Tag Archives: biology

Chemists develop new way to kill cancer cells resistant to chemotherapy drug

A new study from MIT and the University of Toronto offers a possible way to overcome that resistance. The researchers found that when cisplatin was delivered to cellular structures called mitochondria, DNA in this organelle was damaged, leading to cancer cell death. …

Imaging studies may predict tumor response to anti-angiogenic drugs

"Two recent phase III trials of another anti-angiogenic drug, bevacizumab, showed no improvement in overall survival for glioblastoma patients, but our study suggests that only a subset of such patients will really benefit from these drugs," explains Tracy Batchelor, MD, director of the Pappas Center for Neuro-Oncology at the MGH Cancer Center and co-lead and corresponding author of the current study. "Our results also verify that normalization of tumor vasculature appears to be the way that anti-angiogenic drugs enhance the activity of chemotherapy and radiation treatment." Anti-angiogenic drugs, which block the action of factors that stimulate the growth of blood vessels, were first introduced for cancer treatment under the theory that they would act by ‘starving’ tumors of their blood supply…

Largest-ever study of male breast cancer treatment shows more mastectomy, less radiation than in females

"We know very little about male breast cancer since it comprises only 0.6 percent of all breast cancer, and nearly all therapy is based on female breast cancer studies. This study demonstrates that just as in women, men with early stage breast cancer have the same outcome with a mastectomy or a lumpectomy followed by radiation. In women, breast-conserving surgery is the standard and preferred treatment for the majority of women…

How protein suicide assure healthy cell structures

PLK4 is one of the key proteins required to control centriole formation: in its absence centrioles fail to form, while in excess PLK4 induces the formation of an extra number of those structures. Bettencourt-Dias’ team has now identified how PLK4 controls its levels, and ultimately the number of centrioles. By performing different biochemical assays, the researchers observed that PLK4 is capable of auto-regulating its levels by adding chemical groups of phosphate to itself, which will act as a signal for destruction. However, if PLK4 kills itself too early this will prevent it from ensuring the control of centriole number. …

Stem cell scarring aids recovery from spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injuries sever nerve fibres that conduct signals between the brain and the rest of the body, causing various degrees of paralysis depending on the site and extent of the injury. Functional impairment is often permanent, since the cut nerve fibres do not grow back. The lack of regeneration has been attributed to a blockage from scar tissue that forms at the lesion. …

Events coordination during embryogenesis

The study, published October 29 in the open access journal PLOS Biology, analyzes how the timing of gene expression is regulated in the notochord, the evolutionary and developmental precursor of the backbone. The notochord is the main feature that sets humans, mice, sea squirts and related animals (collectively known as chordates) apart from flies, worms and mollusks, and is essential for their development. A crucial player in the development of the notochord is the Brachyury gene, which encodes a DNA-binding protein that switches on the expression of numerous notochord genes and ensures their sequential deployment during the formation of this pivotal structure…