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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.

Study reveals how mTORC1-driven changes in crowding could influence major diseases

Among the most studied protein machines in history, mTORC1 has long been known to sense whether a cell has enough energy to build the proteins it needs to multiply as part of growth.

22 Jun 2018

Scientists identify gene that triggers senescence

Scientists seeking to unlock the secrets of cellular aging have identified a gene that triggers senescence, a phenomenon in which cells stop dividing.

22 Jun 2018

Lipid-scrambling DNA enzyme outperforms naturally occurring counterpart, say researchers

A new synthetic enzyme, crafted from DNA rather than protein, flips lipid molecules within the cell membrane, triggering a signal pathway that could be harnessed to induce cell death in cancer cells.

22 Jun 2018

Novel cellular pathway may clarify how arterial inflammation develops into atherosclerosis

Investigators have identified a new cellular pathway that may help explain how arterial inflammation develops into atherosclerosis - deposits of cholesterol, fats and other substances that create plaque, clog arteries and promote heart attacks and stroke. The findings could lead to improved therapies for atherosclerosis, a leading cause of death worldwide.

22 Jun 2018

Jumping genes or transposons and their role in the genetic code

Researchers have found that there a numerous transposons or “jumping genes” within the genetic code that is responsible for development of the embryo and its growth. These were earlier thought to be junk or useless parts of the genome.

22 Jun 2018

Study reveals new target to halt tumor growth

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered that a protein called Munc13-4 helps cancer cells secrete large numbers of exosomes - tiny, membrane-bound packages containing proteins and RNAs that stimulate tumor progression.

21 Jun 2018

Researchers report unusually high levels of herpesvirus in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease

Two strains of human herpesvirus - human herpesvirus 6A (HHV-6A) and human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) - are found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease at levels up to twice as high as in those without Alzheimer's, researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai report.

21 Jun 2018

Scientists discover the molecular trigger of necroptosis

Researchers have uncovered a trigger for an immune-related cell death pathway called necroptosis. The discovery could be used to develop new treatments for cancer and immune disorders.

21 Jun 2018

Protein Data Bank at Rutgers impacts research, education and drug discovery

When Jimmy Carter was diagnosed with end-stage metastatic melanoma in 2015, he began taking a drug developed in part using 3D molecular data.

21 Jun 2018

Breakthrough discovery reveals brain metals that may drive progression of Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer's disease could be better treated, thanks to a breakthrough discovery of the properties of the metals in the brain involved in the progression of the neurodegenerative condition, by an international research collaboration including the University of Warwick.

21 Jun 2018

New methods of fragment-based lead discovery to identify potential antibiotics

In the July 2018 issue of SLAS Discovery, a review article summarizes new methods of fragment-based lead discovery to identify new compounds as potential antibiotics.

21 Jun 2018

Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals wins NINDS grant to advance novel therapies for ALS

Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals, leaders in stress granule biology, an exciting new target for the development of neurodegenerative therapeutics, announced today that it has been awarded $3.4 million from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in a competing grant to advance novel therapeutic drug candidates towards the clinic for treating patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

21 Jun 2018