A novel approach to treating infectious diseases is being developed by researchers at Cardiff University.

The latest generation of cancer chemotherapeutic drugs specifically targets mutant enzymes or "oncoproteins" that have run amok and now promote uncontrolled cell growth. As promising as these drugs are, cancer cells with their backs against the wall have the tendency to fight back. A major goal of cancer research is to frustrate these acts of cellular desperation.

Detecting bacteria, viruses and other dangerous substances in hospitals, airplanes and other commonly contaminated places could soon be as easy as wiping a napkin or paper towel across a surface, says a researcher from Cornell University.

The study, which was directed by Scripps Research Professor Benjamin Cravatt, Ph.D., is being published in the September 8 issue of The Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Chemists in Japan have found that brown seaweed, a flavor component used in many Asian soups and salads, contains a compound that appears in animal studies to promote weight loss by reducing the accumulation of fat. Called fucoxanthin, the compound achieved a 5 percent to 10 percent weight reduction in test animals and could be developed into a natural extract or drug to help fight obesity, the researchers say.

The promise of regenerative medicine and the nanotechnology catapulting it into the forefront of chemistry are highlighted in two papers being presented on Monday, Sept. 11, in San Francisco during the American Chemical Society's 232nd national meeting. The presentations occur on the second day of a three-day symposium, "Advances in Nanomedicine," Sept. 10-12. Both papers will be presented at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, Monterey/Cypress Rooms.

Bacteria can aggregate and produce dangerous biofilms that make them physically resistant to antibiotics. Bacterial infections are becoming more deadly worldwide due to increased resistance to antibiotics. Now, chemists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a powerful strategy to fight these deadly infections: Instead of killing the bacteria directly, the scientists designed a group of compounds that can block the chemical signals that the bacteria use to communicate in an effort to stop their spread.

A researcher at the University of Navarra, Borja Sáez Ochoa, has proposed a new genetic diagnostic method for multiple myeloma (MM), a type of bone marrow cancer, which permits the detection of this disease in earlier stages.