RENO, Nev. (KRNV & MyNews4.com) -- University of Nevada, Reno senior Clarissa Martins always knew she wanted to be involved in the medical field. Receiving the 2012 Thomas J. Bardos Award for her research involving cancer and nutrition is a reflection on those childhood dreams. "Winning this award means so much to me, and shows that all my hard work is paying off," Martins said. "Out of the 16,000 people who applied worldwide, I was one of the 17 people chosen for this award. It's a huge honor."

The award is intended to inspire young science students to enter the field of cancer research and to help those students develop their careers in science by providing a unique educational opportunity. Martins' research is largely inspired by her mother, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

"When I was about nine years old, my mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and as a child, I didn't really understand what that meant," Martins said. "So, I began researching cancer and in my freshmen year of college I found the Pardini research lab. I started out helping with a couple projects there and learned about various research techniques. My passion for cancer research exploded from there."

To be eligible for the award candidates must be a full-time, third-year undergraduate student majoring in science as well as a current American Association for Cancer Research member. Martins will receive $3,000 from the AACR, which grants the career-development award.

Martins said that she applied to the association upon the encouragement of her mentor Keith Kikawa, a postdoctoral scholar with the University's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

"My mentor initially told me about the award," Martins said. "The minute the application was open I was applying for it with his help."

The award is named after Thomas J. Bardos, a professor emeritus from the University at Buffalo, who participated in cancer research for more than 50 years.

Martins, scheduled to graduate in 2013, plans to be a clinical researcher in the oncology field.

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UNR biochemistry student receives global science award

09.07.2012 - (idw) Ruhr-Universitt Bochum

Researchers at the RUB and from Berkeley have used metal complexes to modify peptide hormones. In the Journal of the American Chemical Society, they report for the first time on the three-dimensional structure of the resulting metal-peptide compounds. With this work, we have laid the molecular foundation for the development of better medicines says Prof. Raphael Stoll from the Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Ruhr-University. The team examined hormones that influence the sensation of pain and tumour growth. Bochum, 9.7.2012 No. 237

A new avenue to better medicines Selectively modifying hormones and using them as medicinal substances German-American research team produces metal-peptide complexes

Researchers at the RUB and from Berkeley have used metal complexes to modify peptide hormones. In the Journal of the American Chemical Society, they report for the first time on the three-dimensional structure of the resulting metal-peptide compounds. With this work, we have laid the molecular foundation for the development of better medicines says Prof. Raphael Stoll from the Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Ruhr-University. The team examined hormones that influence the sensation of pain and tumour growth.

Peptide hormones have many functions in the body

Hormones consisting of amino acids, the peptide hormones, convey bodily sensations such as pain and hunger, but also transmit growth signals. One example of this is insulin, which is important for the control of blood sugar levels. In interaction with specific receptors, the G-protein-coupled receptors, peptide hormones transport their messages to the cells. The hormones can be specifically chemically modified so that their effect changes, for example pain tolerance is lowered, or tumour growth inhibited. The German-Californian group of researchers has now found a new way to modify peptide hormones.

Metal complexes react with various peptide hormones

The first time they used a metal complex, namely, a rhodium compound, which reacts with the amino acid tyrosine. The precious metal rhodium is used as a catalyst in the synthesis of highly complex medicinal substances in the research laboratory as well as in industrial plants. Among other things, the researchers analysed the peptide hormone encephalin, which is important for the sensation of pain, and octreotide. The latter is a synthetic derivative of the growth hormone somatostatin, approved as a medicinal substance and already used in the treatment of certain tumours. The reaction with the metal complex was highly selective. Although the hormones consist of hundreds of atoms, the rhodium compound was always coordinated by the carbon ring of the tyrosine - the phenol ring.

The team also clarified the structure of the resulting metal-peptide complexes. We hope to develop other metal-containing, peptide-like substances by building on these basic studies says Prof. Dr. Nils-Metzler-Nolte of the Chair of Inorganic Chemistry I. These could modulate the effect of naturally occurring peptide hormones and, for example, be used as a novel remedy for pain or cancer. For the project, the Californian colleagues made their knowledge of the special reactivity of the rhodium compound available. The researchers in Bochum contributed their experience with metal-peptides, the corresponding receptors and the structural analysis of biological macromolecules. This again demonstrates that cutting-edge competitive research can only be carried out efficiently within a research association, says Prof. Stoll. The German Research Foundation (SFB 642 and Research Unit 630) and the Research Department for Interfacial Systems Chemistry at RUB supported the work.

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A new avenue to better medicines: metal-peptide complexes

Chinese medical devices maker, Mindray Medical International Ltd (MR), recently announced that it will present its products at the American Association for Clinical Chemistrys 2012 Clinical Lab Expo. The exhibition will be held at Los Angeles, California, from July 17 to July 19.

