Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) News and Research

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Study confirms SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein promotes a hyper-inflammatory immune response

A group of researchers from Australia and China recently demonstrated how SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein subunit 1 can induce a pro-inflammatory signaling pathway (leading to cytokines deployment and epithelial damage in human bronchial epithelial cells), but also highlighted the potential of peptide-based antivirals in tackling this novel coronavirus.

5 Oct 2020

Researchers unravel new mechanism of cell survival in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Researchers at The Wistar Institute unraveled a mechanism employed by chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells for their survival.

30 Sep 2020

Cephalopod + Tomocube = New formula for molecular probes

Researchers have discovered how to use the cephalopod proteins responsible for these changes to manipulate the optical RI of mammalian compartments.

From Tomocube Inc. 23 Sep 2020

A cost-effective scalable production of SARS-CoV-2 RBD in yeast

A new study by the Argentinian AntiCovid Consortium and published in the preprint server bioRxiv* in September 2020 reports on the successful characterization of the conformation and stability of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) in two different cell systems. This may help to accelerate the development of vaccines and neutralizing antibodies.

21 Sep 2020

Polygenic risk score can predict risk of drug-induced liver injury

Scientists who were working on a way to determine the viability of batches of tiny liver organoids have discovered a testing method that may have far broader implications.

7 Sep 2020

Scientists reconstruct factors involved in the formation of autophagosomes

Autophagy, from the Greek for 'self-eating', is an essential process that isolates and recycles cellular components under conditions of stress or when resources are limited.

4 Sep 2020

Scientists solve structure of ORF8 coronavirus protein

Researchers at the University of California and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have made important discoveries about a protein found on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that could lay the foundations for the development of new treatments.

31 Aug 2020

New strategy may help guard beta cells, slow the onset of type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes occurs when a person's own immune system destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. In recent years, scientists have learned how to grow large volumes of replacement beta cells, but the researchers are still trying out many options to protect these cells against the immune attack.

27 Jul 2020

Study shows how mast cells regulate calcium levels to control the immune response

Instead of protecting us, the immune system can sometimes go awry, as in the case of autoimmune diseases and allergies. An Ludwig-Maximilian-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich team has dissected how mast cells regulate their calcium levels to keep the immune response under control.

23 Jul 2020

Scientists identify cellular mechanism that shows promise in treating cancer

Fighting cancer often means employing a suite of techniques to target the tumor and prevent it from growing and spreading to other parts of the body.

22 Jul 2020

Small molecule drugs binding Mac1 domain of SARS-CoV-2

Now, an intriguing new study out of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee reveals that numerous small molecule drugs like the proton pump inhibitors omeprazole and rabeprazole bind the important Mac1 domain on the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus.

8 Jul 2020

Novel mechanism regulates planar cell polarity crucial for organ function

Planar cell polarity (PCP), a process in which the epithelial tissues are polarized within the plane of the epithelium, plays an important role in development and organ function.

8 Jul 2020

Striking CryoEM image of SARS-CoV-2

A new study by researchers from the UK and Germany and published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 reports the results of a detailed study of the S protein on the intact virus, using cryoelectron microscopy (cryoEM) and tomography. This could help understand the conformation of the S protein on the virion and how it interacts with neutralizing antibodies.

30 Jun 2020

Examining the envelope protein of SARS-CoV-2

A new study by researchers at the University of Valencia and published on the preprint online server bioRxiv in May 2020 reports the topology of the envelope protein of the virus, which could contribute to a better understanding of how the virus interacts with other cell components and hopefully help to fight the disease better.

28 May 2020

Study reveals new mechanism underlying organelle communication in brown fat cells

In recent years, brown fat has garnered increasing attention as the so-called good fat that can protect against obesity and associated health risks, like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

30 Mar 2020

Researchers discover glial cells that control stress response, extend lifespan in worms

While many of us worry about proteins aggregating in our brains as we age and potentially causing Alzheimer's disease or other types of neurodegeneration, we may not realize that some of the same proteins are aggregating in our muscles, setting us up for muscle atrophy in old age.

23 Feb 2020

New way to treat stroke using an already FDA-approved drug shows promise

Stroke is the third leading cause of death and disability in the United States. More than 87 percent are ischemic strokes, caused by obstruction of one or more cerebral arteries. With limited progress in developing treatments, there is a critical need for neuroprotective agents to effectively treat stroke.

29 Jan 2020

Scientists unveil how Zika virus replicates

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Zika virus infection a global threat during the peak of its outbreak in 2016. Since then, scientists and health experts raced to understand the virus better to develop novel and effective vaccines and treatments for the disease. Now, a team of researchers in China revealed how a protein in the virus reshapes its host to boost viral replication.

23 Dec 2019

Scientists decipher assembly line of glutamate receptors

Rapid communication of neurons in the brain, as well as the ability to learn, fundamentally rely on neurotransmitter receptors located in the contact sites of neurons, the synapses. The most important receptors in the mammalian brain are glutamate receptors of the AMPA-type that generate the electrical signal required for fast communication between neurons.

16 Oct 2019

Newly synthesized anticancer compound can block cancer signaling mechanism

Of the various different functions that proteins perform in a cell, a crucial one is the recognition and transmission of certain "signals," collectively referred to as signal transduction.

24 Sep 2019