(Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute) Researchers at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital have uncovered the detailed architecture of a crucial component of Tankyrase, a protein linked to the bone development disorder cherubism and involved in a myriad of cellular processes. The discovery is the first structural insight into precisely how the enzyme correctly identifies its targets, or substrates. The work provides researchers with a greater understanding of Tankyrase’s cellular control processes, and may also lead to the development of new designer drugs to treat cancer.

(Brown University) Scientists have determined the structure of an enzyme complex that regulates vital cell functions. Disregulation of such complexes is associated with diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s. The new work provides drug developers with a specific and unique new target to consider in their efforts to find new treatments.

(University of Gothenburg) By consuming fewer calories, aging can be slowed down and the development of age-related diseases such as cancer and type two diabetes can be delayed. The earlier calorie intake is reduced, the greater the effect. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have now identified one of the enzymes that hold the key to the aging process.

(Technische Universitaet Muenchen) The protein p53 plays an essential role in the prevention of cancer by initiating the controlled death of a cell with damaged genes which is in danger to transform into a cancerous cell. The heat shock protein Hsp90, in turn, activates and stabilizes p53. Now scientists of the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) have discovered both the site where the two proteins interact and the interaction mechanism.

(Optical Society of America) Current blood testing procedures are expensive and time-consuming, while sophisticated test equipment is bulky and difficult to transport. A team of researchers from the University of Toledo in Ohio has addressed all these drawbacks in a new low-cost, portable blood testing technique using Surface Plasmon Resonance. Described in Biomedical Optics Express, this could help in a wide range of medical sensing applications, including diagnosing diseases like cancer and diabetes long before clinical symptoms arise.

(Michigan State University) Most middle-schoolers struggle to grasp the introductory concepts of genetics, a field of study considered crucial to advancing solutions to health problems and disease such as cancer, according to a study led by a Michigan State University researcher.

(University of Rochester Medical Center) Researchers found a new way to surpass a common mutation that is estimated to cause a third of genetic disorders. The mutation causes the body to create shortened, disabled proteins, which lead to disease like cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and cancer. The newly discovered approach directs the body to create normal, full-length proteins and could aid the development of treatment strategies to change the course of these, and other debilitating genetic conditions.

(University of California – San Diego) Cancer and chronic inflammation are partners in peril, with the latter increasing the likelihood that malignant tumors will develop, grow and spread. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say they’ve identified a tumor inflammation trigger that is common to most, if not all, cancers. And using existing inhibitory drugs, the scientists were able to dramatically decrease primary tumor growth in animal studies and, more importantly, halt tumor progression and metastasis.

(Case Western Reserve University) Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have discovered a genetic factor that can regulate obesity-induced inflammation that contributes to chronic health problems.If they learn to control levels of the factor, “We have a shot at a novel treatment for obesity and its complications, such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer,” said Mukesh K. Jain, M.D., lead author.

(University of Edinburgh) Tiny fibers used to strengthen everyday products such as bicycle frames and hockey sticks could pose health hazards to those involved in their manufacture.Certain types of carbon nanotubes — cylindrical molecules about one-thousandth of the width of a human hair — could cause cancer in the lining of the lung, University of Edinburgh researchers have found.