Berkeley Lab researchers have discovered a rotational motion that plays a critical role in the ability of breast cells to form the spherical structures in the mammary gland known as acini. This rotation, called “CAMo,” for coherent angular motion, is necessary for the cells to form spheres. Otherwise, cells undergo random motion, leading to loss of structure and malignancy.

Working with a special line of human breast cells, Berkeley Lab researchers have shown that for low dose levels of ionizing radiation, cancer risks may not be directly proportional to dose. This contradicts the standard model for predicting biological damage from ionizing radiation, which holds that risk is directly proportional to dose at all levels of irradiation.

An essential relationship among leading genes and proteins that control the health of the skin has been revealed by a multinational research team. The protein p63 is the “master regulator” for skin’s uppermost layers, the epidermis. It does much of its work by directly controlling the chromatin-remodeling protein Satb1, discovered at Berkeley Lab over a decade ago and already known for critical roles in the immune system and aggressive breast cancer.

Scientists have developed the first comprehensive catalog of the genetic aberrations responsible for an aggressive type of ovarian cancer that accounts for 70 percent of all ovarian cancer deaths. Hundreds of researchers from more than 80 institutions, including scientists from Berkeley Lab, deciphered the genome structure and gene expression patterns in high-grade serous ovarian adenocarcinomas from almost 500 patients. The result is the most expansive genomic analysis of any cancer to date and a major step toward the personalized treatment of ovarian cancer.

Berkeley Lab researchers have shown that normal breast cells help defend against cancer by producing the protein interleukin 25 to actively and specifically kill breast cancer cells. This important new finding points the way to a new therapeutic target for breast cancer treatment.

Berkeley Lab researchers led by cancer authority Mina Bissell have shown how the protein laminin, long thought to provide only structural support in the microenvironment of breast and other epithelial tissue, can play a leading role in the development of cancer.

Berkeley Lab scientists have developed a probe for monitoring hydrogen peroxide levels in mice that enables them to track the progression of cancerous tumors or infectious diseases without harming the animals or even having to shave their fur. This new probe is based on luciferase, the enzyme that gives fireflies their glow.

The world’s foremost experts in ion-beam cancer therapy meet at Oakland’s Claremont Hotel October 26 through 29 to examine the international success of this unique therapy, explore future developments, and ask tough questions – including why this extraordinary medical advance is making great strides in Europe and Asia but is lagging in the country where it was invented and developed – principally at Berkeley Lab.

New clues emerge about how a molecular machine breaks down unwanted proteins in cells, a critical housekeeping chore that helps prevent diseases such as cancer. The insights, thanks to the first molecular-scale description of a giant enzyme called tripeptidyl peptidase II, could also inform the development of obesity-fighting drugs.

Four inventions from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have been recognized with the R&D 100 award for 2010 from R&D Magazine, which recognizes the 100 most significant proven technological advances of the year. “The large number of winners from the Department of Energy’s national labs every year is a clear sign that our labs are doing some of the most innovative research in the world,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu.