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.

New understanding of neurotransmitter transporter mechanism gives hope for treating depression, addicition

When nerve cells have to communicate with each other in our brains, it involves release of small signal molecules, the so-called neurotransmitters, which act as chemical messengers in specific points of contact between nerve cells, called synapses.

27 May 2016

Salk scientists discover REV-ERBα protein that controls strength of circadian rhythm

At noon every day, levels of genes and proteins throughout your body are drastically different than they are at midnight. Disruptions to this 24-hour cycle of physiological activity are why jet lag or a bad night's sleep can alter your appetite and sleep patterns for days--and even contribute to conditions like heart disease, sleep disorders and cancers.

27 May 2016

Research sheds light on how subtle genetic differences in DMD patients produce variation in symptoms

Johns Hopkins researchers report they have inadvertently found a way to make human muscle cells bearing genetic mutations from people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

27 May 2016

Novel way of directly activating Bak protein can trigger cell death

Melbourne researchers have discovered a new way of triggering cell death, in a finding that could lead to drugs to treat cancer and autoimmune disease.

27 May 2016

Smell or taste of food can shorten lifespan by affecting sensory neurons

Animals can perceive changes in many environmental factors such as temperature and the taste or smell of foods. This is achieved by specialized nerve cells called sensory neurons. Interestingly, sensory neurons have been known to control the rate of aging in various animals, including the tiny free living roundworm C. elegans.

27 May 2016

TSRI study shows how specific gene mutation promotes growth of aggressive tumors

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have caught a cancer-causing mutation in the act. A new study shows how a gene mutation found in several human cancers, including leukemia, gliomas and melanoma, promotes the growth of aggressive tumors.

27 May 2016

New hydrogel-based biochip may help in early diagnosis of bowel cancer

Researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, the Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry and a number of other Russian research centers have developed a new method of diagnosing colorectal cancer.

27 May 2016

Early-life stress may lead to functional dyspepsia in adulthood

Traumatic events early in life can increase levels of norepinephrine—the primary hormone responsible for preparing the body to react to stressful situations—in the gut, increasing the risk of developing chronic indigestion and anxiety during adulthood, a new study in American Journal of Physiology—Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology reports.

27 May 2016

UT Southwestern study offers more insight into cholesterol transporter

Using X-ray crystallography, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have determined the 3-D atomic structure of a human sterol transporter that helps maintain cholesterol balance.

27 May 2016

RBFOX2 dysregulation may cause heart damage in diabetic patients

Cardiac complications are the number one cause of death among diabetics. Now a team of scientists has uncovered a molecular mechanism involved in a common form of heart damage found in people with diabetes.

27 May 2016

Prepackaged food may contribute to more weight loss than self-selected diet

Increased portion sizes in Americans' diets is widely recognized as a contributor to the obesity epidemic, and now new research published in Obesity, the scientific journal of The Obesity Society, examines the effect of prepackaged, portion-controlled meals on weight loss.

26 May 2016

Gene mutation linked to autism plays key role in formation, maturation of synapses

A new study from MIT neuroscientists reveals that a gene mutation associated with autism plays a critical role in the formation and maturation of synapses -- the connections that allow neurons to communicate with each other.

26 May 2016

Malaria parasites use complement system to evade human immune response, study finds

The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum hijacks an immune system process to invade red blood cells, according to a study led by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine. Understanding how malaria invades the cells could lead to a more effective vaccine.

26 May 2016

Research sheds new light on biological processes underlying neurodegeneration in AD

Progranulin is a central protein in both neuronal survival and neurodegenerative diseases. It is thus not surprising that altered progranulin levels represent a universal theme shared across several common neurodegenerative diseases.

26 May 2016

TSRI scientists discover new method for harnessing venoms for therapeutic use

There are lessons to be learned from venoms. Scorpions, snakes, snails, frogs and other creatures are thought to produce tens or even hundreds of millions of distinct venoms. These venoms have been honed to strike specific targets in the body.

26 May 2016

Alzheimer’s research raises questions on the role of infection

A new study has shown that A-beta (Aβ), the protein that forms β-amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease, is a normal part of the immune system - raising questions about the role infection plays in Alzheimer’s disease and whether current treatment strategies should be changed.

26 May 2016

Researchers partially restore lost function of isolated cystic fibrosis lung cells

In experiments with isolated cystic fibrosis lung cells, University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers and colleagues from two other institutions have partially restored the lost function of those cells.

26 May 2016

Majority of young adults with abdominal obesity unaware of CKD risk

Many young adults with abdominal obesity exhibit a readily detectable risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD), yet the vast majority don't know they're at risk, according to a study of nationwide health data led by Albert Einstein College of Medicine researchers that was published online today in the journal PLOS ONE.

26 May 2016

Pre-treatment with antihistamines may suppress gastrointestinal symptoms of food allergy

Simultaneous pre-treatment with antihistamines that block both the H1 and H4 antihistamine receptors suppressed the gastrointestinal symptoms of food allergy in mice, according to researchers at National Jewish Health.

26 May 2016

First large-scale proteogenomic study helps pinpoint genes that drive breast cancer

Building on data from The Cancer Genome Atlas project, a multi-institutional team of scientists has completed the first large-scale "proteogenomic" study of breast cancer, linking DNA mutations to protein signaling and helping pinpoint the genes that drive cancer.

26 May 2016

Protein News and Research

Further Reading

New understanding of neurotransmitter transporter mechanism gives hope for treating depression, addicition

Salk scientists discover REV-ERBα protein that controls strength of circadian rhythm

Research sheds light on how subtle genetic differences in DMD patients produce variation in symptoms

Novel way of directly activating Bak protein can trigger cell death

Smell or taste of food can shorten lifespan by affecting sensory neurons

TSRI study shows how specific gene mutation promotes growth of aggressive tumors

New hydrogel-based biochip may help in early diagnosis of bowel cancer

Early-life stress may lead to functional dyspepsia in adulthood

UT Southwestern study offers more insight into cholesterol transporter

RBFOX2 dysregulation may cause heart damage in diabetic patients

Prepackaged food may contribute to more weight loss than self-selected diet

Gene mutation linked to autism plays key role in formation, maturation of synapses

Malaria parasites use complement system to evade human immune response, study finds

Research sheds new light on biological processes underlying neurodegeneration in AD

TSRI scientists discover new method for harnessing venoms for therapeutic use

Alzheimer’s research raises questions on the role of infection

Researchers partially restore lost function of isolated cystic fibrosis lung cells

Majority of young adults with abdominal obesity unaware of CKD risk

Pre-treatment with antihistamines may suppress gastrointestinal symptoms of food allergy

First large-scale proteogenomic study helps pinpoint genes that drive breast cancer

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