The sophisticated and high-profile domain of the Clinical Lab Expo attracts reputed clinical laboratory professionals. Mindray is enthused about the opportunity to participate in the conference. It will use the opportunity to display its complete range of in-vitro diagnostic products as well as new products such as BS-2000 Auto Biochemistry Analyzer and EH-2050B Plus Automatic Urine Sediment Analyzer.

The BS-2000 modular system is the companys fastest biochemistry analyzer. The output range is 2,000 photometric tests for single modules, to 4,400 for dual modules with electrolyte tests. Given its high speed and methodological traceability, the product will be beneficial for hospital and clinical laboratories with high sample volumes, adding to versatility.

Mindray believes that BS-2000 has a high level of efficiency, automation and scalability. It also boasts of the easy consolidation of the product with its future offerings.

The Automatic Urine Sediment Analyzer EH-2050B for comprehensive urinalysis of patients is for automatic detection of the presence of red blood cells and other elements in the patients urine samples. Additionally, EH-2050B can be used in conjunction with various urinary dry-chemistry analyzers. The subsequent data from such analysis can help in developing an integrated urinalysis report of the patient.

Mindray is a bellwether in the Chinese MedTech industry with a solid international presence. A key distinction with domestic competitors is that the majority of Mindrays products have CE Mark and/or Food and Drug Administration (:FDA) clearance.

Mindray remains committed to innovative and high-quality product development in order to deliver high-performance towards consumer demand. The company maintains a decent product pipeline and brings out several new products each year. New products contribute in a major way to Mindrays revenues.

The company has entered the premium segment globally, where its competitive advantage is still unclear. Also, on the negative side, health care reforms in China and the U.S. may reduce demand for Mindrays products. Competition is fierce and could lead to price erosion over time.

Mindrays competitors in different niche segments include GE Healthcare, a part of General Electric (GE), Phillips Healthcare under Philips (PHG) and Siemens (SI). Our Neutral recommendation is supported by a short-term Zacks #3 Rank (Hold).

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Mindray to Present at Clinical Expo

NOVATO, Calif., July 5, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc., a biotechnology company focused on developing treatments for rare and ultra-rare genetic disorders, today announced the dosing of the first two patients in a Phase 2 study of UX001 for hereditary inclusion body myopathy (HIBM). HIBM is a rare, severe, neuromuscular disease caused by sialic acid deficiency. UX001 is an extended-release oral tablet formulation of sialic acid (SA-ER) intended as a substrate replacement therapy for HIBM.

The Phase 2 clinical trial is an international, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study of UX001 in HIBM patients. The study plans to enroll up to 45 patients between 18 and 65 years of age with a previously demonstrated mutation in the GNE gene causing HIBM. The subjects will receive either of two dose levels of SA-ER or placebo over 24 weeks, with all patients continuing on active treatment after 24 weeks. The study's primary objectives are evaluating safety, and improvements in sialylation biochemistry of muscle (pharmacodynamic endpoint). Clinical and patient-reported outcomes will also be evaluated, though the study is not powered for these endpoints. Study sites are located in the US and Israel. The total duration of the Phase 2 study is up to 48 weeks, with data expected in 2013.

Emil D. Kakkis, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Ultragenyx commented: "The initiation of this Phase 2 study is a critical milestone for our team in developing a therapeutic for HIBM patients who currently lack treatment options for this devastating disease. It follows quickly upon the positive results from our Phase 1 trial. This Phase 2 study should help us determine if UX001 is improving the biochemistry of the muscle in these patients and help us learn more about the disease. We look forward to seeing top line results next year."

About HIBM

HIBM is also known as GNE myopathy, Quadriceps Sparing Myopathy (QSM), Inclusion Body Myopathy type 2, Distal Myopathy with Rimmed Vacuoles (DMRV) and Nonaka myopathy. HIBM is a severe, adult-onset, progressive, genetic neuromuscular disease caused by a deficiency of an enzyme in the first step of sialic acid biosynthesis needed for the modification of proteins and fats. Patients with HIBM typically begin to have weakness and abnormal walking at 18 to 30 years of age. Over the ensuing 10 to 20 years, many patients progressively lose significant functional ability and become wheelchair-bound. There are no current treatments for this disease.

About Ultragenyx

Ultragenyx is a privately held, developmental stage biotechnology company committed to bringing life-enhancing therapeutics for patients with rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases, also known as orphan and ultra-orphan diseases, to market. The company focuses on rare metabolic diseases that affect small numbers of patients, but for which the unmet medical need is high and there are no effective treatments. Ultragenyx intends to build a sustainable pipeline of safe and effective therapies to address these underserved diseases. Ultragenyx' lead program, UX001, is being evaluated as a potential treatment for hereditary inclusion body myopathy (HIBM), also known as GNE myopathy. The UX001 program has been granted orphan drug designation in the US and the EU.

The company is led by an experienced management team in rare disease therapeutics. Ultragenyx is striving toward an improved model for successful rare disease drug development, which has the potential to increase efficiency while maintaining appropriate safety and efficacy standards. The company believes that it can deliver significant value to patients by building a high-quality pipeline of rare disease therapeutics and efficiently transforming good science into great medicine.

