Latest news with #WalterandElizaHallInstituteofMedicalResearch
Sinar Daily
27-07-2025
- Health
- Sinar Daily
Research explains why promising cancer treatments trigger serious side effects
SYDNEY - Research is shedding new light on the causes of serious side effects linked to some promising cancer treatments, reported Xinhua. Scientists have discovered that the protein MCL-1, a key target in cancer drug development, plays not only a role in preventing cell death in cancer cells but also supplying energy to normal cells, according to a statement released Tuesday by Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) in Melbourne. As a result, drugs that inhibit MCL-1 can inadvertently damage healthy tissues that rely on this protein for energy, especially in organs with high energy demand like the heart and liver, leading to the severe side effects observed in clinical trials, WEHI said. The new findings clarify that these side effects may be linked to the protein's critical role in cellular energy production, which enables the development of safer, more targeted cancer therapies that reduce harm to healthy tissues while staying effective against cancer. "If we can direct MCL-1 inhibitors preferentially to tumour cells and away from the cells of the heart and other healthy tissues, we may be able to selectively kill cancer cells while sparing healthy tissues," said the study's co-senior researcher Andreas Strasser, a WEHI laboratory head. The study, published in Science, also paves the way for safer combination therapies by enabling smarter dosing and pairing of MCL-1 inhibitors with other treatments to reduce toxicity. - BERNAMA-XINHUA
NDTV
12-05-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Scientists Find Molecule That Blocks Brain Cell Death In Parkinson's, Alzheimer's
Sydney: A team of Australian scientists has identified a small molecule that blocks cell death, an advance that could lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. The team from the Melbourne-based Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) aimed to find new chemicals that block cell death, which could help treat degenerative diseases in the future. The findings offer hope for treatments that could slow or stop the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. After screening over 100,000 chemical compounds, the team found a small molecule that targets a killer protein called BAX. By interfering with a well-understood cell death protein, the molecule effectively stopped cells from dying. "We were thrilled to find a small molecule that targets a killer protein called BAX and stops it working," said Professor Guillaume Lessene from WEHI. "While not the case in most cells, in neurons turning off BAX alone may be sufficient to limit cell death," Lessene added. While drugs that trigger cell death are transforming the treatment of certain cancers, the development of cell death blockers -- that could be similarly game-changing for neurodegenerative conditions -- has proven challenging. The new molecule targets a killer protein called BAX, which kills cells by damaging mitochondria, the powerhouse of cells. "For the first time we could keep BAX away from mitochondria and keep cells alive using this molecule," said lead author and Dewson Lab researcher Kaiming Li. "This could pave the way for next-generation cell death inhibitors to combat degenerative conditions," Li said, in the paper published in the journal Science Advances. While drugs that trigger cell death are transforming the treatment of certain cancers, the development of cell death blockers - that could be similarly game-changing for neurodegenerative conditions -- has proven challenging. The study demonstrates the potential to identify drugs that block cell death and may open a new avenue to find much-needed disease-modifying drugs for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, said the researchers.
Hans India
12-05-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Scientists find molecule that blocks brain cell death in Parkinson's, Alzheimer's
Sydney: A team of Australian scientists has identified a small molecule that blocks cell death, an advance that could lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. The team from the Melbourne-based Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) aimed to find new chemicals that block cell death, which could help treat degenerative diseases in the future. The findings offer hope for treatments that could slow or stop the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. After screening over 100,000 chemical compounds, the team found a small molecule that targets a killer protein called BAX. By interfering with a well-understood cell death protein, the molecule effectively stopped cells from dying. 'We were thrilled to find a small molecule that targets a killer protein called BAX and stops it working,' said Professor Guillaume Lessene from WEHI. 'While not the case in most cells, in neurons turning off BAX alone may be sufficient to limit cell death," Lessene added. While drugs that trigger cell death are transforming the treatment of certain cancers, the development of cell death blockers -- that could be similarly game-changing for neurodegenerative conditions -- has proven challenging. The new molecule targets a killer protein called BAX, which kills cells by damaging mitochondria, the powerhouse of cells. 'For the first time we could keep BAX away from mitochondria and keep cells alive using this molecule,' said lead author and Dewson Lab researcher Kaiming Li. 'This could pave the way for next-generation cell death inhibitors to combat degenerative conditions,' Li said, in the paper published in the journal Science Advances. While drugs that trigger cell death are transforming the treatment of certain cancers, the development of cell death blockers – that could be similarly game-changing for neurodegenerative conditions -- has proven challenging. The study demonstrates the potential to identify drugs that block cell death and may open a new avenue to find much-needed disease-modifying drugs for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, said the researchers.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Protein That Calms Waking Hair Follicles Could Lead to Alopecia Treatment
