Using RNAi-based Technique, Scientists Find New Tumor Suppressor Genes In Lymphoma...

In one of my earlier blog about RNAi, I did mention about the award of USPTO notices to RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation. But these results are really interesting, the CSHL team’s discovery stems from their use of a powerful technology called RNA interference (RNAi), which suppresses gene activity. The scientists employed RNAi to screen hundreds of candidate tumor-suppressors in living mice, using small hairpin-shaped RNA (shRNA) molecules that attach to specific genes with exquisite specificity and switch them off. In the newly reported experiments, this process revealed more than 10 genes whose deactivation accelerates the development of deadly lymphomas tumors of the immune system in the mice.

The CSHL team’s high-throughput screening strategy to functionally identify cancer genes has thus not only provided insights into cancer development but has also pointed the way toward therapeutic refinements. The team is planning a broader RNAi-based screen that will expand into other tumor models. For details...

ECG For The Mind, Could Diagnose Depression In An Hour !

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ECG For The Mind' Could Diagnose Depression In An Hour....

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Relationship between H pylori and gastric cancer

In my earlier blogs, I have covered lots of news about the Helicobacter pylori, (H. pylori a gram negative bacterium which infects about 50% of the world population). H. pylori colonization causes a strong systemic immune response. Various tools have been employed to identify the relationship between H pylori and gastric cancer, including c-DNA microarrays. However, most of these methods did not consider the systematic interaction of biological components. While reading science daily, I found this interesting info.

A research team from South Korea studied the complex reaction of gastric inflammation induced by H. pylori in a systematic manner using a protein interaction network.

The researchers drew a conclusion that immune-related proteins activated by H. pylori infection interact with proto-oncogene proteins. The hub and bottleneck proteins are potential drug targets for gastric inflammation and cancer.

Their study showed how a systematic approach such as the network construction produces meaningful information. It also offered a relatively easy and simple framework to understand the complexity of cellular interactions having functional importance. Therefore, the application of this tool may be an alternative to find important genes and drug targets in other diseases and in complex biological systems....

Ref : http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/15/4518.asp

Fabled 'Vegetable Lamb' Plant Contains Potential Treatment For Osteoporosis

Fabled 'Vegetable Lamb' Plant Contains Potential Treatment For Osteoporosis

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Glucokinase activators, new class of drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes .....

Glucokinase activators (GKAs) represent a promising new class of drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes that act directly on both the pancreas and the liver. Glucokinase (GK) is a key enzyme in glucose-sensing tissues that regulates glucose homeostatasis. GKAs lower glucose levels by enhancing the ability of pancreatic beta cells to “sense glucose” and increase insulin secretion in a glucose-dependent manner. Simultaneously, GKAs increase the uptake and disposal of glucose in the liver, while simultaneously reducing the amount it produces.

For more details, read the link 
Drug Pipeline

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Happy & Prosperous Diwali

I wish everyone "A Prosperous and Happy Diwali".

Small amounts of funding can produce big results !

I agree with the author if planned and executed his ideas in a systematic manner, one could achieve miracles. Though, Southern Research Institute, Birmingham (for its High Throughput Studies for drug resistant TB) tried the same idea (by paying some money for the newly synthesized chemicals), the approach suggested by the author is far relevant now than it was in those days.....

Read more :Big banks, big pharma, big problems - opinion - 12 October 2009 - New Scientist

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Human milk oligosaccharides protect infants against infection

An innovative process developed by Jennewein Biotechnologie GmbH allows for the first time ever the production of these scarce sugar molecules (Human milk oligosaccharides) for use as an ingredient in baby food and in additional food products. For details, read the link..

Human milk oligosaccharides protect infants against infection

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Minimally Invasive Procedure Effective For Treating Snoring, Study Finds

Minimally Invasive Procedure Effective For Treating Snoring, Study Finds

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New Target For Treating Leukemia Identified

New Target For Treating Leukemia Identified

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A special protien in the stomach against Helicobacter pylori ....

