Cell Membrane News and Research

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Mild pain killer blocks action of key protein required for hearing

A Rice University study has found that the aspirin-like drug diflunisal blocks the action of prestin, a key protein that is required for hearing.

5 Sep 2017

Scientists show how receptors for drugs act inside cells

G protein-coupled receptors are the key target of a large number of drugs. Würzburg scientists have now been able to show more precisely how these receptors act in the cell interior.

5 Sep 2017

Scientists identify key molecule for neurotransmitter release in synapses

The contact areas between nerve cells are called synapses. What happens there lies at the heart of communication between nerve cells. Communication starts with the release of chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters at these synapses.

4 Sep 2017

Researchers identify cytotoxic nature of two-dimensional black phosphorous

When environmental and soil chemist Baoshan Xing at the University of Massachusetts Amherst began reading in 2014 that a new, two-dimensional material known as layered black phosphorous (BP) was gaining the attention of biomedical researchers for use in drug delivery systems and tumor photothermal therapy, he was both intrigued and concerned.

31 Aug 2017

MIT engineers devise automated approach to monitor neurons

Recording electrical signals from inside a neuron in the living brain can reveal a great deal of information about that neuron's function and how it coordinates with other cells in the brain.

30 Aug 2017

Stabilizing TREM2 could be viable therapeutic strategy to combat Alzheimer's disease

A gene called triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2, or TREM2, has been associated with numerous neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Frontotemporal lobar degeneration, Parkinson's disease, and Nasu-Hakola disease. Recently, a rare mutation in the gene has been shown to increase the risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.

30 Aug 2017

Tiny tears in membranes of bone cells may be key to strong bones

The force gravity and physical activity put on our bones causes tiny tears in the membranes of the tiny cells that enable us to make or break down bone, scientists say.

29 Aug 2017

Novel nanolaser can serve as super-bright probe to detect and kill metastasized cancer cells

A nanolaser known as the spaser can serve as a super-bright, water-soluble, biocompatible probe capable of finding metastasized cancer cells in the bloodstream and then killing these cells, according to a new research study.

22 Aug 2017

Research shows how glutamine plays role in regulating cellular differentiation programs

The 200 different types of cells in the body all start with the same DNA genome. To differentiate into families of bone cells, muscle cells, blood cells, neurons and the rest, differing gene programs have to be turned on or off.

17 Aug 2017

Dendritic-specific Golgi plays key role in early neuropathy of degenerative brain disease

A joint research team of DGIST have identified the early neuropathic mechanism of polyglutamine brain disease, one of the representative degenerative brain diseases, and suggested a way to restore.

10 Aug 2017

Researchers develop set of tools to trace path of proteins linked to Parkinson's disease

As neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease progress, misfolded proteins clump together in neurons, recruiting normal proteins in the cell to also misfold and aggregate.

4 Aug 2017

TUM scientists provide new insights into development of T cells

When T cells encounter an antigen, they proliferate and produce various types of daughter cells. A team at the Technical University of Munich has now refuted the prevailing hypothesis that this immune response is largely predetermined by the individual structure of the T cell receptor.

2 Aug 2017

Scientists manage to permeate living cells with small antibodies

Scientists at the Technische Universität Darmstadt, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich and the Leibniz Institute for Molecular Pharmacology have managed to introduce tiny antibodies into living cells. The researchers now report on the synthesis and applications for these nanobodies in "Nature Chemistry".

19 Jul 2017

UIC researchers identify enzyme that triggers corneal inflammation

One of the symptoms of herpes simplex virus-1 infection of the eye is lingering inflammation of the cornea – the clear outer layer of the eyeball.

11 Jul 2017

Researchers discover that amount of Epac2A at vesicles controls insulin release

Specialized beta cells in the pancreas release the hormone insulin to control our blood glucose levels, and failure of this mechanism is central to the development of type-2 diabetes.

10 Jul 2017

Singapore researchers discover new mechanism in the liver's response to blocked bile ducts

A multi-disciplinary team of researchers from the Mechanobiology Institute, Singapore at the National University of Singapore, the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology of A*STAR, and BioSyM, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology have described the mechanical principles adopted by liver cells as they remove excess bile during obstructive cholestasis.

30 Jun 2017

Carbon nanotubes show great potential to facilitate neuronal regeneration

Carbon nanotubes exhibit interesting characteristics rendering them particularly suited to the construction of special hybrid devices - consisting of biological issue and synthetic material - planned to re-establish connections between nerve cells, for instance at spinal level, lost on account of lesions or trauma.

27 Jun 2017