For more information on Ultragenyx, please visit the company's website at http://www.ultragenyx.com.

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Ultragenyx Initiates Phase 2 Study of UX001 in Hereditary Inclusion Body Myopathy, a Rare Neuromuscular Disease

SHENZHEN, China, July5, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- Mindray Medical International Limited (MR), a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices worldwide, announced today that it will present at the American Association for Clinical Chemistry's 2012 Clinical Lab Expo in Los Angeles, California from July 17 to July 19, 2012.

Mindray will exhibit its full range of in-vitro diagnostic products and new products including the BS-2000 Auto Biochemistry Analyzer and EH-2050B Plus Automatic Urine Sediment Analyzer.

The BS-2000 modular system is the fastest biochemistry analyzer designed by the company, with a throughput range from 2,000 photometric tests per hour for a single module to up to 4,400 tests per hour for dual modules with electrolyte tests. Hospitals and clinical laboratories with high sample volumes will benefit the most from its fast speed. The BS-2000 also has a complete line of original reagents and calibrators with methodological traceability and controls, making it a versatile option for customers seeking a high level of efficiency, automation and scalability. This model will integrate easily with future Mindray products.

The EH-2050B Plus fully automatic urine sediment analyzer performs comprehensive urinalysis for patients. The equipment can automatically track and analyze different elements, such as red blood cells, in urine samples. It can connect with different urine dry-chemistry analyzers and use their data to form an integrated urinalysis report.

"We are excited to showcase our products to the clinical laboratory professionals at this high-profile and reputable conference," said Mr. Jie Liu, Mindray's Chief Operating Officer. "We will continue to create innovative, high-quality and high-performance products in order to meet the needs of our customers worldwide."

Exhibition Details:

Date:July 17-19, 2012 Location: Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, California, USA Booth:#2235, South Hall

About AACC

The AACC is an international society comprising medical professionals with an interest in clinical chemistry, clinical laboratory science and laboratory medicine.

About Mindray

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Mindray Medical to Present at AACC Clinical Lab Expo 2012

Geneva, Switzerland, 3 July 2012 - Addex Therapeutics(ADXN.SW), a leading company pioneering allosteric modulation-based oral small molecule drug discovery and development, announced today the appointment of Dr. Graham Dixon to the newly created position of Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Research. Dr. Dixon will report directly to Dr. Bharat Chowrira, CEO of Addex, and will be responsible for leading all aspects of research and non-clinical development activities at Addex.

"We are delighted to have Graham join the Addex team. Graham has a strong background and an impressive track record in small molecule pharmaceutical research and development. He has been responsible for the discovery of novel drugs and steering their development from basic science into clinical development, as well as bringing products through mid-stage proof-of-concept clinical trials." stated Dr. Bharat Chowrira, CEO of Addex. "Addex` strength lies in our leading allosteric modulation technology and the ability to leverage this platform to develop drug candidates against previously undruggable but important validated biological targets. Graham`s experience and R&D leadership will be instrumental as we execute on our core strategy and continue to build a robust proprietary pipeline of high value drug discovery and development programs and rapidly advancing these drug candidates towards the clinic"

Dr. Dixon joins Addex with more than 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical researc, most recently as Chief Scientific Officer at Galapagos NV. In this role, Dr. Dixon was responsible for all research & early development within the company in multiple therapeutic areas as well as the management of more than 260 scientific personnel across three sites in the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Prior to Galapagos, Dr. Dixon was Chief Scientific Officer at Entomed SA, a developer of natural anticancer and anti-infective agents. Dr. Dixon joined Entomed from a similar role at antifungal therapeutic company, F2G Ltd. Before joining F2G, Dr. Dixon held several roles at AstraZeneca starting as a project manager in anti-infective research and culminating in the role of Global Product Director in the oncology division. He started his career as Head of Biochemistry at Dowelanco (UK) Ltd. Dr. Dixon earned his PhD in biochemistry from the University of Swansea and a BSc in applied biology from the University of Bradford.

"I am excited about joining Addex, the recognized industry leader in allosteric modulation-based oral small molecule drug discovery and development," said Dr. Dixon. "I look forward to building on the significant progress made by the world-class scientists at Addex and applying this powerful platform towards creating an attractive engine of innovative product candidates for the treatment of serious diseases and indications with a huge unmet medical need."

