Cancer researchers have discovered a new 'dustman' role for a molecule that helps a drug kill cancer cells according to a study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The new findings point to a possible test that could identify patients who would be most responsive to a new class of cancer drugs and also those who might develop resistance, as well as suggesting new approaches to discovering more effective drugs. The study, by Cancer Research UK-funded scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, shows that a molecule - known as 'Cullin-5' (CUL5) - behaves like a combined cleaner and dustman: sweeping up the proteins that tell cancer cells to divide continuously and consigning them to the cellular 'dustbin' for disposal.
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Positive trial data suggests Exenatide has the potential to be a disease modifying agent in Parkinson's disease
The Cure Parkinson's Trust, a charity founded by four people with Parkinson's disease, which is dedicated to facilitating and funding work towards a cure, today announces the publication of trial results which suggest possible disease modifying advantages twelve months after cessation of exposure to Exenatide in patients with Parkinson's disease. Exenatide has previously been identified as having a positive impact on insulin resistance. In a Parkinson's study published in May 2013, significant and clinically meaningful differences were demonstrated between the scores for those receiving Exenatide and the controls for both motor and cognitive symptoms 12 months after the start of the trial. Both the original and the follow-up trials were conducted at the UCL Institute of Neurology and were funded by The Cure Parkinson's Trust.
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Unexpected results in cancer drug trial
Research from the University of Southampton has shown a drug, used in combination with chemotherapy to treat advanced colorectal cancer, is not effective in some settings, and indeed may result in more rapid cancer progression.The New EPOC study, published in The Lancet Oncology and funded by Cancer Research UK, evaluated whether the drug cetuximab and chemotherapy together worked better than chemotherapy alone as a treatment in addition to surgery for people with bowel cancer that had spread to the liver but could be surgically removed. In the trial patients either received chemotherapy on its own or chemotherapy combined with cetuximab.
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Novel plant biotechnology approach for sustainable production of pharmaceutical compounds
European scientists have made ground-breaking discoveries for improving the efficiency of the production of pharmaceuticals through plant biotechnology. Biotechnological production offers a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to the chemical synthesis of rare and complex pharmaceutical compounds currently isolated from plants. The results have been achieved in the European SmartCell project coordinated by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.
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Choices in TB vaccine development
Scarce global funding for the development of new tuberculosis vaccines forces to select rigorously in the current portfolio of TB vaccine candidates. Because it's not possible to support all vaccine candidates, TBVI developed an instrument to make the right decisions in order to advance vaccine development: portfolio management. Tuberculosis takes approximately 1.3 million lives per year. It#s not only a huge cost to humanity, but also affects economies worldwide, and not only in developing countries. According to very conservative calculations, the direct costs of TB in the EU add up to about € 537 million per year.
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Nanoparticles cause cancer cells to self-destruct
Using magnetically controlled nanoparticles to force tumour cells to 'self-destruct' sounds like science fiction, but could be a future part of cancer treatment, according to research from Lund University in Sweden. The researchers have used nanoparticles of iron oxide that have been treated with a special form of magnetism. Once the particles are inside the cancer cells, the cells are exposed to a magnetic field, and the nanoparticles begin to rotate in a way that causes the lysosomes to start destroying the cells.
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UCB CEO, Roch Doliveux, to chair Innovative Medicines Initiative board for a second term
UCB and IMI announced today that UCB CEO Roch Doliveux has again been appointed Chair of the Governing Board of the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), a public-private partnership between the European Union and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). UCB has been a member of IMI since its initiation in 2006 with Roch Doliveux joining the IMI Governing Board in May 2010, and Chairing the IMI Governing Board from 2012 to 2013.
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