Leicester scientists map structure of key complex in the immune system
Leicester scientists have mapped the "bouquet-like" structure of a key part of the body's immune system responsible for neutralising bacteria and viruses. A team from the University of Leicester's Departments of Infection, Immunity, and Inflammation and Biochemistry led a project which has mapped the structure of complement component C1 - a large complex of the immune system. The C1 complex is a protein which is responsible for spotting foreign agents in the blood which can cause disease - known as pathogens.
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Ibuprofen no good in treating colds or sore throats
Questions have been raised about the advice given to patients with a cold and sore throat, in research published in the British Medical Journal. A study carried out by the University of Southampton showed that compared with paracetamol, ibuprofen or a combination of both ibuprofen and paracetamol provide no advantage for patients overall with respiratory tract infections (otherwise known as colds or sore throats). Additionally steam inhalation, another common treatment method, has no clear benefit and around 2 per cent of people get mild scalding but not bad enough to see a doctor.
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Double-pronged attack could treat common children's cancer
A dual-pronged strategy using two experimental cancer drugs together could successfully treat a childhood cancer by inhibiting tumour growth and blocking off the escape routes it uses to become resistant to treatment, finds a new study. Scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, found that combining two separate molecularly targeted therapies could stop processes driving growth in a cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma, a major cause of cancer death in children. The drugs, called AZD8055 and AZD6244, block two different signalling pathways involved in cancer growth - acting like road-blocks on two separate routes that cancers could otherwise use to evade treatment.
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New knowledge about serious muscle disease
Recent research from University of Copenhagen sheds light on previously unknown facts about muscular dystrophy at molecular level. The breakthrough is hoped to improve future diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Researchers have developed a method that will make it easier to map the proteins that have an important kind of sugar monomer, mannose, attached. This is an important finding, as mannose deficiency can lead to diseases such as muscular dystrophy.
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IMI launches Call for proposals with focus on flu vaccines
As the flu vaccination season gets underway, IMI is launching a new Call for proposals for a project that will develop tools to aid the development of new, more effective flu vaccines. The 5-year project will have a budget of €12.2 million, half of which will come from the European Commission's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), and half of which will come from in kind contributions by the large pharmaceutical companies taking part in the project. Every year, pharmaceutical companies develop vaccines designed specifically to combat the strains of flu that are most likely to be circulating in the population the following winter. Vaccines are also developed in response to emerging pandemics.
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Insights into how TB tricks the immune system could help combat the disease
Researchers have identified a potential way to manipulate the immune system to improve its ability to fight off tuberculosis (TB). TB is a major problem for both humans and cattle and the new findings could help scientists to create better drugs to combat the disease in both. The disease is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which infects the lungs. The mycobacteria are able to establish persistent TB infections by taking up residence in macrophages – cells of the immune system that would normally destroy invading microorganisms.
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A protein safeguards against cataracts
The refractive power of the human eye lens relies on a densely packed mixture of proteins. Special protective proteins ensure that these proteins do not clump together as time passes. When this protective mechanism fails, the ocular lens becomes clouded - the patient develops a cataract. Scientists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) have now resolved the activation mechanism of one of these protective proteins, laying the foundation for the development of new therapeutic alternatives. The lens of the human eye is made up of a highly concentrated protein solution that imparts the eye its high refractive power.
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