Membrane News and Research

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Visualizing lipid transport inside living cells with fluorescence microscopy

Lipid molecules, or fats, are crucial to all forms of life. Cells need lipids to build membranes, separate and organize biochemical reactions, store energy, and transmit information.

29 Aug 2025

Yale scientists boost mRNA vaccine power with new technology

Messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccines entered the public consciousness when they were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna used the technology in developing their highly effective vaccines to fight the virus.

27 Aug 2025

Unlocking neuroglia’s potential to halt neurodegeneration and restore brain homeostasis

In a revealing Genomic Press Interview published today in Brain Medicine, Professor Alexei Verkhratsky dismantles decades of neuroscience orthodoxy with discoveries that position neuroglia as active architects of brain function rather than passive cellular bystanders.

26 Aug 2025

Sugary drinks increase hair loss risk, scientists warn

A systematic review of 17 studies involving 61,332 participants reveals that vitamin D, iron, and certain foods and supplements play critical roles in hair health. Conversely, sugary drinks, alcohol, and excess vitamin A may worsen hair loss and hair quality.

25 Aug 2025

How a single gene reshapes pain perception through polyamine signaling

Researchers have identified SLC45A4 as a neuronal polyamine transporter genetically linked to human chronic pain. Loss of this gene in mice disrupts polyamine balance, alters spinal GABA levels, and reduces heat and tonic pain sensitivity.

24 Aug 2025

Natural products offer promising solutions in prosthodontics and oral implantology

Infection control is paramount in prosthodontics and oral implantology to prevent complications like denture stomatitis and peri-implantitis.

22 Aug 2025

Research shows how lysosomes respond to stress

New research, published today in the journal Science, shows how lysosomes - organelles that act like cells' waste disposal system - respond to stress by becoming abnormally bloated, a process called lysosomal vacuolation that is associated with numerous diseases.

21 Aug 2025

Yale researchers uncover new RNA editing tools for safer genetic surgery

The ability to correct disease-causing genetic mistakes using genome editors holds great promise in medicine, but it is not without risk.

21 Aug 2025

Using light to control tissue folding in developing embryos

The complex 3D shapes of brains, lungs, eyes, hands, and other vital bodily structures emerge from the way in which flat 2D sheets of cells fold during embryonic development.

21 Aug 2025

New 'dual-mode' tracer agent enhances precision in prostate cancer procedures

A preclinical evaluation of a new 'dual-mode' tracer agent shows promise in not only helping surgeons image and plan prostate cancer procedures, but also provide them with much more consistent and targeted guidance during surgery.

21 Aug 2025

How dietary formaldehyde links to worsening diabetes and memory loss

A new review reveals how everyday foods and hidden exposures to formaldehyde may fuel insulin resistance and chip away at memory, but also points to dietary patterns and emerging therapies that could help reduce the risk.

20 Aug 2025

Fish oil supplementation can reduce risk of developing type 2 diabetes in prediabetic individuals

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has become one of the leading chronic diseases worldwide in terms of both incidence and mortality.

20 Aug 2025

MIT technique reveals how AI models predict protein functions

Within the past few years, models that can predict the structure or function of proteins have been widely used for a variety of biological applications, such as identifying drug targets and designing new therapeutic antibodies.

19 Aug 2025

Faulty glucose transport weakens insulin release in Type 2 diabetes

Just as smart traffic management ensures smooth vehicular movement during peak hours, our body relies on a molecular traffic system to manage the surge in glucose levels after a meal.

18 Aug 2025

Researchers investigate how citrus bioflavonoid naringin could reduce inflammation and heart risk

Researchers reviewed 62 studies on naringin, a citrus flavonoid, and found strong preclinical evidence for its cardioprotective effects, including improved endothelial function, reduced oxidative stress, and protection against myocardial injury.

18 Aug 2025

Mitochondrial metabolite glutathione plays key role in breast cancer metastasis

The mitochondria may be the powerhouse of the cell, but mounting evidence suggests this organelle is also a driving force behind cancer.

18 Aug 2025

New molecule shows promise in treating acetaminophen-induced liver injury

Acetaminophen is one of the most common painkillers and is found in hundreds of different medications. While safe at recommended doses, acetaminophen overdose is the leading cause of acute liver injury in the U.S.

18 Aug 2025

Muscle stem cells show ability to transform and heal broken bones

When bones break and there is extreme tissue loss--such as after a car accident or a battlefield injury--current treatments don't often lead to effective healing.

18 Aug 2025

Researchers uncover a novel way platelets can suppress inflammation

Platelets are probably best known for their role in blood clotting, making scabs and related, if less salubrious, contributions to heart attacks and strokes. But these tiny, saucer-shaped blood cells have other physiological duties as well, including surveillance for viral or bacterial infections, the recruitment of immune cells to the site of a suspected incursion, and even the direct destruction of pathogens.

18 Aug 2025

New therapies for acute kidney injury show promise

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a severe renal disorder affecting approximately 10%-15% of hospitalized patients and up to 50% in intensive care units (ICUs). Its pathogenesis involves complex inflammatory regulatory mechanisms. As core components of the cytokine network, interleukins (ILs) exert pleiotropic effects in AKI development, extensively participating in inflammation, fibrosis, tissue injury repair, and remote organ damage.

18 Aug 2025