UCSD discovery may provide novel method to generate medically useful proteins
A team led by University of California, San Diego biochemists has discovered the mechanism by which a simple organism can produce 10 trillion varieties of a single protein, a finding that provides a new tool to develop novel drugs. In the September 18 advance on-line publication of the journal Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, the researchers describe the mechanism by which a virus...Scientists fetch useful information from dog genome publications
Today a plethora of dog genome-related materials are published, including a new book entitled of a high-quality draft sequence of the dog genome, are expected to provide both researchers and the public with informativ...One-of-a-kind imaging probe reveals secrets useful for drug discovery
Good things may indeed come in small packages for scientists eager to find natural substances to help cure diseases. The challenge is to analyze material that is smaller than the proverbial gnat's eyelash. But using a refined version of nuclear magnetic resonance technology, or NMR, scientists have unlocked secrets hidden in tiny amounts of venom taken from spindly insects called common tw...Scientists seek useful traits in wild cottons
If you have Mom's smile, Dad's eyes and Grandpa's laugh, you might wonder what other traits you picked up from the genealogic fabric of the ol' family tree. "Cotton genetic diversity has narrowed in recent yea...Dual-imaging technique useful before -- and during -- brain surgery
Neuroradiologist James Leach, MD, and his UC colleagues are among the first in the United Stat...ATG useful in transplant patients as substitute for steroids
Anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG), a compound made from rabbit antibodies appears to be as effective as routine steroids in reducing rejection of transplanted organs without any of the side effects, according to Dr. James Eason of the Ochsner Multi-Organ Transplant Center in New Orleans. In the largest study on steroid-free treatment of liver transplants, Dr. Eason found patients treated with ATG had...Vitamin E useful for Alzheimer's
Vitamin E taken daily could protect the brain and prevent the onset of diseases such as Alzheimer's, a study suggests. Scientists in Japan discovered it is possible to reverse a degenerative// brain disease simply by taking vitamin E. They say the supplement is a powerful antidote to the oxidative stress linked to brain disorders such as Alzheimer's. Taking vitamin supplements could h...Useful Cancer drug stops tumour blood supply
A drug that reduces the level of copper in the blood of cancer patients reduces the growth of tumours in animals. Wilson's disease is a rare disorder where patients have excess of the trace element copper in their bodies. Researchers at the University of Texas, through research on Wilson's disease, // have discovered a compound, known as tetrathiomolybdate (TM) that could fight cancer by lowering...Useful drug for stem cell transplant problem
A new drug rescues patients suffering potentially fatal liver complications from cancer therapy. Generally high doses of chemotherapy are given before a stem cell transplant// such as a bone marrow transplant is used for cancer treatment. But chemotherapy causes five to 50 per cent of such patients to experience a potentially fatal complication called veno-occlusive disease (VOD), which damages c...Useful device makes spinal surgery safer
Spinal surgery has always been a major one involving many tedious procedures. A useful monitoring device has been accepted that assures that spinal surgery does not affect movements in the arms and legs.// Operating on tumours and other problems in the spine is risky, because the surgeon might separate some of the nerves that are needed to allow movement in the limbs. Researchers at the State Uni...