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Self-perpetuating signals may drive tumor cells to spread

A team of international researchers has identified a self-perpetuating signaling circuit in connective tissue cells that allows them to form a front and back and propel themselves in a particular direction. This propulsion is similar to the movement used by tumor cells to invade healthy tissue during cancer metastasis.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalMolecular Biology of the Cell·DateJul 16, 2013

Using math to kill cancer cells

Researchers used advanced mathematical modelling to devise strategies for making cancer cells exquisitely sensitive to virus infection, killing them without affecting normal cells. The models were remarkably accurate, predicting experimental outcomes in a mouse model of the disease and creating a useful framework for further research.

SourceThe Ottawa Hospital·JournalNature Communications·DateJun 14, 2013

UCLA scientists isolate new population of pluripotent stem cells in fat removed during liposuction

Researchers at UCLA have isolated a new population of pluripotent stem cells, called Multi-lineage Stress-Enduring (Muse-AT) cells, from fat tissue that can differentiate into virtually every cell type in the human body. These cells are stress-resistant and may even be activated by severe stress, making them potentially superior source...

Biologists take snapshot of fleeting protein process

Researchers have captured the first three-dimensional crystalline snapshot of the initial step in actin filament formation, crucial for understanding cell shape and cancer. The study's dual-mutant approach helped overcome challenges in forming crystals, revealing critical contacts involved in nucleation.

SourceRice University·JournalCell Reports·DateMay 30, 2013

New possibilities for prostate cancer treatment revealed

Researchers at Monash University have identified a sub-group of cells that can contribute to prostate cancer recurrence, opening up new treatment options. These previously unidentified cells are potential targets for future therapies and may be targeted before the cancer reaches an incurable stage.

SourceMonash University·JournalScience Translational Medicine·DateMay 29, 2013

Mayo Clinic: How gold nanoparticles can help fight ovarian cancer

Mayo Clinic researchers found that positively charged gold nanoparticles can be effective against ovarian cancer cells when their cellular stress is increased. This is achieved by inhibiting calcium uptake into the mitochondria, which helps to make the nanoparticles more effective in destroying cancer cells.

SourceMayo Clinic·JournalJournal of Biological Chemistry·DateMay 21, 2013

Hot on the TRAIL of graft vs. host disease

Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center have discovered that expression of TRAIL in transplanted hematopoietic stem cells is critical for an effective anti-tumor response. This finding has led to the development of new therapeutic strategies to suppress graft-versus-host disease while maintaining anti-tumor activity.

SourceJCI Journals·JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation·DateMay 15, 2013

Study IDs key protein for cell death

Researchers at MIT have identified ALKBH7 as a key protein involved in programmed necrosis, a cell death pathway that can help prevent cancer cells from surviving DNA damage. By mimicking the effects of this protein, drugs may be able to induce necrosis in resistant cancer cells, providing a new potential target for cancer treatment.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalGenes & Development·DateMay 14, 2013

Stanford researchers develop new technique to track cell interactions in living bodies

Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine developed a new technique to visualize cell interactions in living mice, pinpointing metastatic cancer cells' locations after breaking off from initial tumor sites. The method uses light-emitting proteins and has potential applications in studying various cell interactions.

SourceStanford Medicine·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMay 6, 2013

Computer algorithms help find cancer connections

Researchers developed powerful data-sifting algorithms to assemble the most complete genetic profile of acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive form of blood cancer. The work aims to lead to new AML treatments based on the genetics of each patient's disease.

SourceBrown University·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·DateMay 1, 2013

Screening detects ovarian cancer using neighboring cells

A Northwestern University study has developed a pioneering biophotonics technology to detect ovarian cancer by analyzing cells from the cervix or uterus. The partial wave spectroscopic microscopy technique shows diagnostic changes in these cells even when they appear normal under a microscope, offering a potential breakthrough in early...

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalInternational Journal of Cancer·DateApr 22, 2013

Cancer cell metabolism kills

Researchers at the University of Helsinki discovered that the Myc oncoprotein makes cancer cells vulnerable to cell death by activating AMPK, a biochemical sensor. This leads to the activation of tumor suppressor protein p53, which promotes apoptosis in cancer cells.

SourceUniversity of Helsinki·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateApr 15, 2013