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 catch killer cells red-handed in the act of microbial murder

Immune cells called "killer cells" target bacteria invading the body's cells, but how do they do this so effectively? Bacteria can quickly evolve resistance against antibiotics, yet it seems they have not so readily been able to evade killer cells. This has caused researchers to become interested in finding out the exact mechanism that killer cells use to destroy bacterial invaders.

9 Nov 2017

Antiviral drug selectively targets the most aggressive viruses, research says

An antiviral drug that inhibits a virus' replication machinery selectively targets the most aggressive viruses, according to new research that looked at the infection of individual cells by a virus and the consequence of antiviral intervention.

9 Nov 2017

Scientists uncover mechanism that prevents tumor growth in melanoma

Natural Killer (NK) cells, lymphocytes of the innate immune system with strong cytotoxic activity, play a major role in the immune response against tumors.

8 Nov 2017

Complete new skin from transgenic stem cells for boy with rare genetic disease

Hassan, a then seven-year-old boy from Germany, in 2015, presented to the doctors with a rare skin disease called junctional epidermolysis bullosa or JEB. This condition leaves the skin thin and papery and easily breakable. It has been compared to “butterfly wings” because of their fragile nature.

8 Nov 2017

Researchers discover mechanism behind skin inflammation in eczema

Publishing online this week in Cell Host & Microbe, researchers at Johns Hopkins report the discovery of a key underlying immune mechanism that explains why to how our skin becomes inflamed from conditions such as atopic dermatitis, more commonly known as eczema. Toxin-producing bacteria on the surface of our skin induces a protein that causes our own cells to react and cause inflammation.

8 Nov 2017

New gene therapy trial for X-linked myotubular myopathy offers hope to children

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago is one of the few centers participating in ASPIRO, an international Phase 1/2 clinical trial of a gene therapy product called AT132 for X-linked myotubular myopathy – a rare disease characterized by severe muscle weakness, breathing difficulty and early death.

8 Nov 2017

Scientists uncover previously unknown mechanism to combat influenza A virus

Just as flu season swings into full gear, researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder and University of Texas at Austin have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism by which the human immune system tries to battle the influenza A virus.

8 Nov 2017

Researchers use gold nanoshells to effectively release cancer drugs inside tumors

Researchers investigating ways to deliver high doses of cancer-killing drugs inside tumors have shown they can use a laser and light-activated gold nanoparticles to remotely trigger the release of approved cancer drugs inside cancer cells in laboratory cultures.

8 Nov 2017

German scientists develop new nuclear medicine test to identify kidney transplant infection

German scientists have developed a novel nuclear medicine test that can determine whether a kidney transplant patient has developed infection in the transplanted tissue.

8 Nov 2017

Endurance training can be helpful in dealing with muscle inflammation

Endurance training can actually be helpful in dealing with muscle inflammation, according to a new paper co-written by faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York, and Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden.

8 Nov 2017

Early intervention may be crucial to successful treatment of Friedreich's ataxia

New research published today in Disease Models & Mechanisms indicates that early intervention should be a key target in the development of new therapeutics for Friedreich's ataxia, as current treatments may be administered too late to target the disease effectively.

8 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

Research suggests possibility of preventing and treating Parkinson's disease using licorice extract

DGIST's research team led by Dr. Yun-Il Lee in Well-Aging Research Center has identified a new mechanism of inhibition of dopaminergic neuronal apoptosis and suggested the possibility of preventing and treating Parkinson's disease.

8 Nov 2017

Choosy eggs and vying sperm may hold secrets about evolution of new species

The delicately mannered dance between discerning eggs and vying sperm is more complicated than scientists once believed, and it may hold secrets about the evolution of new species.

8 Nov 2017

New discovery in beta-cell pathway shows potential to improve effectiveness of diabetes drugs

Over the past 15 years, University of Alabama at Birmingham endocrinologist Anath Shalev, M.D., has unraveled a crucial biological pathway that malfunctions in diabetes.

8 Nov 2017

SLU researcher reports success in identifying new drug targets for muscular dystrophy

In a recent paper published in the journal Skeletal Muscle, a Saint Louis University researcher reports success in identifying new drug targets that potentially could slow or halt the progression of a form muscular dystrophy, an illness characterized by progressive muscle degeneration.

7 Nov 2017

Genotype may help identify patients at increased risk for sickle cell disease-related complications

Researchers have found a genotype that could help identify sickle cell disease (SCD) patients at greatest risk of common, yet severe, complications of SCD.

7 Nov 2017

SBP researchers identify new protective function for brain protein genetically linked to Alzheimer's

Researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have identified a new protective function for a brain protein genetically linked to Alzheimer's. The findings, published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, could inform novel treatment strategies.

7 Nov 2017

Study finds link between increased brain glucose levels and Alzheimer's

A new study published yesterday in Alzheimer's & Dementia: the Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, found a link for the first time between abnormalities in the mechanism of glucose breakdown in the brain and the severity of tangles and amyloid plaques in the brain, as well as the commencement of visible symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

7 Nov 2017

High protein diet may have deleterious long-term impact on kidney health

High protein diets may lead to long-term kidney damage among those suffering from chronic kidney disease, according to research led by nephrologist Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh, MD, MPH, PhD, of the University of California, Irvine.

7 Nov 2017

Protein News and Research

Further Reading

Researchers catch killer cells red-handed in the act of microbial murder

Antiviral drug selectively targets the most aggressive viruses, research says

Scientists uncover mechanism that prevents tumor growth in melanoma

Complete new skin from transgenic stem cells for boy with rare genetic disease

Researchers discover mechanism behind skin inflammation in eczema

New gene therapy trial for X-linked myotubular myopathy offers hope to children

Scientists uncover previously unknown mechanism to combat influenza A virus

Researchers use gold nanoshells to effectively release cancer drugs inside tumors

German scientists develop new nuclear medicine test to identify kidney transplant infection

Endurance training can be helpful in dealing with muscle inflammation

Early intervention may be crucial to successful treatment of Friedreich's ataxia

Study finds potential chemical compound that initiated life on Earth

Research suggests possibility of preventing and treating Parkinson's disease using licorice extract

Choosy eggs and vying sperm may hold secrets about evolution of new species

New discovery in beta-cell pathway shows potential to improve effectiveness of diabetes drugs

SLU researcher reports success in identifying new drug targets for muscular dystrophy

Genotype may help identify patients at increased risk for sickle cell disease-related complications

SBP researchers identify new protective function for brain protein genetically linked to Alzheimer's

Study finds link between increased brain glucose levels and Alzheimer's

High protein diet may have deleterious long-term impact on kidney health

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