Addex Therapeutics (www.addextherapeutics.com) discovers and develops an emerging class of small molecule drugs, called allosteric modulators, which have the potential to be more specific and confer significant therapeutic advantages over conventional "orthosteric" small molecule or biological drugs. The Company uses its proprietary discovery platform to address receptors and other proteins that are recognized as attractive targets for modulation of important diseases with unmet medical needs. The Company`s two lead products are being investigated in Phase 2 clinical testing: dipraglurant (ADX48621, an mGluR5 negative allosteric modulator or NAM) is being developed by Addex to treat Parkinson`s disease levodopa-induced dyskinesia (PD-LID); and ADX71149 (mGluR2 positive allosteric modulator or PAM) is being developed by Addex` partner Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. to treat schizophrenia and anxiety seen in patients suffering from major depressive disorder. Addex also is advancing several preclinical programs including: GABA-BR PAM for overactive bladder, pain and other disorders; mGluR4 PAM for Parkinson`s, MS, anxiety and other diseases; GLP1R PAM for type 2 diabetes; and mGluR2 NAM for treating Alzheimer`s disease and depression. In addition, Addex has discovery programs to identify allosteric modulators of: receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) superfamily, including TrkB PAM for treating neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. Alzheimer`s, Parkinson`s and Huntington`s diseases); and TNF receptor superfamily, including TNFR1 NAM for inflammation (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis) and other diseases.

Mike Sinclair Halsin Partners Tel: +44 30 7318 2955 msinclair(at)halsin.com

Disclaimer: The foregoing release may contain forward-looking statements that can be identified by terminology such as "not approvable", "continue", "believes", "believe", "will", "remained open to exploring", "would", "could", or similar expressions, or by express or implied discussions regarding Addex Therapeutics, formerly known as, Addex Pharmaceuticals, its business, the potential approval of its products by regulatory authorities, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current views of Addex Therapeutics regarding future events, future economic performance or prospects, and, by their very nature, involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, whether known or unknown, and/or any other factor that may materially differ from the plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Such may in particular cause actual results with allosteric modulators of mGluR2, mGluR4, mGluR5, GABABR, GLP1R, TNFR1, TrkB or other therapeutic targets to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. There can be no guarantee that allosteric modulators of mGluR2, mGluR4, mGluR5, GABABR, GLP1R, TNFR1, TrkB or other therapeutics targets will be approved for sale in any market or by any regulatory authority. Nor can there be any guarantee that allosteric modulators of mGluR2, mGluR4, mGluR5, GABABR, GLP1R, TNFR1, TrkB or other therapeutic targets will achieve any particular levels of revenue (if any) in the future. In particular, management`s expectations regarding allosteric modulators of mGluR2, mGluR4, mGluR5, GABABR, GLP1R, TNFR1, TrkB or other therapeutic targets could be affected by, among other things, unexpected actions by our partners, unexpected regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; unexpected clinical trial results, including unexpected new clinical data and unexpected additional analysis of existing clinical data; competition in general; government, industry and general public pricing pressures; the company`s ability to obtain or maintain patent or other proprietary intellectual property protection. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Addex Therapeutics is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable laws.

The owner of this announcement warrants that: (i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and other applicable laws; and (ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Addex Therapeutics via Thomson Reuters ONE HUG#1623513

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Addex Appoints Dr. Graham Dixon as Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Research

COLUMBIA The bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) has a rudimentary molecular "memory" that allows it to swim toward the richest sources of food. MU biochemistry professor Gerald Hazelbauer's discoveries about bacteria could shed light on human and animal sensory, memory and response systems.

"When I began my work as a researcher in the late 1960s, studying bacterial behavior was a curiosity and its significance unclear," Hazelbauer said. "Now, decades later, the research done by my group and others has grown into a body of knowledge about the fundamental processes used by all living things to recognize, remember and respond to changes in their environments."

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) recently recognized and rewarded Hazelbauer's scientific contributions by granting him a "Method to Extend Research in Time" (MERIT) Award. The award, which is worth at least $5.5 million over 10 years, will allow him to continue his research without re-applying for funding. Hazelbauer joins only 11 other MU researchers who have received the MERIT award, including his wife, Linda Randall, who is also a biochemistry professor.

MERIT awards are intended to foster creativity and allow researchers to take more time to develop new techniques.

The awards are given only to scientists who have proven themselves by succeeding in at least 10 years of previous NIGMS-funded research and who seem likely to continue making valuable contributions to their field.

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MU Researcher Receives NIH MERIT Award

Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: MRI / PET / Ultrasound Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience;Medical Devices / Diagnostics;Biology / Biochemistry Article Date: 02 Jul 2012 - 3:00 PDT

Current ratings for: FMRI Brain Scanner Reads Thoughts Letter By Letter

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Bettina Sorger of Maastricht University in The Netherlands and colleagues report their work in the 28 June online issue of Current Biology.

Human communication depends on being able to move and use a multiplicity of muscles, such as in forming sounds and words and making gestures and facial expressions. To do this the neuromuscular system must be healthy and undamaged. But severely motor-disabled patients, such as those with locked-in syndrome, who are fully conscious and aware, can't have a back-and-forth conversation because their neuromuscular system is not intact.

