Cellular Biology News and Research

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Brain chemical dopamine plays key role in representing or encoding movement

Princeton University researchers have found that dopamine - a brain chemical involved in learning, motivation and many other functions - also has a direct role in representing or encoding movement. The finding could help researchers better understand dopamine's role in movement-related disorders such as Parkinson's disease.

26 Apr 2016

Hippo signaling pathway controls phases of quiescence in fruit fly central nervous system

Neural stem cells are responsible for the formation of differentiated daughter cells in the developing brain. If no new cells are needed, the stem cells may enter a resting phase called quiescence. Biologists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz have now discovered that the phases of quiescence in the Drosophila fruit fly central nervous system are controlled by the Hippo signaling pathway. Drosophila serves as a model organism that helps geneticists to decode the molecular fundamentals of cellular biology and unravel mechanisms that are conserved in human beings and other vertebrates.

21 Apr 2016

SI-2 molecule can inhibit tumor growth in breast cancer mouse model

Cancer cells communicate with their environment through cell molecules that pass on signals to the inside of the cell. The signals help cancer cells multiply and migrate, spreading the disease.

21 Apr 2016

Study reveals TRPV2 protein as new target for chronic pain, cancer treatments

In a recent paper published in Nature Communications, a group of Case Western University School of Medicine researchers presented their discovery of the full-length structure of a protein named Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid subtype 2 (TRPV2).

13 Apr 2016

Liu Laboratory at Augusta University studies exosomes using Particle Metrix’s ZetaView

Particle Metrix, developers of versatile particle characterization solutions for the life sciences, report on the work in the Liu Laboratory at Augusta University which is studying exosomes where size and concentration are critical parameters.

4 Apr 2016

Versatile Automated Microplate Sample Screening Applications

In this interview, News Medical speaks Tobias Pusterla, Ph.D from BMG Labtech about versatile automated microplate sample screening applications.

From BMG LABTECH GmbH 30 Mar 2016

Study provides better picture of molecular basis for antibiotic resistance

Scientists from the University of Leeds have solved a 25-year-old question about how a family of proteins allow bacteria to resist the effects of certain antibiotics.

23 Mar 2016

TSRI researchers uncover new molecular mechanism underlying neurodegenerative diseases

A new study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute suggests that cells construct protein "clumps" to protect against neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a.k.a. ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease.

10 Mar 2016

Leeds scientists to start computer drug research to find cure for Ebola virus

Scientists at the University of Leeds will run the equivalent of password cracking software to find the chemical keys to defeating the Ebola virus.

11 Feb 2016

Researchers find how microtubules, motor proteins assemble into macroscopic networks

What bones are to bodies, the cytoskeleton is to cells. The cytoskeleton maintains cellular structure, builds appendages like flagella and, together with motor proteins, powers cellular movement, transport, and division. Microtubules are a critical component of the cytoskeleton, vital for cell division and, because of that, an excellent target for chemotherapy drugs.

29 Jan 2016

Researchers identify liver-derived hormone that regulates sugar intake

We all love our sugar, especially during the holidays. Cookies, cake, and candy are simply irresistible. While sugar cravings are common, the physiological mechanisms that trigger our "sweet tooth" are not well defined.

24 Dec 2015

Shells of plant virus trigger immune system to wipe out tumors, provide protection against metastases

The shells of a common plant virus, inhaled into a lung tumor or injected into ovarian, colon or breast tumors, not only triggered the immune system in mice to wipe out the tumors, but provided systemic protection against metastases, researchers from Case Western Reserve University and Dartmouth University report.

23 Dec 2015

Researchers identify transporters responsible for arsenic accumulation in plant seeds

Researchers from FIU's Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Barry P. Rosen and Jian Chen, both from the Department of Cellular Biology and Pharmacology, are part of an international team that has identified how arsenic gets into the seeds of plants such as rice. T

23 Dec 2015

Excess body fat may affect bone growth in children

Studies have shown that obese children tend to have more muscle, but recent University of Georgia research on the muscle and bone relationship shows that excess body fat may compromise other functions in their bodies, such as bone growth.

22 Dec 2015

New GSA e-book provides detailed overviews of aging process across multiple organisms

A new e-book published by The Gerontological Society of America provides a primary resource for detailed overviews of the aging process across multiple organisms -- from microbes to humans. This seminal publication, "Molecular and Cellular Biology of Aging," is intended as a textbook for emerging scholars of all levels.

15 Dec 2015

Antibiotic resistance may help find drugs to combat amyloid formation

Amyloid diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and type-2 diabetes pose a particular problem for drug designers because they do not present a clear target structure to aim at.

15 Dec 2015

Boston Children's Hospital selects Vijay G. Sankaran to receive Rising Star Award

Saluting his spectacular track record to date of innovative research on red blood cell disorders and his future promise as a physician/scientist, Boston Children's Hospital has selected Vijay G. Sankaran, MD, PhD, of Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center to receive the Rising Star Award at the hospital's third annual Global Pediatric Innovation Summit, Taking on Tomorrow (#PedInno15).

11 Nov 2015

Novel method for examining small molecules may provide platform for new drug design

Most pharmaceutical drugs consist of tiny molecules, which target a class of proteins found on the surfaces of cell membranes. Studying these subtle interactions is essential for the design of effective drugs, but the task is extremely challenging.

26 Oct 2015

New studies suggest ways to improve cancer care by inhibiting oncogenes, boosting tumor-suppressor activity

Two new studies by cancer scientists at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC - James) suggest new approaches for treating cancer by inhibiting overactive cancer-promoting genes and by enhancing the activity of sluggish tumor-suppressor genes.

7 Oct 2015

Fungi research may lead to cheaper anti-cancer drugs for humans

Cheaper anti-cancer drugs for humans might ultimately stem from a new study by University of Guelph scientists into a kind of microbial "bandage" that protects yew trees from disease-causing fungi.

25 Sep 2015