Cellular Biology News and Research

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Heparin promotes food intake and body weight gain in animal models

Heparin is a medication widely used to prevent blood clotting; it is named after and mimics the naturally occurring anticoagulant in the body.

6 Sep 2017

Tiny tears in membranes of bone cells may be key to strong bones

The force gravity and physical activity put on our bones causes tiny tears in the membranes of the tiny cells that enable us to make or break down bone, scientists say.

29 Aug 2017

Study provides better understanding of how estrogen regulates gene expression

Estrogen hormones regulate gene expression. They achieve this by first binding to estrogen receptor in the cell nucleus, which triggers the recruitment of different molecules called coactivators in specific order.

24 Aug 2017

Oropouche virus could cause serious public health problem in Brazil, researcher warns

After the Zika epidemic, which began in 2015, and the outbreak of yellow fever early in 2017, Brazil runs a serious risk of being afflicted by Oropouche, another virus that is widely distributed throughout South and Central America and the Caribbean.

22 Aug 2017

Scientists reveal differences between human and murine microglia used in degenerative disease research

The results of a new research showed that many of the genes that are expressed by microglia are different between humans and mice, which are frequently used as animal models in research on Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

18 Aug 2017

Protein changes essential for normal adult muscle function

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have shed light on the process that guides the maturation of newborn muscles into adult, fully functional organs.

14 Aug 2017

Researchers uncover novel role for Gata4 in reducing post-heart attack fibrosis

During a heart attack, blood stops flowing into the heart; starved for oxygen, part of the heart muscle dies.

14 Aug 2017

Researchers compare bone-healing effects of three low-dose growth factors

Researchers compared the effects of three bone growth factors to bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) -- the most commonly used agent for repair of large bone defects, which is not without risks at the doses required--and showed significant bone-healing effects including the formation of new blood vessels at low doses relative to BMP2.

28 Jul 2017

Low vitamin D may affect recovery of injured corneas

Injury or disease in combination with too little vitamin D can be bad for the window to your eyes. The three-layer, transparent cornea at the front of the eyes focuses the light coming in. But its prominent position also puts it at risk for injury from an errant mascara wand or over-prodding finger or a car accident.

24 Jul 2017

Scientists discover how CD44s molecule gives brain cancer cells a survival advantage

Understanding the mechanisms that give cancer cells the ability to survive and grow opens the possibility of developing improved treatments to control or cure the disease.

19 Jul 2017

Researchers discover potential substitutes for BPA that lack adverse effects

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have identified a group of potential substitutes for bisphenol A (BPA) that lack the adverse effects typically associated with BPA.

14 Jul 2017

Ground-breaking new breast cancer drugs have manageable toxicity profile for most patients

A ground-breaking new class of oral drugs for treating breast cancer, known as cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors, are generally well-tolerated, with a manageable toxicity profile for most patients.

13 Jul 2017

Study assesses success and efficacy of ovarian tissue freezing

Many women are turning to egg freezing to promote fertility, but what happens when it isn't an option because of special medical or other conditions? And, what option is there for women who want to preserve hormonal function, not just fertility?

13 Jul 2017

Mathematical rules governing plant growth found to be like how brain cells sprout connections

Plants and brains are more alike than you might think: Salk scientists discovered that the mathematical rules governing how plants grow are similar to how brain cells sprout connections.

7 Jul 2017

Some terminal cancer patients show unwillingness to face poor prognosis, study finds

In a recent study, published in The Oncologist, just under 10% of patients diagnosed with terminal cancer did not know their prognosis and had no interest in finding out.

6 Jul 2017

Mouse study uncovers key molecular player in heart enlargement

The heart is a dynamic muscle that grows and shrinks in response to stressors such as exercise and disease. The secret to its malleability lies in individual cells, which get bigger or smaller depending on the heart's needs.

27 Jun 2017

Kopchicks' $10.5 million gift to fund student fellowships at MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School

Just as he has changed the lives of people suffering from a devastating genetic disease, molecular endocrinologist John J. Kopchick, Ph.D., and his wife, Charlene, of Athens, Ohio, are paving the way for future scientists to do the same with a transformative $10.5 million gift to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

23 Jun 2017

Scientists reveal 12-hour autonomous biological clock that coordinates bodily functions

Some bodily activities, sleeping, for instance, mostly occur once every 24 hours; they follow a circadian rhythm. Other bodily functions, such as body temperature, cognitive performance and blood pressure, present an additional 12-hour cycle, but little is known about the biological basis of their rhythm.

6 Jun 2017

Scientists identify key gene in 22q11.2 that contributes to genitourinary birth defects

The 22q11.2 region of human chromosome 22 is a hotspot for a variety of birth defects. Scientists learned about this region because it is deleted in about 1 in 4,000 births, causing the loss or duplication of up to 40 genes.

25 May 2017

IDIBELL researchers reveal role of endoplasmic reticulum in cell death process due to starvation

Researchers from the Cell death group of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, led by Dr. Cristina Muñoz-Pinedo, have characterized the cell death process due to starvation, in which the endoplasmic reticulum plays a leading role.

3 May 2017