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 map key Zika virus protein to accelerate search for cure

A study published today shows how Indiana University scientists are speeding the path to new treatments for the Zika virus, an infectious disease linked to birth defects in infants in South and Central America and the United States.

28 Mar 2017

Scientists show p300 protein may stop MDS from developing into leukemia

Scientists at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have shown that p300, a protein that increases gene expression by attaching acetyl molecules to DNA, may stop myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) from developing into acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The study was published in the journal Leukemia.

27 Mar 2017

Treatment with microRNA re-insulates ravaged nerves, restores limb mobility in mouse models of MS

Scientists partially re-insulated ravaged nerves in mouse models of multiple sclerosis (MS) and restored limb mobility by treating the animals with a small non-coding RNA called a microRNA.

27 Mar 2017

Research findings offer potential explanation for opioid-induced itching

Opioids have long been an important tool in the world of pain management, but the side effects of these drugs - from addiction and respiratory failure to severe itching and dizziness, can be overwhelming.

27 Mar 2017

New research shows how molecular motors are transported into cilia

Molecular motors produce the force that powers the beat of sperm cell tails to generate movement toward the egg cell for fertilization.

27 Mar 2017

Researchers identify novel compounds that decrease glucose production in liver cells

Scientists may have found a new tool for studying—and maybe even treating—Type 2 diabetes, the form of diabetes considered responsible for close to 95 percent of cases in the United States.

27 Mar 2017

Simple colour changing test can help speed up research for cancer drugs

A simple colour changing test to help scientists investigate potential cancer drugs has been developed by University of Bath scientists, allowing research to progress at a much greater speed than has been possible until now.

27 Mar 2017

Liver damage caused by low protein diet can be repaired, study finds

Damage caused to the liver by a low protein diet can be repaired, a new study just published in the prestigious journal 'Nutrition' has found.

27 Mar 2017

Scientists crack crystal structure of entire ZIKV NS5 protein

Zika virus (ZIKV), which causes Zika virus disease, is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquito. An infected pregnant woman can pass ZIKV to her fetus during pregnancy or around the time of birth. Sex is yet another way for infected persons to transmit ZIKV to others.

27 Mar 2017

Study shows how antibiotics increase survival chances of bacteria

Antibiotics harm bacteria and stress them. Trimethoprim (TMP), an antibiotic, inhibits the growth of the bacterium Escherichia coli and induces a stress response.

25 Mar 2017

Astrocytes prove to be surprisingly vital players in the body's clock

Until recently, work on biological clocks that dictate daily fluctuations in most body functions, including core body temperature and alertness, focused on neurons, those electrically excitable cells that are the divas of the central nervous system.

25 Mar 2017

New research uncovers how brain's capillary network controls blood flow, monitors neuronal activity

All it takes is the flip of a protein "switch" within the tiny wire-like capillaries of the brain to increase the blood flow that ensures optimal brain function.

25 Mar 2017

Major grant funds research effort that seeks to understand complexity of invasive cancer

A $9.5 million, five-year grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) will fund an intensive multidisciplinary research effort that seeks to better understand how cancer cells reach an aggressive state and begin to damage surrounding tissue.

25 Mar 2017

Researchers report discovery of new gene linked to Tau accumulation in AD

Tau pathology is one of the defining features of Alzheimer disease (AD), which is the most common form of dementia in older age.

25 Mar 2017

Researchers pinpoint Jumonji protein as key to Ewing's Sarcoma spread

By the time Ewing's Sarcoma is diagnosed, primarily in teens and young adults, it has often spread from its primary site to other parts of the body, making it difficult to treat.

24 Mar 2017

New gene linked to Tau pathology

Investigators at Rush University Medical Center and the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston reported the discovery of a new gene that is associated with susceptibility to a common form of brain pathology called Tau that accumulates in several different conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, certain forms of dementia and Parkinsonian syndromes as well as chronic traumatic encephalopathy that occurs with repeated head injuries.

24 Mar 2017

Researchers develop nanoparticle to deliver potential new drug to breast cancer cells

The research, a collaborative project between Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University, began at the Queen's Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology in 2014, and was led by Professor Mohamed El-Tanani.

24 Mar 2017

Research findings could help understand how Parkinson's develops on molecular level

In a complex series of experiments they examined what the effects were of changing a single amino acid in the protein.

24 Mar 2017

Virus hydrophobicity could help in vaccine purification

A person doesn't have to get sick to catch a virus. Researchers hope to catch viruses for detection and vaccinations by understanding their sticky outer layers.

24 Mar 2017

Berkeley researchers search for cancer clues in sample of blood

One day, patients may be able to monitor their body's response to cancer therapy just by having their blood drawn. A new study, led by bioengineers at UC Berkeley, has taken an important step in that direction by measuring a panel of cancer proteins in rare, individual tumor cells that float in the blood.

24 Mar 2017