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Compound stymies polyomaviruses in lab

By Guest PostNovember 25, 2013Sciencebiologist walter atwood, bk polyomavirus, brown university, chembridge, chemical compound, compound stymies, cyclizing reaction, daniel carney, daniel dimaio, dhq, dihydroquinazolinone, drug, endoplasmic reticulum, er, hours of infection, immune systems, infection, intracellular protein, jason sello, lab cell cultures, pathogen infection, paul williard, people with hiv, polyomavirus, retro, ricin, sv40 polyomavirus, toxins, trafficking mechanisms, transportation hub, treat polyomaviruses, yale university

There is no approved medicine to treat polyomaviruses, which afflict people with weakened immune systems, but scientists have found that a chemical compound called Retro-2 is able to reduce significantly the infectivity and spread of the viruses in lab cell cultures. Now they are working to improve it.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — A team of scientists reports that a small-molecule compound showed significant success in controlling the infectivity and spread of three polyomaviruses in human cell cultures. To date there has been no medicine approved to treat such viruses, which prey on transplant recipients, people with HIV, and others whose immune systems have been weakened. (more…)

Vicious cycle: Changes in brain chemistry sustain obesity

By Guest PostJune 25, 2013Sciencealpha msh, amparo romero, bogdan litvinov, brain cells, brain chemistry, breakdown, brown university, calorie burning, cell, change, chemical called tudca, cycle, diet induced obesity, eduardo a nillni, endoplasmic reticulum, er, gene, high calorie diet, hormone, hormone trh, isin cakir, key enzyme, key proteins, leptin, lifespan researcher, mario perello, nicole cyr, normal weight, obesity, pc2, pomc, pro opiomelanocortin, production, protein processing mechanism, rhode island hospital, ronald stuart, vicious cycle

In a new discovery reported in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Brown University and Lifespan researchers show that in the brain cells of rats, obesity impedes the production of a hormone that curbs appetite and inspires calorie burning. The root cause appears to be a breakdown in the protein-processing mechanism of the cells. In the lab, the researchers showed they could fix the breakdown with drugs.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — With obesity reaching epidemic levels in some parts of the world, scientists have only begun to understand why it is such a persistent condition. A study in the Journal of Biological Chemistry adds substantially to the story by reporting the discovery of a molecular chain of events in the brains of obese rats that undermined their ability to suppress appetite and to increase calorie burning. (more…)

Scientists Dramatically Reduce Plaque-Forming Substances in Mice with Alzheimer’s Disease

By Guest PostSeptember 8, 2012Sciencea beta peptides, ajaya kunwar, alzheimer's disease, amp kinase, ampk, amyloid beta, amyloid precursor protein, app, chemical reaction, chhavy tep, cognitive decline, compound, cycle, dong ju park, endoplasmic reticulum, enzyme, er, fat, genetic manipulation, glucose, jae cheon ryu, jnk3, metabolism, mice, mouse brain, mtor pathway, ohio state university, proteins, reduction, rna expression, sung ok yoon, symptom, tae hee lim, type 2 diabetes, yong jae shin

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Scientists have found that eliminating an enzyme from mice with symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease leads to a 90 percent reduction in the compounds responsible for formation of the plaques linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

That is the most dramatic reduction in this compound reported to date in published research.

The compounds are amyloid beta, or A-beta peptides; peptides are proteins, but are shorter in length. When A-beta peptides accumulate in excessive amounts in the brain, they can form plaques, which are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. (more…)

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Compound stymies polyomaviruses in lab

Vicious cycle: Changes in brain chemistry sustain obesity

Scientists Dramatically Reduce Plaque-Forming Substances in Mice with Alzheimer’s Disease