Reported in CELL, Stony Brook pathologist uncovers new p53 mechanism triggering necrosis Newswise STONY BROOK, N.Y., June 22, 2012 The gene p53 is the most commonly mutated gene in cancer. p53 is dubbed the guardian of the genome because it blocks cells with damaged DNA from propagating and eventually becoming cancerous. However, new research led by Ute M. Moll, M.D., Professor of Pathology at Stony Brook University School of Medicine, and colleagues, uncovers a novel role for p53 beyond cancer in the development of ischemic stroke. The research team identified an unexpected critical function of p53 in activating necrosis, an irreversible form of tissue death, triggered during oxidative stress and ischemia. The findings are detailed online in Cell. Ischemia-associated oxidative damage leads to irreversible necrosis which is a major cause of catastrophic tissue loss. Elucidating its signaling mechanism is of paramount importance. p53 is a central cellular stress sensor that responds to multiple insults including oxidative stress and is known to orchestrate apoptotic and autophagic types of cell death. However, it was previously unknown whether p53 can also activate oxidative stress-induced necrosis, a regulated form of cell death that depends on the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP) pore. We identified … Continue reading →

Public release date: 22-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: William Gilroy gilroy.6@nd.edu 574-631-4127 University of Notre Dame Alumnus Michael Gallagher and his wife, Elizabeth, have made a $5 million gift to establish the Elizabeth and Michael Gallagher Family Professorships in Adult Stem Cell Research at the University of Notre Dame. Their gift, which will fund three new endowed professorships in adult and all forms of non-embryonic stem cell research, will strengthen Notre Dame's leadership in the field of stem cell research and enhance the University's effective dialogue between the biomedical research community and the Catholic Church on matters related to the use and application of stem cells and regenerative medicine. "As a Catholic university, Notre Dame carries a mantle of responsibility to use our scholarship and resources to help alleviate human suffering, and, in this area of research in particular, to do so with deep respect for the sanctity of all human life," said Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., the University's president. "These new professorships will enable us to effectively build upon an already strong foundation in this critically important field. We are tremendously grateful to the Gallaghers for making this possible with their transformative gift." Despite years … Continue reading →

Public release date: 22-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Mary Rice mary.rice@riceconseil.eu European Society of Human Genetics Nuremberg, Germany: The commonly-used epilepsy drug, valproic acid (VPA), can have a highly beneficial effect on some babies born with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the number one genetic killer during early infancy. But in about two-thirds of such cases it is either damaging or simply has no effect. Now, for the first time, researchers have found a way to identify which patients are likely to respond well to VPA prior to starting treatment. Their results have major implications, not just for SMA patients, but for other conditions treated with the drug such as migraine and epilepsy, and may even provide the conditions for turning VPA non-responders into responders, the researchers say. Dr. Lutz Garbes, from the Institute of Human Genetics, University of Cologne, Germany, will tell the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics tomorrow (Sunday) that he and his colleagues had analysed blood RNA samples from a small group of SMA patients who had been treated with VPA. They found, as expected, that only about one third of patients responded well. In an attempt to discover whether blood … Continue reading →

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) June 22, 2012 The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the second largest school district in the nation, has selected the Center for Autism and Related Disorders CARD eLearning program to provide the district with intense training in evidence-based principles of behavioral health treatment for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Over 6,000 LAUSD teachers and support staff will participate in the training. The Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc. (CARD) is the worlds largest provider of state-of-the-art, early intensive behavioral intervention for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. In addition to providing treatment for thousands of children worldwide, CARD develops and utilizes technology to increase access to training for professionals who work with individuals who have been diagnosed with ASD. The CARD eLearning program (http://www.cardelearning.com) trains educators and other professionals in the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA), which has been empirically proven to be the most effective treatment for individuals with ASD and is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Surgeon General. CARD eLearning is a 20-hour online training course designed to facilitate effective intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders by equipping users with foundational knowledge in ABA. The … Continue reading →