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Nanopores can be effective way to measure DNA interactions with emerging anti-cancer drugs

Cancer thrives when mutated cells undergo frequent division. Most anti-cancer drugs work by inserting themselves in between the DNA base pairs that encode our genetic information.

1 Sep 2016

LJI researchers reveal unanticipated way by which neutrophils defend against invading pathogens

As an arm of the innate immune system, white blood cells called neutrophils form the first line of defense against invading pathogens.

31 Aug 2016

Disrupting bacteria's motility can stop infections

When looking at bacteria, you typically see also flagella: long hairs that protrudes from the bacteria's body.

31 Aug 2016

Investigational biomarker surpasses current gold standard test for identifying brain shunt infections

In a study of children with brain shunts at Children's of Alabama, a University of Alabama at Birmingham investigational biomarker outperformed the current "gold standard" test for detecting bacterial infections in the shunts.

30 Aug 2016

Endogenous cannabinoid plays crucial role in activating spermatozoa for fertilization

During fertilization, a sperm must first fuse with the plasma membrane and then penetrate the female egg in order to penetrate it.

30 Aug 2016

Nicotinic receptors could be new therapeutic target to prevent memory loss linked to Alzheimer's

Several scientific studies have indicated that nicotine may be beneficial for memory function.

29 Aug 2016

Fluid-filled sacs that brain cells make to trap amyloid may contribute to Alzheimer's disease

Vesicles, fluid-filled sacs that brain cells make to trap amyloid, a hallmark of Alzheimer's, appear to also contribute to the disease, scientists report.

29 Aug 2016

New camera technology paired with electron microscope allows biologists to see tiny cellular components

Using a new, lightning-fast camera paired with an electron microscope, Columbia University Medical Center scientists have captured images of one of the smallest proteins in our cells to be "seen" with a microscope.

26 Aug 2016

Atomic level analysis reveals how two classes of calcium channel blockers produce different effects

An atomic level analysis has revealed how two classes of calcium channel blockers, widely prescribed for heart disease patients, produce separate therapeutic effects through their actions at different sites on the calcium channel molecule.

25 Aug 2016

DNA methylation changes that alter excitability may be involved in neuropsychiatric diseases

Diseases such as epilepsy, neuropathic pain, anxiety, depression, drug addiction and Alzheimer's are all associated with changes in the excitability of brain neurons.

24 Aug 2016

Scientists reveal role of lysosomal vesicles in spread of Parkinson's disease

Scientists from the Institut Pasteur have demonstrated the role of lysosomal vesicles in transporting α-synuclein aggregates, responsible for Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases, between neurons.

23 Aug 2016

Cells may need some reactive forms of oxygen to maintain health

Within our bodies, high levels of reactive forms of oxygen can damage proteins and contribute to diabetic complications and many other diseases.

19 Aug 2016

Researchers find reason behind epidemiological success of Russian tuberculosis strains

Researchers from the Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine, and staff from MIPT's Systems Biology Laboratory, the Research Institute of Phthisiopulmonology and the St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, conducted a large-scale analysis of the proteins and genomes of mycobacterium tuberculosis strains that are common in Russia and countries of the former Soviet Union and found features that provide a possible explanation for their epidemiological success.

19 Aug 2016

New book from Cold Spring Harbor examines major antibiotics and mechanisms of resistance

One of the greatest medical accomplishments of the past century was the introduction of antibiotics into the clinic.

18 Aug 2016

Scientists provide new insights into workings of cancer-linked potassium channel

Most cells in the body carry on their surface tiny pores through which potassium ions travel. In controlling the flow of these positively charged ions, the channel helps the cell maintain its electrical balance.

11 Aug 2016

Scientists clarify how tumour cells kill specific cells in vascular wall to establish metastases

Many cancers only become a mortal danger if they form metastases elsewhere in the body. Such secondary tumours are formed when individual cells break away from the main tumour and travel through the bloodstream to distant areas of the body.

11 Aug 2016

Rare genetic variations linked to severe porphyria

An international research team has linked rare variations in a cell membrane protein to the wide variation in symptom severity that is a hallmark of porphyria, a rare disorder that often affects the skin, liver and nervous system.

10 Aug 2016

Research findings could provide framework for understanding fertilization mechanism

A Japanese research group has determined the crystal structure of the JUNO protein, an egg surface protein essential for fertilization. These structure-based mutational analyses elucidated a mechanism of the interaction between egg (JUNO protein) and sperm (IZUMO1) on a molecular level.

9 Aug 2016

Scientists unravel effect of prion proteins on the nerves

Ever since the prion gene was discovered in 1985, its role and biological impact on the neurons has remained a mystery.

9 Aug 2016

Physicists receive three-year NSF grant to apply principles of soft-matter physics to cancer therapy

Three physicists in the College of Arts and Sciences are using a major grant to study the dynamics and interactions of cancer cells.

5 Aug 2016