The challenge to scientists trying to find ways to enable such patients to communicate is to tap into those parts of the brain that are performing the mental tasks of communication but are denied the means with which to express them physically, using the motor system or voluntary muscles.

fMRI tracks brain activity by measuring changes in blood flow (hemodynamics) and oxygen in the brain. When a brain area is more active it uses more oxygen, and to meet this increase in demand, the blood flow to the area increases. Thus using fMRI, researchers can produce activation maps that show which parts of the brain are involved in particular brain processes.

Neuroscientists like Adrian Owen and his team have already used fMRI to assess consciousness in people thought to be in an unconscious vegetative state and thus incapable of thought, and enabled them to respond yes or no to questions.

This latest study by Sorger and colleagues takes that work a stage further, as Sorger explained to the press:

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FMRI Brain Scanner Reads Thoughts Letter By Letter

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Kap girl published

This summer, from June 18 through Aug. 24, Western will host 10 students from across the country to participate in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program.

Spiegel, who is involved in REU, said this program benefits Westerns community by making the department and university more visible to other institutions and expanding Western's already vibrant research culture. Students need to be exceptional academically, show interest in research in their personal statements and we look for students who wouldnt have this opportunity otherwise, he said.

The main purpose of the REU program is to give students the opportunity to experience authentic research not found anywhere else, according to Westerns chemistry department's website.

Many students involved in the REU are from community colleges and small liberal arts universities, which may not have the funding or facilities to provide this kind of experience, Spiegel said.

REU programs at other institutions around the country work in a broad range of scientific fields, but at Western the focus is on chemistry, according to the chemistry department's website. During the 10-week program, Western provides students with a $4,500 stipend, a $1,000 allowance for meals and a reimbursement on travel expenses.

Nathan Drake, a Western student and biochemistry major, is head of support for the REU program.

Students are able to ask him questions they dont feel as comfortable asking their assigned faculty members, such as the best place to get coffee, supplies for living situations and can utilize him as a tour guide to make the transition easier, Drake said.

Charlie Snyder, an REU participant from Skidmore College in New York, is working with John Gilbertson to find a metal complex that can turn carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide, she said. Snyder said she thinks this the extensive lab experience will build her skills and improve her resume.

Visiting students work either with existing groups or individually, and always with a faculty member as a mentor. The research focuses on the field of synthetic chemistry, biochemistry and materials chemistry, Spiegel said. Being humbled by undergraduates' enthusiasm and raw intelligence are Spiegels favorite parts about working with the students, he said.

Washington benefits from this program because qualified students are better prepared for a high-tech, competitive workforce after graduation. Many program alumni get jobs in the Seattle area, Spiegel said.

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Grant brings student researchers to Western

Public release date: 27-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Angela Hopp ahopp@asbmb.org 240-283-6614 American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

In a recent Journal of Biological Chemistry "Paper of the Week," research led by Ayae Kinoshita at the Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan reveals the benefits of exercise in combating Alzheimer's disease.

The most common cause of dementia, Alzheimer's disease results in the loss of cognitive faculty. In the majority of cases, Alzheimer's disease occurs after age 65, and factors such as diet and exercise appear to play a role in its development, with high-fat diets as a risk factor.

Kinoshita's research compared the effects of 1) diet control, 2) voluntary exercise and 3) diet control plus exercise in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model. The results showed that exercise was more beneficial than diet control in reducing -amyloid formation (a defining characteristic of Alzheimer's disease) and restoring memory loss induced by a high-fat diet in these mice. Moreover, Kinoshita's team found that the effect of diet control plus exercise was not significantly different than exercise alone. They attribute the positive effects of exercise to increased degradation of -amyloid deposits in the brain.

"Based on the results in this research," Kinoshita suggests, "exercise should be given priority to prevent Alzheimer's disease."

From the article: "Exercise is more effective than diet control in preventing high fat diet-induced -amyloid deposition and memory deficit in amyloid precursor protein transgenic mice" by Masato Maesako, Kengo Uemura, Masakazu Kubota, Akira Kuzuya, Kazuki Sasaki, Naoko Hayashida, Megumi Asada-Utsugi, Kiwamu Watanabe, Maiko Uemura, Takeshi Kihara, Ryosuke Takahashi, Shun Shimohama and Ayae Kinoshita

Read the Paper in Press version here: http://www.jbc.org/content/early/2012/05/14/jbc.M111.315358.abstract.

Corresponding author: Ayae Kinoshita, School of Human Health Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine in Kyoto, Japan; email: akinoshita@hs.med.kyoto-u.ac.jp

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Exercise is key in the fight against Alzheimer's disease

SAULT STE MARIE, Ontario, June 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- NSU Resources Inc (NOST) announced the full-time appointment of Dr. Robert Williams as Chief Technology Officer to oversee the commercial development and the commercial proving of the company's rare earth extraction process to target heavy rare earth elements, a group of rare earth elements for which cost-effective purification technologies are lacking.

Dr. Williams (49) is a chemist with a PhD in biochemistry with 22 years experience in the isolation of rare molecules in the industrial sector. He has authored and co-authored 1 patent and 10 papers. He has worked in various capacities in private and public companies, including Avance Pharma. Dr. Williams is a Nova Scotia native with substantive contacts in the mining and industrial sectors.

