B lymphocytes--a dogma revisited

The one B cell-one antibody hypothesis proposed by M.F. Burnet (1957) was recently challenged by results showing that one B cell can simultaneously express an auto-reactive BCR, and a BCR directed against non-self antigens. The latter allows this auto-reactive B cell to escape negative selection. Burnet's theory was thus challenged from the beginning. Namely, Liacopoulos et al. demonstrated that normal B cells produce simultaneously or sequentially two antibody molecules against two unrelated haptens. It thus appears that 'double producers' provide new prospects in auto-immunity. Our previous work using heterologous antigens also suggest that 'double producers' provide an amplifying factor for immunoglobulin repertoire.     

一个科技里程碑:分子生物学的中心法则

王志珍院士的这篇评述 ,从历史的角度简述了“分子生物学的中心法则”的发展过程。正如作者指出的“中心法则所包含的划时代的生物学意义在于它揭示了生命最本质的规律 ,今天和昨天的生命科学都是建立在分子生物学的中心法则上”。文中也提到了蛋白质空间结构的“第二遗传密码”在本世纪的研究前景。本文想必会受到读者的欢迎。本刊希望今后能收到更多的这类评述。     

靶向攻击肿瘤的免疫疗法

用单克隆抗体治疗癌症一直是肿瘤免疫学研究的热点之一。以往的抗体治疗均以癌细胞表面蛋白为靶标,因为全抗体分子太大而不能穿过细胞膜。最近新加坡科技研究局下属的分子与细胞生物学研究所(IMCB)曾琦博士及其团队的研究发现,抗体治疗不仅能以胞外癌蛋白为靶标,也能以胞内癌蛋白为靶标,进入胞内杀死癌细胞,从而抑制癌细胞的生长;这些发现对癌症的免疫治疗具有突破性的意义。现将其主要内容摘录如下,供我国学者参考。读者有意阅读原文请看:[Ferrone S.Hidden immunotherapy targets challenge dogma,Sci Transl Med,2011,3(99):99ps38]     

Challenges to the common dogma

Some 15 years ago, Gane (now Dr. Gane Ka-Shu Wong,Professor and iCORE Chair in Biosystems Informatics,University of Alberta, Canada) and I were staring at a set of plots and scratching our heads,     

Chemical crosshairs on the central dogma

As cellular machines and processes that regulate the flow of genomic information have come into sharper focus, a new level of chemical control has become possible. The scope of such chemical intervention extends from the mechanistic dissection of biochemical processes in living cells to the targeted control of gene networks and cell fate.     

Wnt signaling: Ig-norrin the dogma

Secreted Wnt proteins trigger the intracellular Wnt signaling cascade upon engagement of dedicated Frizzled-Lrp receptor complexes. Unexpectedly, a non-Wnt ligand for this receptor complex has now been discovered. This novel ligand, Norrin, is mutated in the hereditary ocular Norrie syndrome.     

The plants we eat

An exercise involving listing of human food plants provides intriguing figures that invite speculation as to why we are so restricted in what we eat. Some possible answers are given.