(Press-News.org) SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Nov. 21, 2010) — What prompts normal cells to transform themselves into cancerous cells? Researchers from Texas institutions, including the UT Health Science Center San Antonio, have identified factors in the very first step of the process and reconstituted this first step in the test tube. The latter accomplishment was reported Sunday [Nov. 21] in the top-tier journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.
The DNA molecule — the elegant, twin-stranded necklace of life in all cells — gets broken and repaired all the time. Breaks are caused by the body's metabolic activities such as energy consumption and environmental factors such as exposure to ultraviolet light. Cancer results when the repair response is absent or deficient.
"DNA breaks are considered to be a major instigator of cancer cell development," said Sang Eun Lee, Ph.D., associate professor of molecular medicine at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio. "When a break is detected, signals are sent to cells that repair is needed."
The early initiating step of the break repair and signaling "has been quite elusive for some time because the factors were not known," Dr. Lee said. He was lead author of a paper published recently in EMBO Journal that identified a set of enzymes called Mre11 and Exo1.
In the Nature paper the researchers, who included the lab of Tanya Paull, Ph.D., at UT Austin, "repeated the process in a test tube because we now knew about Mre11 and Exo1," Dr. Lee said.
INFORMATION:
Dr. Lee's research is supported by the National Institutes of Health and he is a research scholar of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Collaborating from his laboratory are Eun Yong Shim, Ph.D., assistant professor, and Kihoon Lee, a graduate student.
About the UT Health Science Center San Antonio
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, one of the country's leading health sciences universities, ranks in the top 3 percent of all institutions worldwide receiving National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. Research and other sponsored program activity totaled a record $259 million in fiscal year 2009. The university's schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have produced approximately 26,000 graduates. The $739 million operating budget supports eight campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. For more information on the many ways "We make lives better®," visit www.uthscsa.edu.
END
Global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions – the main contributor to global warming – show no sign of abating and may reach record levels in 2010, according to a study led by the University of Exeter (UK).
The study, which also involved the University of East Anglia (UK) and other global institutions, is part of the annual carbon budget update by the Global Carbon Project.
In a paper published today in Nature Geoscience, the authors found that despite the major financial crisis that hit the world last year, global CO2 emissions from the burning of fossil fuel in 2009 were ...
(Boston) - Scientists have discovered 30 new genes that control the age of sexual maturation in women. Notably, many of these genes also act on body weight regulation or biological pathways related to fat metabolism. The study, which appears in Nature Genetics, was a collaborative effort by the international ReproGen consortium, which included 175 scientists from 104 worldwide institutions, including Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston University School of Public Health.
Menarche, the onset of first menstruation in girls, indicates the attainment of ...
Researchers at King's College London's Department of Twin Research have discovered, as part of a large international consortium, 30 new genes that control the age of sexual maturation in women, the Journal Nature Genetics publishes today.
Many of these genes are also known to act on body weight regulation or biological pathways related to fat metabolism. This large new study of more than 100,000 women from Europe, US and Australia highlights several specific genetic links between early puberty and body fat.
Puberty in women normally occurs between 11 – 14 years of ...
A new study challenges the current staging system that determines the extent or severity of prostate cancer that has not metastasized. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study found that there is no link between localized prostate cancer's clinical stage and a patient's risk of cancer recurrence after having his prostate removed.
One of the primary purposes of staging prostate cancers is to help physicians determine a patient's prognosis. For example, a more advanced clinical stage should indicate a higher risk ...
With the financial crisis still hanging over many countries, this year's World Health Report from the World Health Organization, "Health Systems Financing: The Path to Universal Coverage" is timely and relevant to the question of how to ensure that all people have access to health care services, without suffering financial hardship. This is the conclusion of a Perspective article on the 2010 World Health Report from Sara Bennett (Johns Hopkins University, USA) and colleagues, published in PLoS Medicine to coincide with the release of the Report.
20-40% of health care ...
PAVA's production capacities allow to develop such new ways of cooperation without losing positions on domestic market.
"Such partnership suggests some sort of compromise between two businesses. For grain traders it is an opportunity to maintain their presence on foreign markets whereas for us it is another efficient distribution channel for the products", - comments PAVA's CCO Angela Kiseleva.
According to contractual obligations, the grain processor ships bran to a desired port. Depending on destination and partner's requirements, the company ships granular bran from ...
R. Jason Smith, a photographer and graphic design artist, has been creating wonderful works of art for the past decade under his studio name "Original Perspective Photography and Graphic Design" and has created and sold prints of his works, as well as a variety of products featuring his art. Now he's been given the opportunity to design cases for Apple iPhones and iPads on Zazzle.com.
These hard-shell cases are easy to grip and ensure that the enclosed iPhone is easy and comfortable to use all day long. iPhone cases make great gifts for any occasion and usually ship ...
Ever wondered while walking in a garden which trees are you surrounded with? What is shocking is that most take them for granted. The fact of the matter is that trees are one of the most precious parts of our environment. And in order to protect and save our environment it is critical to know the trees, to understand their needs and to care for them accordingly. Come join us at our tree identification workshop and get to know our long ignored friend.
Like humans, trees have names too and until we know the names of trees, our interest and appreciation for these beautiful ...
Brian Wainstein of GenXXL - Turning 40 can be a psychological hurdle for many people, a magic number that symbolizes the end of their youthful years and the transformation into full adulthood. Most people upon turning 40 battle that transition, holding onto those youthful days by planning outrageous parties on their 40th birthday, maybe purchasing some lavish gift, or planning an extreme sport or event, anything to feel young again.
Yet, biologically, their bodies are changing when they reach so-called "middle age." The body's metabolism begins to slow, reactions are not ...
Me and My Big Career is a career exploration book for children's birth through 9 years old. It highlights Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers in a fun exciting fictional story format.
Career exploration is the process by which students are exposed to diverse future emerging careers that align with their hobbies and interest. Students with specific career goals are driven to acquire the credentials necessary to reach their goals. They study and apply enormous effort. Every moment of education becomes important as they strive to secure high ...