About NSU Resources Inc

NSU Resources, Inc. is a mineral exploration and carbon development company. Our mission is to become a vertically integrated provider of Rare Earth Elements. We are targeting growth from the acquisition of mineral and carbon rights worldwide.

Information: investors@nsuresources.com Phone 1-877-238-3173

Safe Harbour Statement

Sections of this press release contain forward-looking statements, which reflect management's best judgment based on factors currently known but involve significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including but not limited to risks more fully described in the "Risk factors" section of the Company's Annual Report and other risks. Forward-looking information provided pursuant to the safe harbour established by recent securities legislation should be evaluated in the context of these factors.

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ScienceDaily (June 22, 2012) Once considered merely a passive link between proteins that matter, Grb2 -- pronounced "grab2" -- actually lives up to its nickname with its controlling grip on an important cell signaling pathway, scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report in the June 22 issue of Cell.

"Grb2 is a switch that controls normal signaling through the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)," said the paper's senior author, John Ladbury, Ph.D., professor in MD Anderson's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

"Perhaps the best way to think about it is that Grb2 controls cell homeostasis (stable state) before a growth factor binds to FGFR, activating this molecular pathway," Ladbury said.

In addition to discovering a fundamental aspect of FGFR signaling, the researchers' discovery points to a potential explanation of why genomic alterations found in breast, bladder and gastric cancers and melanoma might promote cancer formation and growth, Ladbury noted.

FGFR has a docking station to receive growth factors on the cell surface, and another internal region that passes the growth factor signal on to proteins inside the cell by attaching phosphate groups to them.

FGFR employs phosphorylation to regulate a number of important processes, including the cell cycle, cell proliferation and migration. When some of these pathways become overactive, they can contribute to cancer growth and survival.

Like "a car idling in neutral" ready to go

Grb2's full name reflects its location: growth factor receptor-bound protein 2. In the great rush of molecular signaling pathway mapping in the 1990s, Ladbury noted that Grb2 was labeled an "adaptor protein," one that has no activity of its own apart from connecting to other proteins.

Mapping ran way ahead of figuring out each protein's function in a signaling pathway, Ladbury said, and scientists are still catching up in that area.

"When you think about it, why would a cell bother to produce a protein that plays only a passive role linking one protein to another?" Ladbury said. He and his colleagues found that's simply not the case with Grb2.

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Grb2 holds powerful molecular signaling pathway in check

Public release date: 21-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Angela Hopp ahopp@asbmb.org 240-283-6600 American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Supertasting describes the ability to strongly detect food flavors such as bitter and sweet, and it can affect a person's food preferences. For example, supertasters are often averse to green vegetables because their bitter taste is amplified. Supertasters may also prefer foods lower in sugar and fat. Approximately one out of four people is a supertaster, and a supertaster's avoidance of sweet and fatty foods may have protective cardiovascular effects.

Christopher Nosrat and colleagues at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Pennsylvania have developed a new mouse model that may be useful to study supertasting. The team's work was reported in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Nosrat's group developed mice whose taste buds overexpress brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a growth factor for neurons and a protein that is important for the distribution of nerves to sensory organs, such as taste buds. These mice had larger taste buds, an increased number of taste cells per taste bud, and a greater supply of nerves in the taste buds compared with the control mice. These features suggest that the mice could be a model for supertasters, whose tongues have an increased number of fungiform taste buds (a specific kind of taste bud on the front and sides of the tongue that detects the five basic tastes).

"By generating the supertaster rodent model," Nosrat reports, "we are able to study the supertasting phenomenon in detail." Furthermore, brain-derived neurotrophic factor is important for proper development of the nervous system, Nosrat explains, and this mouse model can facilitate the development of therapies for nerve injuries in which taste signaling to the brain has been damaged.

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From the article: "Targeted taste cell-specific overexpression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in adult taste buds elevates phosphorylated TrkB protein levels in taste cells, increases taste bud size, and promotes gustatory innervation" by Irina V. Nosrat, Robert F. Margolskee, and Christopher A. Nosrat. See it online: http://www.jbc.org/content/287/20/16791.

Corresponding author: Christopher A. Nosrat, Center for Adult Cancer Research, University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis; email: canosrat@gmail.com.

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A new model to understand the supertasting phenomenon

Editor's Choice Main Category: Biology / Biochemistry Article Date: 20 Jun 2012 - 11:00 PDT

Current ratings for: 'How Protein Clumps Are Pulled Apart'

In humans, amyloid fibers form biological nanostructures that house pigments and other molecules, and may also play an important role in long-term memory. These fibers are one of the most stable protein-based structures in nature, so when they are harmful in diseases, such as Parkinson's, they are extremely difficult for cells to break down.