A new study has identified a protein that appears to be essential for hair growth and hair follicle protection. Called MCL‑1, it could potentially be targeted by treatments for certain kinds of baldness such as alopecia. Led by a team from the Duke‑NUS Medical School in Singapore and the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Australia, researchers found that when MCL-1 production was blocked in mice, the animals lost their hair later in life. Hair follicles go through cycles of quiescence and growth, with MCL-1 playing a critical role in the latter phase. The protein doesn't seem to affect the resting phase or the initial development of hair follicles, however. "Acute MCL‑1 deletion rapidly depletes activated hair follicle stem cells and completely blocks depilation‑induced hair regeneration in adult mice, while quiescent hair follicle stem cells remain unaffected," write the researchers in their published paper. It was already known that MCL-1 played an important role in protecting a number of different kinds of tissue from apoptosis; the programmed death of redundant or damaged cells to keep the body functioning. When it comes to hair, MCL-1 prevents follicle stem cells from being stressed and damaged as they 'reawaken' from rest. Without MCL-1 to protect them, these cells stop functioning. The team was also able to reveal new details on MCL-1's function, identifying ways it suppresses another protein called BAK and how MCL-1 is regulated by a signaling pathway called ERBB. These details could be useful in developing new methods of hair loss treatments. "These findings suggest that ERBB signaling modulates MCL‑1 expression through translational control mechanisms, particularly during periods of heightened apoptosis and regression in the hair cycle," the researchers write. The study was based solely on mice, so while there's good reason to think the same processes are happening on the top of our own heads, the findings will need to be replicated in clinical research on humans. It's also worth bearing in mind that there are several different kinds of alopecia, all with a variety of contributing causes: if treatments are one day developed that focus on boosting MCL-1, they're not going to work for all types of hair loss. Those limitations aside, this one protein's handiwork is a significant revelation concerning hair follicles' ability to grow hair. The findings could also inform future studies into other processes affected by MCL-1, including cancer cell death. "This study advances our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying hair follicle regeneration and offers new insights into how stem cell survival and tissue regeneration are orchestrated," write the researchers. "These findings may have broader implications for controlling the survival of stem and progenitor cells in tissue regeneration and cancer expansion." The research has been published in Nature Communications. Woman's Brain Implant Turns Her Thoughts Into Speech in Real Time Sometimes Alzheimer's Strikes Early. This Experimental Drug May Help. Dangerous Fungal Infection Sees a Dramatic Increase in US Hospitals
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Key Parkinson's Protein Structure And Malfunction Revealed For First Time
Researchers have unveiled the first real look at a mitochondrial protein strongly linked to Parkinson's disease, revealing key details in how its malfunction might play a critical role in the disease's progress. Scientists have known for more than two decades that mutations in the gene for a protein called PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) can trigger early-onset Parkinson's, but the mechanisms at play have remained a mystery. A team of scientists from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) in Australia used advanced imaging technology to not only determine the structure of PINK1, but to show how the protein attaches to cellular power houses and how they are activated. "This is a significant milestone for research into Parkinson's," says WEHI medical biologist David Komander. "It is incredible to finally see PINK1 and understand how it binds to mitochondria. Our structure reveals many new ways to change PINK1, essentially switching it on, which will be life-changing for people with Parkinson's." The PINK1 protein is an important maintenance worker in the body. In healthy mitochondria, the protein passes through the outer and inner membranes, where it sinks out of sight. In mitochondria that have broken down, the protein is forced to pause half way through, tagging the power house for deletion through a series of processes that release a chemical signal called ubiquitin. When mutations prevent PINK1 from doing its job, dysfunctional mitochondria aren't cleared. Brain cells are particularly energy hungry, making the replacement of inefficient power units vital in order to prevent the neurodegeneration that triggers conditions like Parkinson's disease. Here, the team used techniques including cryo-electron microscopy and mass spectrometry to study PINK1 and mitochondria close-up, finding their attachment is based on a specific protein complex called TOM-VDAC. It's still early days for this research, but if treatments to repair the functionality of the protein can be developed, that may then give us a way of reducing the risk of Parkinson's or slowing its progress. "This is the first time we've seen human PINK1 docked to the surface of damaged mitochondria and it has uncovered a remarkable array of proteins that act as the docking site," says biochemist Sylvie Callegari, from WEHI. "We also saw, for the first time, how mutations present in people with Parkinson's disease affect human PINK1." Parkinson's is a complex disease, with undoubtedly numerous contributing factors. Yet by identifying the mechanisms behind proteins like PINK1, researchers move closer to understanding what the many causes have in common. The research has been published in Science. Just 5 Days of Junk Food Can Trigger Obesity's Hold on Your Brain World-First: Man Leaves Hospital With Life-Saving Titanium Heart Experts Warn Against Slushies For Kids, After UK Hospitalizations
