Why have protein biomarkers not reached the clinic?

Why Engineering Models Do Not Have

The failure of protein cancer biomarkers to reach the clinic: why, and what can be done to address the problem?

There is a plethora of published cancer biomarkers but the reality is that very few, if any, new circulating cancer biomarkers have entered the clinic in the last 30 years. I here try to explain this apparent oxymoron by classifying circulating cancer biomarkers into three categories: fraudulent reports (rare); true discoveries of biomarkers, that then fail to meet the demands of the clinic; an...

Have the “mega-journals” reached the limits to growth?

A "mega-journal" is a new type of scientific journal that publishes freely accessible articles, which have been peer reviewed for scientific trustworthiness, but leaves it to the readers to decide which articles are of interest and importance to them. In the wake of the phenomenal success of PLOS ONE, several other publishers have recently started mega-journals. This article presents the evolut...

Protein Structure: Why have six-fold symmetry?

Why do proteins proteins that encircle DNA have six-fold symmetry? One important factor may be the economy in protein mass with which DNA can be encircled by six globular subunits arranged in a ring.

Why have we not solved the MSD problem?

Despite worldwide attention for more than four decades, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) remain a substantial concern at work and result in considerable personal and societal burden. This slow progress is not for want of trying. Prevention of MSDs has been emphasized in multiple jurisdictions. For example, in 2007 the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work organized a major campaign, “Li...