As a result, Martin Duennwald and AnaLisa Echeverria, at the Boston Biomedical Research Institute, and James Shorter, assistant professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of Pennsylvania, set out to find ways to promote beneficial amyloid fiber assembly or to reverse its pathogenic assembly, at will. The study is published in PLoS Biology.

Yeast have a protein called Hsp104 that can quickly disassemble amyloid fibers, and this activity is significantly enhances by a group of small heat shock proteins. However, humans and other animals do not have the Hsp104 protein, thus raising the question of whether human cells are also capable of disassembling amyloid fibers?

In this study, the researchers found that when Hsp104 is absent, the yeast small heat shock proteins work together with other proteins to disassemble amyloid fibers. The proteins slowly remove each subunit one by one from the tips of the fibers. The team were surprised by this activity as these proteins are best known for their role in preventing protein clumping.

Shorter explained:

According to the researchers, the proteins of the amyloid-disaggregating machinery in yeast are also present in humans. Therefore, human small heat shock proteins are able to work together with other proteins to disassemble amyloid fibers, even without Hsp104.

They state that these findings could lead to the development of new therapies for different neurodegenerative disorders.

Their aim is to activate the machinery in humans to pull apart disease-causing amyloid fibers where and when needed by increasing the expression of heat shock proteins.

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How Protein Clumps Are Pulled Apart

21st June, 2012

Power Impian International Sdn. BHd., a subsidiary of Power Root Group has cooperated with Mibelle Biochemistry to launch an innovative anti-aging product, Impian SemCell at Swiss Garden Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, on 24 May 2012 and MOU signing ceremony has been held between Power Impian International Sdn. Bhd., Chemical Solutions Sdn. Bhd. and Mibelle Biochemistry for the exclusiveness agreement of latest innovative skin care formulation, DermCom Forte to Power Impian.

PhytoCellTec Malus Domestica was the result of scientific research by Dr. Fred Zulli from Mibelle Biochemistry. According to the research, Swiss Apple Stem Cell (PhytoCellTec Malus Domestica) is able to increase the vitality of body stem cell up to 92% thus is good for improving overall body health and youthfulness.

Since its launch in November last year, Power Impian have received a lot of positive feedback and testimonies for anti-aging benefit as well as health regained benefit such as reduced skin scars for allergic problem, improved skin radiance and fairer skin etc. From the testimony feedback, the consumer can have the significant changes for the skin problem and health problem within a short period time of consumption.

To answer the ever growing demand and to fit the needs of everyone, Power Impian has now cooperated again with Mibelle Biochemistry and Chemical Solutions Sdn. Bhd. to further formulate a qualitative and innovative skin care product series enhanced with DermCom Forte, one natural active ingredient formulation for skin care cosmetic which is just launched in Barcelona in last month and has been awarded silver prize. This active ingredient has been studied and came out with a lot of supportive data from Dr. Fred Zulli. With this new and unique formulation supported by the latest technology and clinical study, this upcoming skin care product series will be the superb quality choice and would perform satisfactorily in the market.

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Power Impian leads with revolutionary skin care trend

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IF YOU would like to read the latest research from my lab, be my guest. Our report on a protein from a mouse version of the winter vomiting virus has just been published in the journal PLoS One and is available online for free to anyone (vol 7, p e38723).

Contrast that with my first paper, published in 1990, which you could only have read if you had access to a university library with an expensive subscription to the journal Biochemistry.

Back in 1990 before the world wide web that was how scientific publishing was done. Today it is being transformed by open access publishers like the Public Library of Science. Rather than being funded by journal subscriptions, these publishers charge authors or their institutions the cost of publication and make their papers available for free online.

Many scientists are passionate supporters of open access and want to see the old model swept away. They have launched a protest movement dubbed the Academic Spring and organised a high-profile boycott of journals published by Elsevier. And the tide appears to be turning in their favour. This week the Finch Report, commissioned by the UK government, recommended that research papers especially those funded by the taxpayer should be made freely available to anyone who wants to read them.

Advocates of open access claim it has major advantages over the subscription model that has been around since academic journals were invented in the 17th century. They argue that science operates more effectively when findings can be accessed freely and immediately by scientists around the world. Better yet, it allows new results to be data-mined using powerful web-crawling technology that might spot connections between data insights that no individual would be likely to make.

But if open access is so clearly superior, why has it not swept all before it? The model has been around for a decade but about nine-tenths of the approximately 2 million research papers that appear every year are still published behind a paywall.

Part of the reason is scientists' reluctance to abandon traditional journals and the established ranking among them. Not all journals are equal they are graded by impact factor, which reflects the average number of times that the papers they publish are cited by others. Nature's impact factor is 36, one of the highest going, whereas Biochemistry's is around 3.2. Biochemistry is well regarded many journals have lower factors but a paper in Nature is still a much greater prize.

Unfortunately, it is prized for the wrong reasons. Impact factors apply to journals as a whole, not individual papers or their authors.

Despite this, scientists are still judged on publications in high-impact journals; funding and promotion often depend on it. Consequently few are willing to risk bucking the trend. This has allowed several publishers to resist calls to abandon the subscription model.

