRI Scan Help Test Brain Cancer Therapy
2. Emergence Of New Gene Scanning Technology In Disease Research
3. Scientists Develop New Technology To Find About Human Ancestors’ Teet
4. Scientists Consider About New Technology Called Nanotechnology
5. Prostate Cancer Can Be Treated By Application Of LASER Technology
6. Georgia Institute of Technology develops doppler Vein finder
7. Novel Technology For Early Detection of Gastrointestinal Cancer
8. Winter Blues Treated by Breakthrough Lighting Technology
9. Bio-Technology Initiatives to Feed Research On Sorghum Crop
10. Technology Can Help Fight Health Care Costs
11. Technology at its nano best: hand-held lab-on-a-chip for blood tests