Protein News and Research

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Proteins are complex molecules that are made up of amino acids. They can be found in every cell in the body, and carry out vital processes that keep human beings alive. Mutations in proteins can lead to a multitude of diseases, the most common being cancer.

Researchers identify potential diagnostic tool for Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have identified in live human brains new radioactive “tracer” molecules that bind to and “light up” tau tangles, a protein associated with a number of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias.

11 Dec 2018

Researchers shed new light on how to combat Shiga and ricin toxins

Min Dong, PhD, and his lab are world experts in toxins and how to combat them. They've figured out how Clostridium difficile's most potent toxin gets into cells and zeroed in on the first new botulinum toxin identified since 1969.

11 Dec 2018

Researchers capture high-resolution X-ray and NMR image of key immune regulator

A new study by investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital provides a biophysical and structural assessment of a critical immune regulating protein called human T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain containing protein-3 (hTIM-3).

11 Dec 2018

Standardizing feeding practices improves growth trends for micro-preemies

Standardizing feeding practices, including the timing for fortifying breast milk and formula with essential elements like zinc and protein, improves growth trends for the tiniest preterm infants, according to Children's research presented during the Institute for Healthcare Improvement 2018 Scientific Symposium.

11 Dec 2018

Sprayable gel could help prevent recurrences of cancer after surgery

Many people who are diagnosed with cancer will undergo some type of surgery to treat their disease -- almost 95 percent of people with early-diagnosed breast cancer will require surgery and it's often the first line of treatment for people with brain tumors, for example.

11 Dec 2018

Researchers aim to identify and target high blood pressure indicators

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a leading cause of stroke and heart attacks worldwide - and one in four people have it.

10 Dec 2018

Caffeine plus another compound in coffee may fight Parkinson’s disease

Rutgers scientists have found a compound in coffee that may team up with caffeine to fight Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia - two progressive and currently incurable diseases associated with brain degeneration.

10 Dec 2018

Researchers explore how glial cells develop in the brain from neural precursor cells

Two types of cells are active in the brain: nerve cells and glial cells. The latter have long been regarded primarily as supportive cells, but it is increasingly recognized that they play an active role in the communication between neurons in the brain.

10 Dec 2018

Breast tumors recruit bone marrow cells to boost their growth, study reveals

Tel Aviv University researchers have discovered that breast cancer tumors boost their growth by recruiting stromal cells that originate in bone marrow.

10 Dec 2018

High-intensity interval exercise could help combat cognitive dysfunction in obese people

It's fast-paced, takes less time to do, and burns a lot of calories. High-intensity interval exercise is widely recognized as the most time-efficient and effective way to exercise.

10 Dec 2018

Researchers report novel findings on plant hormone

Jasmonic acid is not just the aromatic odor of the plant Jasminum grandiflorum used in cosmetics and perfume industries. Plants wounded by e.g. chewing herbivores produce jasmonic acid as a defense signal, as a phytohormone to mount their defense responses - this includes for example the formation of toxic substances.

10 Dec 2018

Insights into protein-protein interactions and methods for designing small molecule inhibitors

Proteins are polymers of amino acids that are linked by peptide bonds and they are one of the major classes of bio-molecules existing in a living organism. Proteins are involved in various cellular functions and events like cell signaling, cell adhesion, metabolic reactions, in the generation of immune response and many more.

10 Dec 2018

Lund University researchers succeed in obtaining dendritic cells by direct reprogramming

For the first time, a research team at Lund University in Sweden has successfully reprogrammed mouse and human skin cells into immune cells called dendritic cells.

9 Dec 2018

Failure of critical cellular energy sensor responsible for CKD progression, study finds

Chronic kidney disease, an affliction characterized by progressive loss of kidney function, affects millions of people worldwide and is associated with multi-organ damage, cardiovascular disease, and muscle wasting.

7 Dec 2018

Study sheds new light on microtubule binding proteins and microtubule dynamics

When bacteria or viruses enter the body, proteins on their surfaces are recognized and processed to activate T cells, white blood cells with critical roles in fighting infections.

6 Dec 2018

Infant milk allergy is being overdiagnosed say experts

There are a large number of babies who are diagnosed with milk allergy and are being supplemented with lactose free infant milk formula. Experts have claimed that this over diagnosis could be due to the influences of the formula industry.

6 Dec 2018

Researchers develop new molecular tool to decode sugar-protein attachments

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have developed a new molecular tool they call EXoO, which decodes where on proteins specific sugars are attached--a possible modification due to disease.

6 Dec 2018

Researchers are developing blood test to diagnose or predict Alzheimer's disease

Today, the only way to definitively diagnose Alzheimer's disease in life is through brain scans and tests of cerebrospinal fluid that must be collected via lumbar puncture. Though cumbersome and expensive, such tests provide the most accurate diagnoses for patients.

6 Dec 2018

Elevated hormone flags liver disease in mice with serious genomic disorder

Researchers have discovered that a hormone, fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), is extremely elevated in mice with liver disease that mimics the same condition in patients with methylmalonic acidemia (MMA), a serious genomic disorder.

6 Dec 2018

Protecting powerhouse of cells could provide better way to treat acute kidney injury

For the first time, scientists have described the body's natural mechanism for temporarily protecting the powerhouses of kidney cells when injury or disease means they aren't getting enough blood or oxygen.

6 Dec 2018