All posts by bk

A role for BRCA1

Cell physiology, Oncogenes, Transformation

The Breast Cancer Risk protein BRCA1 role is becoming analysed. While the mutation/deletion of this protein makes young women (males too) susceptible to develop breast tumours prematurely, how the protein did this was not clear for some time:

While Skully and collegues (doi: 10.1073/pnas.1400783111)  claim a role in replication fork control, Palazzo et al. (doi: 10.4161/cc.27945) observe it is related to the mitotic spindel formation. Chiba and collegue (DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2013.10.028) show a complex pattern of BRCA1, its dimerisation partner BARD1 and  the Obg-like ATPase 1, Ola-1 in the organisation of the centrosome.

Therefore, being involved in the basics of the machinery of cellular growth it is clear that BRCA1 once mutated makes the cell instable and prone to neoplastic transformation.

Chinese-herb nephropathy

Altermative medicine, Cell physiology, Drug

A News Focus article in Science (DOI: 10.1126/science.344.6180.146 ) reports that the Balkan chronic kidney disease is caused by the weed Aristolochia clematis and its drug aristologic acid. The article is concerned that a chronic kidney disease in Central America which is thought to originate from herbicides or pesticides might be more broadly analysed.

The Balkan disease has a very particular geographic distribution: only in mountain valleys and small elevations. It was thought to originate from the kidney toxin ochratoxin A. The new data show that in specimen of tumours from there as well as from patients who suffered from a disease of A.clematis intoxication which is contain in some Chinese herbal medicine had aristologic acid-DNA complexes. Aristologic acid is now regarded  as a tumour inducing drug.

My opinion on this that herbal medicine needs to be regarded with the same scientific zeal that is shown to its brothers in the “Schulmedizin”.

Reviews on GPCR

Endocrinology, G-protein Coupled Receptors

In the Journal of Molecular Endocrinolgy (Vol 52. No 3) there are several reviews on the evolution of G-protein coupled receptors: Secretin, CRH, Kisspeptin, Ghrelin, melanocortin, somatostatin/urotesin, and the 26 RFamide (GPR103). These reviews are obviously freely available.

I read them only cursory, however, I found very interesting relations of CRH from vertebrates, and diuretic hormones of insects which are going into the English version of the textbook on endocrinology.

Tamiflu effective

Antiviral drug, Drug

Since the effectivness of Tamiflu has been questioned here a report of 29000 patients where the drug appears to work. „Effectiveness of neuraminidase inhibitors in reducing mortality in patients admitted to hospital with influenza A H1N1pdm09 virus infection: a meta-analysis of individual participant data.“ Lancet Respir Med 2014.

A Nature paper on B cells, hypermutation in the Germinal center

B cell, Germinal Center, Immunology

A paper in Nature:Nature 509, 637–640 (29 May 2014) doi:10.1038/nature13300 describes in detail the complex ways B cells travel betwenn in dark und the light zone during clonal expansion and hypermutation. That is remarkable since the autors use different techniques for the labelling of cells. Aside from methodological point of view this shows complex interactions with T cells as one driving force in this process.

LPS tolerance, aryl hydrocarbon receptor and dioxygenases

Endotoxin, Immunology, In General, Innate defense

Yesterday I saw a fascinating Nature article (Nature doi:10.1038/nature13323): Low doses of LPS in mice induce LPS tolerance. The underlying mechanism involve – according to the authors – the AhR and two different dioxigenases, tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase and  indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase. This is related to endotoxic shock a still devasting condition.

Re-initializing

In General

Today  I re-set up this site from scratch. It had been compromised and hacked. Since I am fairly fluent in wordpress I decided to use the last wordpress version. It took half a day. Still missing is the legal disclaimer, but it will soon be ready.

To Start With:

In General

I have started this blog to discuss my collection of actual papers in Endocrinology, Immunology, and other aspects of science and of clinical research. This surely is biased from the beginning. Some papers you will eventually find cited in an edition of “Hormones and the encrine system” to be published in 2015 by Springer or in a new German edition of “Hormone und Hormonsystem” to be prepared. For the major part of papers they just fetched my attention.

If you like it feel free to comment on these. There is also the possibilty to keep up-to-date with RSS.

Enjoy reading!