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Set science free from publishers' paywalls

ScienceDaily (June 18, 2012) Biochemists at the University of California, Riverside report a new role for vitamin C in plants: promoting the production of twins and even triplets in plant seeds.

Daniel R. Gallie, a professor of biochemistry, and Zhong Chen, an associate research biochemist in the Department of Biochemistry, found that increasing the level of dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), a naturally occurring enzyme that recycles vitamin C in plants and animals, increases the level of the vitamin and results in the production of twin and triplet seedlings in a single seed.

The value of the discovery lies in the potential to produce genetically identical seedlings and increase production of high-value crops.

"The ability to increase fertility can be extremely useful when the inherent rate of fertility is low or the value of the crop is great, such as corn in which the production of multiple embryos would significantly boost its protein content," Gallie said. "The extra seedlings per seed may also enhance per-seed survival chances for some species."

Study results appear in the online journal PLoS ONE.

Just as in humans, twins in plants can be either genetically identical or fraternal. Gallie and Chen discovered that the twins and triplets produced in tobacco plants when vitamin C was increased were true twins or triplets as they were genetically identical.

In the lab, the researchers went on to show that injecting plant ovaries with vitamin C was sufficient to produce twins or triplets and that the vitamin causes the zygote, the fertilized egg, to divide into two or even three fertilized egg cells before these cells proceed through subsequent stages of development to produce twins or triplets.

Although they used tobacco in their research, Gallie predicts vitamin C could generate twins and triplets in other plants as well.

"Because the early stages of embryo development are so conserved among plant species, we expect that vitamin C will have a similar effect in almost any plant," he said.

A question raised by the study is whether vitamin C might have a similar effect in humans. In contrast to most animals, humans cannot make vitamin C and it must, therefore, be obtained regularly from dietary sources.

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Link between vitamin C and twin seedlings can increase seed production in crops

Linda McCormick, a pollution-prevention expert with a biochemistry degree from UC Berkeley, said recycling was not a priority at the University when she first became a resource conservation manager for the UNM Recycling Program in 2003.

McCormick said she is proud to watch the program grow, and that UNM recycled 125,000 tons of material last year. McCormick said the recycling program includes eight staff members who pick up recyclable materials from all over campus every day. She said staff members separate the recyclable materials into different categories to put into bales, which are then sold to a range of recycling companies. She said the program helps the University save a lot of money on trash disposal.

McCormick said the program utilizes a lot of unused items from other departments. She said the program reuses trash bins from Athletics, which adds a great component to the recycling program.

The UNM Recycling Program welcomes students, staff and faculty members to drop off recyclable trash at their location next to Tucker Avenue and Camino del Servicio on North Campus.

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Depth of the Field

A model representing the interaction of the p65 protein with telomerase RNA. The RNA backbone of telomerase (multicolored) is shown interacting with three different parts of the p65 protein (shown in gold, blue, and light green). Credit: Mahavir Singh, Juli Feigon/UCLA Chemistry and Biochemistry

(Phys.org) -- UCLA biochemists have mapped the structure of a key proteinRNA complex that is required for the assembly of telomerase, an enzyme important in both cancer and aging.

The researchers found that a region at the end of the p65 protein that includes a flexible tail is responsible for bending telomerase's RNA backbone in order to create a scaffold for the assembly of other protein building blocks. Understanding this protein, which is found in a type of single-celled organism that lives in fresh water ponds, may help researchers predict the function of similar proteins in humans and other organisms.

The study was published June 14 in the online edition of the journal Molecular Cell and is scheduled for publication in the print edition on July 13.

The genetic code of both the single-celled protozoan Tetrahymena and humans is stored within long strands of DNA packaged neatly within chromosomes. The telomerase enzyme helps create telomeres protective caps at the ends of the chromosomes that prevent the degradation of our DNA, said Juli Feigon, a UCLA professor of chemistry and biochemistry and senior author of the study.

Each time the cell divides, the telomeres shorten, acting like the slow-burning fuse of a time bomb. After many divisions, the telomeres become eroded to a point that can trigger cell death.

Cells with abnormally high levels of telomerase activity constantly rebuild their protective chromosomal caps, allowing them to replicate indefinitely and become, essentially, immortal. Yet undying cells generally prove to be more of a curse than a blessing, Feigon said.

"Telomerase is not very active in most of our cells because we don't want them to live forever," said Feigon, who is also a researcher at UCLA's Molecular Biology Institute and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. "After many generations, DNA damage builds up and we wouldn't want to pass those errors on to subsequent cells."

Overactive telomerase has potentially lethal consequences far beyond the propagation of erroneous DNA. The enzyme is particularly lively within cancer cells, which prevents them from dying out naturally. Finding a way to turn off telomerase in cancer cells might help prevent the diseased cells from multiplying.

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Scientists discover how key enzyme involved in aging, cancer assembles