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.

Nutritional interventions may help prevent detrimental brain ageing

Ageing is a highly complex process marked by a succession of events that may lead to an altered brain function, including neurodegenerative diseases. To date, the precise cause of cognitive decline remains quite elusive.

1 Jul 2016

Sheffield researchers identify novel function of C9orf72 protein linked to ALS and FTD

Scientists from the University of Sheffield have discovered a novel function of the C9orf72 protein which is linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) - giving a new insight into the most common genetic cause of the degenerative diseases.

1 Jul 2016

Researchers test experimental Zika virus vaccine in mice

An experimental vaccine against Zika virus developed by Brazilian and US researchers has been tested successfully in trials with mice.

30 Jun 2016

Novel therapeutic approach may be effective for disrupting bacterial biofilms

Biofilms are communities of bacteria that adhere to a surface and are nearly impossible to eradicate when they are pathogenic, or disease-causing.

30 Jun 2016

Researchers develop in vitro model system for investigating etiology of NAFLD

Researchers from the Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine at the University Clinic of Düsseldorf have established an in vitro model system for investigating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

30 Jun 2016

New bioinformatics tool can analyse 40,000 proteins per minute

Biology and computing have joined forces to create a piece of software that analyses mutations in proteins; these mutations are potential inducers of diseases, such as cancer.

30 Jun 2016

Using NMR to investigate intrinsically disordered proteins: an interview with Dr Isabella Felli

“IDPs” is now a widely used acronym that stands for “intrinsically disordered proteins.” It is the term generally used by the scientific community to refer to a wide variety of proteins that do not have a stable 3D structure and are instead characterized by a high extent of local mobility, disorder and many conformers that are accessible at room temperature.

From Bruker BioSpin Group 30 Jun 2016

Breakthrough research could lead to new drugs to improve heart attack outcomes

A research advance from the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and Stanford University could lead to new drugs that minimize the damage caused by heart attacks.

30 Jun 2016

Researchers determine how Ki-67 protein disperses chromosomes in dividing cells

Billions of your cells divide every day. Cell division fuels growth and also replaces short-lived cells in some organs, like your skin, blood, and gut.

30 Jun 2016

Researcher identifies how Itch protein inhibits colonic inflammation and carcinogenesis

Venuprasad Poojary, PhD, an associate investigator at Baylor Institute for Immunology Research (BIIR), part of Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, reported this week in the journal Nature Immunology the role of a key protein in the regulatory pathway that is involved in limiting colon inflammation and tumor growth.

30 Jun 2016

Study focuses on critical proteins involved in ovarian cancer biology

In what is believed to be the largest study of its kind, scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University and their collaborators from institutions across the nation have examined the collections of proteins in the tumors of 169 ovarian cancer patients to identify critical proteins present in their tumors.

30 Jun 2016

Researchers reveal novel mechanism by which viral protein VII suppresses immune alarm signals

Viruses must avoid a host's immune system to establish successful infections—and scientists have discovered another tool that viruses use to frustrate host defenses.

30 Jun 2016

UTHealth researchers receive $11 million grant to study prion diseases

Led by Claudio Soto, Ph.D., researchers from McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston have been awarded $11 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to study the pathogenesis, transmission and detection of prion diseases - such as chronic wasting disease in deer - that can potentially spread to humans.

30 Jun 2016

Allergy-causing immune cells play life-saving role in deadly C. difficile infection

Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have identified immune cells vital for protecting us from potentially fatal C. difficile infection. Surprisingly, those cells are often vilified for their role in causing asthma and allergies. But when it comes to C. difficile, they could be the difference in life and death.

29 Jun 2016

High levels of calpain protein linked to improved survival of breast cancer patients

A family of proteins that help cancer cells survive and spread around the body may be associated with improved prognosis for some women receiving treatment for breast cancer, research has shown.

29 Jun 2016

TSRI scientists develop new strategy to design potential HIV vaccine candidates

Want to catch a criminal? Show a mugshot on the news. Want to stop HIV infections? Get the immune system to recognize and attack the virus's tell-tale structure. That's part of the basic approach behind efforts at The Scripps Research Institute to design an AIDS vaccine.

29 Jun 2016

Home test using paper strips could help detect cancer, malaria

What if testing yourself for cancer or other diseases were as easy as testing your blood sugar or taking a home pregnancy test? In a few years, it might be.

29 Jun 2016

Diet rich in vegetables and fruit may decrease type 2 diabetes risk

A diet rich in vegetables and fruit may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, according to research published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition.

29 Jun 2016

Structures on surface of pneumococci determine bacteria’s ability to cause meningitis

Structures on the surface of pneumococci determine the ability of these bacteria to enter the brain and cause severe infections, according to a paper published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation by researchers at Karolinska Institutet.

29 Jun 2016

Biologists elucidate function of Pentagone protein in fruit fly

How do the cells in a human embryo know where they are located in the body and how they should develop? Why do certain cells form a finger while others do not? Freiburg biologists have explained the mechanisms that control these steps by showing why veins form at particular points in the wing of a fruit fly.

29 Jun 2016