enzyme news stories on Newser

Scientists Reverse Aging in Mice

Matt Cantor — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 12:34:05 CST

Harvard scientists have reversed the aging process in mice, injecting them with an enzyme that healed tissue and reportedly spurred the growth of new neurons in their brains. Now they’re wondering if they can apply some of these benefits to humans. But differences between human and mice bodies make things...

After 20 Years, Scientists Crack HIV Puzzle

Jane Yager — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:11:39 CST

After 40,000 failed trials and "painstakingly slow progress," scientists have solved a puzzle that stumped AIDS researchers for more than 20 years—and their findings could help develop more effective HIV drugs. The researchers at Harvard and Imperial College London grew a crystal that for the first time made...

Mutant Genes Linked to Long Life

Jane Yager — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:43:34 CST

Scientists have spotted a link among people who live to age 100: high levels of telomerase, an enzyme that protects DNA and could possibly be simulated in life-lengthening drugs. The enzyme repairs telomeres, end sections of DNA that have been likened to plastic tips that prevent shoelaces from unraveling. In...

Soy Goo May Fight Alzheimer's

Katherine Thompson — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:25:01 CST

The good news: There may be a natural way to treat Alzheimer's disease. The bad news: It's kind of gross. A recent study found that natto, the stinky and slimy soybean product featured in some Japanese dishes, contains an enzyme that can shred the type of brain plaque that causes...

Tangerine Peel May Help Fight Cancer

Wesley Oliver — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 15:54:02 CDT

UK researchers may have found a natural way to combat certain cancers. In tests, a chemical compound in tangerine peel attacked and destroyed cancer cells. The findings could lead to treatments for cancers of the breast, lung, prostate, and ovaries, Reuters says. “It is very exciting to find a compound...