Lipids News and Research

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Lipids are a broad group of naturally-occurring molecules which includes fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E and K), monoglycerides, diglycerides, phospholipids, and others. The main biological functions of lipids include energy storage, as structural components of cell membranes, and as important signaling molecules.

Using AFM to study cancer cells

An interview with Prof. Hermann Schillers, Universität Münster conducted by April Cashin-Garbutt, MA (Cantab).

From Bruker Nano Surfaces and Metrology 14 Nov 2017

Scientists characterize infection mechanism of Rift Valley fever virus

Rift Valley fever virus, transmitted by mosquitoes, is responsible for outbreaks in livestock in Africa and can also be fatal in humans. Scientists from the Institut Pasteur and the CNRS, working with the University of Göttingen, have characterized the mechanism used by the virus to insert one of its envelope proteins into the host cell membrane, thereby enabling it to infect the cell.

9 Nov 2017

Fruit flies raised on low protein diet early in life have longer lifespan, research finds

Fruit flies raised on a low protein diet early in life can live over twice as long as their peers, according to new research from the Francis Crick Institute.

9 Nov 2017

Study finds potential chemical compound that initiated life on Earth

A new study conducted at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has found a compound called diamidophosphate (DAP), which is expected to have played a vital role in the origins of life on Earth.

8 Nov 2017

Study reveals role of specific lipids in accelerating or curbing bacterial infection

Lipids appear to play an important role in infections. According to researchers from the University of Maastricht in Maastricht, The Netherlands, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) in Baltimore, Md., USA, specific lipids can greatly accelerate bacterial infection.

7 Nov 2017

CSIC researchers make breakthrough in battle against superbugs

A team led by researchers from the Spanish National Research Council has made an important breakthrough in the battle against superbugs and their resistance to multiple drugs.

2 Nov 2017

Research may explain why gum disease is linked to heart problems

Heart disease and fatty clogs in the arteries go hand in hand. But new evidence suggests the fatty molecules might come not only from what you eat, but from the bacteria in your mouth, report UConn scientists in the 16 August issue of the Journal of Lipid Research.

1 Nov 2017

Breakthrough discovery could change the way of treating cholesterol

A breakthrough discovery by scientists at Houston Methodist could change the way we treat cholesterol. Researchers found new evidence that challenges a 40-year notion of how fast we eliminate it from our bodies.

28 Oct 2017

Researchers uncover new molecular binding site that can influence electrical impulses in nerves

Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden have discovered a previously unknown molecular binding site that can influence electrical impulses in nerves.

27 Oct 2017

Myelin sheaths restore impaired nervous system over the long haul

In the central nervous system of humans and all other mammals, a vital insulating sheath composed of lipids and proteins around nerve fibers helps speed the electrical signals or nerve impulses that direct our bodies to walk, talk, breathe, swallow or perform any routine physical act.

24 Oct 2017

Research could pave way to cure for type 2 diabetes

In healthy people, exosomes - tiny structures secreted by cells to allow intercellular communication - prevent clumping of the protein that leads to type 2 diabetes.

23 Oct 2017

Study elucidates how obesity makes breast cancer more aggressive

Obesity leads to the release of cytokines into the bloodstream which impact the metabolism of breast cancer cells, making them more aggressive as a result. Scientists from Helmholtz Zentrum München, Technische Universität München, and Heidelberg University Hospital report on this in 'Cell Metabolism'. The team has already been able to halt this mechanism with an antibody treatment.

23 Oct 2017

Study provides deeper understanding on mechanisms of lipid-based autoimmune disease

Phospholipids - fat molecules that form the membranes found around cells - make up almost half of the dry weight of cells, but when it comes to autoimmune diseases, their role has largely been overlooked.

20 Oct 2017

Zinc-binding plays key role in sensing and regulation of brain’s pH levels

Researchers in Oslo, Norway, have discovered that Zinc-binding plays an important role in the sensing and regulation of pH in the human brain. The findings come as one of the first studies that directly link Zinc-binding with bicarbonate transporters.

17 Oct 2017

NTNU researchers reveal how HCV converts innocent cells into virus factories

The Hepatitis C (HCV) virus is a sly enemy to have in one's body. Not only does it manage to make itself invisible to the immune system by breaking down communication between the immune cells, it also builds secret virus "factories" that quickly go into mass production.

13 Oct 2017

Scientists identify protein as potential therapeutic target to fight against obesity

Scientists at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III have identified a protein that holds promise as a target for therapies to reduce obesity.

11 Oct 2017

New catheter provides comprehensive insight into formation of atherosclerotic plaques

To win the battle against heart disease, cardiologists need better ways to identify the composition of plaque most likely to rupture and cause a heart attack.

3 Oct 2017

Researchers discover circadian clock at work in our muscles

Biological clocks are ticking everywhere throughout our body. They trigger the release of the hormone melatonin during sleep, favour the secretion of digestive enzymes at lunchtime or keep us awake at the busiest moments of the day.

3 Oct 2017

Skipping breakfast may increase the risk of atherosclerosis, study finds

A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology indicated that skipping breakfast is linked with an augmented risk of atherosclerosis — a condition where the arteries are narrowed or hardened because of the building up of plague.

3 Oct 2017

Impairing critical partnership between brain cells can lead to Alzheimer's disease

Researchers have discovered that impairing a critical partnership between brain cells can lead to neurodegeneration. The study published in Cell Metabolism reports a mechanism by which two types of brain cells, neurons and glia, normally support each other's functions.

30 Sep 2017