In my earlier blogs, I did mention with the help of Broccoli and Glutamine how one can avoid the stomach ulcer caused by H. pylori infection (which in turn lead to gastric adenocarcinoma and MALT lymphoma). But this is something interesting a special protein in the lining of the stomach has been shown to be an important part of the body’s defence against the stomach ulcer bacterium Helicobacter pylori in a new study from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg. The discovery may explain why the bacterium makes some people more ill than others.

The research team has shown that a protein called MUC1 found in the lining of the stomach is important for the body’s defence against the bacterium. Greatly magnified, MUC1 looks like a tree growing out of low bushes on the surface of the stomach. As MUC1 is taller than the other structures on the cell surface, Helicobacter pylori readily becomes attached to the protein and then rarely gets to infect the cell. As per the claim by the researchers MUC1 acts as a decoy which prevents the bacterium from coming into close contact with the cell surface. Genetic variations between people mean that MUC1 molecules vary in length, and this may be part of the reason why Helicobacter pylori makes some people more ill than others. Congrats for this improtant achievement..

Ref : http://www.plospathogens.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.ppat.1000617

Tuberculosis Survival Mechanism Identified ?

Inhibitors Of Important Tuberculosis Survival Mechanism Identified

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New Optical Technique an Easy Way To Detect TB Bacteria In Fluids ...

New Optical Technique Provides Easy Way To Detect TB Bacteria In Fluids

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Telomerase & Telomerase inhibition.......

When I read about the Nobel prize in Medicine, was really excited because the scientists who discovered the enzyme telomerase got the Nobel prize for the year 2009 and the reason for this is simple and obvious....

When I was working with my previous company (Innovasynth Technologies Limited, Khopoli), I had opportunity to learn lots of things (from Dr. Sergei Gryaznov of Geron Corporation) about the drugs with Telomerase inhibition activity. As for as my knowledge goes, there are many companies working on these class of compounds and hope in the days to come there will be many drugs from this class of compounds and antisense drugs.

About Telomerase :

Telomerase, is an enzyme that adds specific DNA sequence repeats to the 3' end of DNA strands in the telomerase regions, which are found at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. The telomeres contain condensed DNA material, giving stability to the chromosomes. The enzyme is a reverse transcriptase that carries its own RNA molecule. Though the existence of a compensatory shortening of telomere (telomerase) mechanism, was first predicted by Soviet biologist Alexey Olovnikov (1973), who also suggested the Telomere hypothesis of ageing and the Telomere relations to cancer. Carol Greider and Elizabeth Blackburn in 1985, discovered telomerase together with Jack Szostak. Greider and Blackburn have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Congrats for this remarkable achievement.


Telomerase inhibitors :

To safeguard against cancer, adult cells keep track of how many times that they have multiplied, and once they have reached a pre-set limit — often around 80 divisions — they die. Telomerase interferes with this record keeping. So if one can find a drug or gene therapy that interferes with telomerase, it could fight the unchecked growth of cancer cells. As per the claim by lead researcher (Mark Muller), 90% all cancer cells are telomerase rich. Geron corporation, is developing modified DNA molecule (for which Innovasynth, has tie up with Geron to provide the intermediate amidites). The oligonucleotides, which target the template region, or active site, of telomerase. Geron's work has focused oligonucleotides (GRN163 and GRN163L,) and as per the claim by the company, both of them have demonstrated highly potent telomerase inhibitory activity at very low concentrations in biochemical assays, various cellular systems and animal studies. Interestingly these compounds are direct enzyme inhibitors, not antisense compounds and smaller than typical antisense compounds or other oligonucleotide drug candidates. Both compounds use a special thiophosphoramidate chemical backbone and the company is hopeful of convincing clinical trial results. All the best...

Ref : 1. http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2009/press.html
2. http://www.geron.com/products/productinformation/cancerdrug.aspx