Biochemistry News and Research

RSS

SLU researchers make advances in understanding plaque-causing protein in neurological disorders

In a recent paper published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry Yuna Ayala, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Saint Louis University, and her research team made advances in understanding how a protein causes damaging plaques to build up in neurodegenerative illnesses like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and a form of dementia called frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

19 Apr 2017

Bacteriophages may help combat antibiotic-resistant 'superbugs'

Viruses that specifically kill bacteria, called bacteriophages, might one day help solve the growing problem of bacterial infections that are resistant to antibiotic treatment.

18 Apr 2017

Microscopic probes simplify process of measuring electrical signals in small animals

Microscopic probes developed at Rice University have simplified the process of measuring electrical activity in individual cells of small living animals. The technique allows a single animal like a worm to be tested again and again and could revolutionize data-gathering for disease characterization and drug interactions.

17 Apr 2017

Seeing genes inside living cells

For Mazhar Adli, the little glowing dots dancing about on the computer screen are nothing less than the fulfillment of a dream. Those fluorescent dots, moving in real time, are set to illuminate our understanding of the human genome, cancer and other genetic diseases in a way never before possible.

14 Apr 2017

High consumption of dietary PUFA can lead to lazy behavior and diabetes

A UBC researcher is suggesting the types of cooking oils people consume may be sabotaging their efforts to stay healthy and avoid illnesses such as diabetes.

12 Apr 2017

Transmembrane protein complexes shed light on antibiotic resistance in bacteria

An international team including researchers from MIPT’s Laboratory for Advanced Studies of Membrane Proteins have proposed an explanation of the way bacteria process external signals.

12 Apr 2017

Study may provide insight into how R-LA promotes death of hepatoma cells

A new study that measured metabolite levels over time in starved rat liver cancer cells showed that treatment with a form of alpha-lipoic acid (LA) inhibited glucose uptake and glycolysis, and led to decreased cellular glucose production from non-carbohydrate sources, which may help explain how the naturally occurring R enantiomeric form of LA (R-LA) promotes the death of hepatoma cells.

12 Apr 2017

Penn State researchers develop nanoprobes to rapidly isolate rare cancer markers

A nanoscale product of human cells that was once considered junk is now known to play an important role in intercellular communication and in many disease processes, including cancer metastasis.

10 Apr 2017

Researchers uncover critical pathway that helps pancreatic cancer cells turn off immune system

Researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center and its Perlmutter Cancer Center have uncovered a critical pathway by which pancreatic cancer cells turn off the immune system charged with attacking them. The findings appear in a paper published online in Nature Medicine April 10.

7 Apr 2017

Study discovers new role for DNA2 enzyme in repair process

A biochemical analysis study has discovered a new role for the DNA2 enzyme.

6 Apr 2017

Study shows how chemical modification in the retinal can improve vision

A light-sensing pigment found in everything from bacteria to vertebrates can be biochemically manipulated to reset itself, an important therapeutic advantage, according to new research out of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

6 Apr 2017

New initiative aims to study relationship between brain and obesity

The Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University Medical Center has launched an initiative to study the relationship between the brain and metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes.

5 Apr 2017

Newly-discovered mechanism for compound may help prevent neurologic damage

Researchers at Oregon State University have found that a compound called rapamycin has unusual properties that may help address neurologic damage such as Alzheimer's disease.

5 Apr 2017

Researchers show how cellular stress regulates production of hemoglobin

Our ability to breathe oxygen is critical to our survival. This process is mediated by the hemoglobin in our blood, which carries oxygen. Since air contains less oxygen on high mountains, the body is under pressure to make hemoglobin rapidly -- a stressful time.

4 Apr 2017

Scientists find new way to detect prostate cancer by 'sniffing' urine

On the list of dreaded medical tests, a prostate biopsy probably ranks fairly high. The common procedure requires sticking a needle into the prostate gland to remove tissue for assessment.

4 Apr 2017

Case Western Reserve and Q2 Pharma partner to develop antivirulence agents that disarm superbugs

Case Western Reserve University and Q2 Pharma Ltd., an Israeli biopharmaceutical company, have signed a two-year option to license small molecule, antivirulence technology to potentially treat bacterial infections such as methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the first known scientific effort of its kind.

31 Mar 2017

Neurons identified that link breathing to relaxation and arousal

Deep breathing is widely considered as one of the best ways to lower stress in the body and instil a sense of calm. Scientists at Stanford University have now identified the neurons that connect the respiratory control center in the brain with the centre controlling state of mind.

31 Mar 2017