Washington, Sept 12 (ANI): Scientists from University of Michigan have developed a new method to monitor early sign of oxidative stress that triggers cancer spread.
Lead researcher Kate Carroll suggests that being able to monitor a marker of oxidative stress that is associated with the activation of tumor cell growth pathways, particularly at an early stage, and then tailor treatments accordingly would allow for more targeted studies and might improve the odds of success with antioxidants and pro-oxidants.
The new method detects sulfenic acid in proteins-a tip off to early oxidative stress and to a specific protein modification associated with cell growth pathways.
Sulfenic acid is produced when a particular oxidant, hydrogen peroxide, reacts with the protein building block cysteine. But because the chemical modification involved is so small and transient, it has been difficult to detect.
To get around that problem, Carroll and Seo used a chemical probe that “traps” sulfenic acid and tags it for recognition by an antibody.
The antibody is labeled with a fluorescent dye that glows when observed with a fluorescence microscope.
The researchers then used the method to assess sulfenic acid levels as a marker of oxidative stress in several systems, including a panel of breast cancer cell lines.
“For each line, we saw a very distinct pattern of sulfenic acid modifications,” indicating different oxidative stress levels and hinting at differences in the underlying molecular events associated with tumor growth,” said Carroll, assistant professor of chemistry and a research assistant professor in the Life Sciences Institute.
“Whether the patterns we see will correlate with response to antioxidant treatment or other therapies that modulate oxidative stress level remains to be seen, but now we at least have a way to investigate that question,” the expert added.
The study appears in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (ANI)
IPL only heading north in popularity stakes
London, May 29 (ANI): The second version of the Indian Premier League, which was played recently in South Africa, has only confirmed one thing – that the shortest version of game cricket is headed northwards in the popularity stakes.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the result in South Africa was better than expected in terms of match attendance.
Last year’s tournament was the most watched event on television in India, and there was bound to be second-year blues as the curiosity faded and largely mainstream cricket fans made up the dedicated audience.
Purists continue to criticise the tournament as “crickertainment”, more concerned with keeping crowds occupied than on the contest at hand.
But Twenty20 chugged past those quibblers many sixes ago, and the hot tip is that tournament supremo Lalit Modi has ambitions to take his baby to the United States – the last bastion of unconquered television rights for cricket, a potential goldmine.
With a large population of expat Indians, Pakistanis and Sri Lankans residing along the East Coast, it’s no wonder American businessmen are already devising plans to set up their own T20 leagues, like Allen Stanford – albeit with less legal furore surrounding business operation.
But the IPL must return to India next year, where the care factor is incredible and the multimillionaire moguls behind each franchise reap most benefit.
Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola said the success of IPL two had proved one thing – traditional cricket must become more attractive if it is to survive.
“Properly handled, the IPL concept will bring about the real globalisation of the sport for the first time,” he said.
South African cricket commentator Neil Manthorp determined that for many obvious faults, IPL two had opened the door for his own country to capitalise on T20′s potential.
“If the ability to market a sports tournament is usually a science, then the IPL and its South African partners raised it to art,” Manthorp wrote on website Supersport. (ANI)