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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.

Ludwig study elucidates mechanism behind metabolic vulnerability of some breast tumors

Scientists have known since the 1980s that many cancer cells are relatively sensitive to the deprivation of an essential amino acid known as methionine. It has, however, long been unclear what causes such marked dependency on methionine.

20 Dec 2017

FDA approves new gene therapy targeting rare form of inherited vision loss

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Luxturna (voretigene neparvovec-rzyl), a new gene therapy, to treat children and adult patients with an inherited form of vision loss that may result in blindness.

19 Dec 2017

New findings may lead to sensitive, non-invasive test for Alzheimer's disease

New research has drawn a link between changes in the brain's anatomy and biomarkers that are known to appear at the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD), findings that could one day provide a sensitive but non-invasive test for AD before cognitive symptoms appear.

19 Dec 2017

KU researchers win $10.8 NIH grant to study cancer, neurological disorders, lung and heart diseases

The University of Kansas' Center for Molecular Analysis of Disease Pathways, a National Institutes of Health Center of Biomedical Research Excellence, recently earned a second phase of grant funding in the amount of $10.8 million for an additional five years.

19 Dec 2017

Researchers use genomics to advance understanding of Parkinson´s disease

It is widely known that genomics has already begun to influence medicine and that bioinformatics holds the key for developing new medical approaches, but how does medical genomics really work?

19 Dec 2017

Special precautions not required when people with egg allergy take flu shots

For years, people with an egg allergy have been told to avoid or take special precautions when getting a flu shot because most influenza vaccines are grown in eggs and contain a tiny amount of egg protein. An updated practice parameter from the Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters stresses that people with egg allergy should receive their yearly flu shot, and that no special precautions are required.

19 Dec 2017

Immune system plays key role in development of atherosclerosis

The immune system plays an important role in the development of atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of cardiovascular diseases. Thomas van der Heijden has discovered that immunosuppressants may play a preventative role. PhD defense 19 December.

19 Dec 2017

Zinc present in semen determines male fertility, study shows

Trace levels of zinc present in semen is a vital determinant of male fertility, a recent study in Bangladesh capital Dhaka concludes.

19 Dec 2017

Treatment for skin cancer could be more effective if combined with arthritis drug

Treatment for the most deadly form of skin cancer could be more effective if combined with a well-known drug for rheumatoid arthritis, new research has shown.

19 Dec 2017

TSRI scientists uncover new insights into regulatory network behind axon termination

All things must come to an end. This is particularly true for neurons, especially the extensions called axons that transmit electrochemical signals to other nerve cells. Without controlled termination of individual neuron growth, the efficient and accurate construction of a nervous system is in serious jeopardy.

19 Dec 2017

Nano-encapsulation of bilirubin could enhance survival rates of pancreatic islet cells

By encapsulating bilirubin within tiny nanoparticles, researchers from North Carolina State University and the Ohio State University have improved the survival rates of pancreatic islet cells in vitro in a low-oxygen environment.

18 Dec 2017

Study shows vital role for maternally inherited gene in embryonic development

A new study indicates an essential role for a maternally inherited gene in embryonic development. The study found that zebrafish that failed to inherit specific genetic instructions from mom developed fatal defects earlier in development, even if the fish could make their own version of the gene.

18 Dec 2017

Researchers identify novel mechanism that protects from brain tumor

A group of researchers at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre have identified a protein called RanBP6 as a new regulator of EGFR. In a paper published in Nature Communications they show how silencing of RanBP6 promoted glioma growth, by upregulating EGFR expression.

18 Dec 2017

Moderate exercise reduces progression of Marfan syndrome symptoms in mice

Regular physical activity is a common therapy for people with cardiovascular problems, but not recommended to those with Marfan syndrome, a rare disease of the connective tissue, but mainly affecting the cardiovascular system.

18 Dec 2017

Researchers identify mechanism that regulates signaling events leading to cancer metastasis

Understanding how cancer cells are able to metastasize -- migrate from the primary tumor to distant sites in the body -- and developing therapies to inhibit this process are the focus of many laboratories around the country.

18 Dec 2017

Excessive copper in diabetes impedes ability to make new blood vessels

It's a metal we worry thieves will steal from our air conditioners or power lines, but inside our bodies too much copper can result in a much larger loss.

18 Dec 2017

Gene that could be associated with reduced pain response found

Researchers found an Italian family, the Marsilis that have six individuals who respond significantly differently to pain than others. This includes a 78-year-old lady and her two daughters and their three children.

18 Dec 2017

Research uncovers mechanism implicated in defective function of tumor-associated dendritic cells

A new study from The Wistar Institute revealed the mechanism implicated in the defective function of tumor-associated dendritic cells (DCs), a specialized type of immune cells that expose the antigens on their surface to activate the T cells.

15 Dec 2017

Researchers reveal previously unknown mechanism that inhibits cells' ability to develop into tumors

CANCER RESEARCH Danish researchers have just presented a previously unknown mechanism that inhibits the ability of cells to develop into cancer cells. Their findings have important implications for the understanding of how cancer starts, and how to improve the treatment of illness in the future.

15 Dec 2017

‘Sushi-like’ nanodiscs provide structural snapshots of misfolding proteins

When proteins misfold, accumulate and clump around insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, they kill cells. Now, researchers, including University of Michigan biophysicists, have obtained a structural snapshot of these proteins when they are most toxic, detailing them down to the atomic level.

15 Dec 2017