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.

New proteomics studies help gain more insights into Alzheimer's, cancer and listeriosis

The brains of people with Alzheimer's disease contain many protein aggregates outside of cells, known as plaques. These are mainly made of the peptide amyloid-beta, which is released from the plasma membrane when the protease BACE1 cleaves its membrane-anchored precursor protein.

19 Jul 2018

Researchers gain more insight into how FUS protein causes ALS and FTLD

The mutated and aggregated protein FUS is implicated in two neurodegenerative diseases: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

19 Jul 2018

Cancer patients receiving anti-PD-1 therapies may experience delayed skin reactions

Cancer patients receiving anti-PD-1 therapies who develop lesions, eczema, psoriasis, or other forms of auto-immune diseases affecting the skin may experience those adverse reactions on a delay – sometimes even after treatment has concluded.

19 Jul 2018

Scientists identify melanoma biomarkers that could help tailor immunotherapy treatments

Scientists at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center have identified biomarkers in melanoma that could help tailor immunotherapy treatments to maximize the benefits for patients while reducing the likelihood of severe side effects.

19 Jul 2018

Research uncovers new target for therapeutic intervention in breast cancer

Research led by Suresh Alahari, PhD, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, has shown for the first time that a tiny piece of RNA deregulates energy metabolism, an emerging hallmark of cancer. The finding identifies a new target for therapeutic intervention in breast cancer.

18 Jul 2018

New strategy may lead to more accurate breast cancer diagnoses

A study in Molecular Oncology indicates that examining the protein and RNA in leftover materials from routine diagnostic tests for breast cancer may lead to more accurate diagnoses.

18 Jul 2018

Heart attack risk continues to increase among pregnant women, study finds

The risk of having a heart attack while pregnant, giving birth, or during the two months after delivery, continues to increase for American women, a new study finds.

18 Jul 2018

Researchers identify new potential target protein for colon cancer

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine have identified a new potential target protein they believe can help further the understanding of colon cancer and ultimately survival of patients with the disease.

18 Jul 2018

Allergic responses may help protect the skin against cancer, research suggests

The components of the immune system that trigger allergic reactions may also help protect the skin against cancer, suggest new findings.

18 Jul 2018

Maintaining high levels of vinculin confers heart health benefits to fruit flies

Our cells tend to lose their shape as we grow older, contributing to many of the effects we experience as aging. This poses particular problems for the heart, where aging can disrupt the protein network within muscle cells that move blood around the body.

18 Jul 2018

Military personnel with head trauma and football players with suspected CTE show similar brain changes

In a small study of military personnel who had suffered head trauma and had reported memory and mood problems, UCLA researchers found brain changes similar to those seen in retired football players with suspected chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated blows to the head.

18 Jul 2018

Why men may recover more quickly from influenza infections than women

Men may recover more quickly from influenza infections because they produce more of a key lung-healing protein, a study from scientists at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests.

17 Jul 2018

Researchers identify key protein involved in irregular brain cell activity

In a new study in mice, researchers have identified a key protein involved in the irregular brain cell activity seen in autism spectrum disorders and epilepsy. The protein, p53, is well-known in cancer biology as a tumor suppressor.

17 Jul 2018

Homogenous BTK occupancy assay used in tirabrutinib clinical studies

In a new SLAS Discovery article, Helen Yu and a team of researchers at Gilead Sciences, Inc. present a time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based Bruton's tyrosine kinase occupancy assay that can measure target engagement in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and in lymph-node and bone-marrow samples.

17 Jul 2018

Study identifies new genes linked to heart function and development

A new study from an international research team, led by Dr Yalda Jamshidi at St George's, University of London, has identified new genes associated with heart function and development.

17 Jul 2018

Okayama University research could improve prognosis of diabetic kidney disease

Researchers at Okayama University report in the journal Diabetes Care their findings on measurements of ion concentration in solutions for clinical and environmental research. The results are expected to improve prognosis of diabetic kidney disease.

17 Jul 2018

New molecule shows great promise for future treatment of many cancers

A new molecule designed by University of Adelaide researchers shows great promise for future treatment of many cancers.

17 Jul 2018

Scientists identify hidden signals in RNAs that control protein synthesis

Scientists have long known that RNA encodes instructions to make proteins. The building blocks that comprise RNA - A, U, C, and Gs - form a blueprint for the protein-making machinery in cells. To make proteins, the machinery latches on RNA at one end and then scans along the RNA until it reaches an AUG string, which is the signal to start translating the genetic code into a protein.

17 Jul 2018

Study findings highlight importance of early detection of SMA through newborn screening

Spinal muscular atrophy is a genetic disease that affects motor neurons in the spinal cord, resulting in muscle atrophy and widespread weakness that eventually impair swallowing and breathing.

17 Jul 2018

New machine learning framework predicts effects of genetic mutations in ‘dark matter’ regions

A new machine learning framework, dubbed ExPecto, can predict the effects of genetic mutations in the so-called "dark matter" regions of the human genome.

17 Jul 2018