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Larger crystals of bacteriorhodopsin protein grow by consuming smaller crystals around them

A group of biophysicists from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and their international colleagues have studied the crystallization of molecules of the membrane protein bacteriorhodopsin. The scientists have demonstrated that the larger crystals of the protein grow by "consuming" smaller crystals around them and creating "depletion zone" around themselves.

12 Dec 2015

Researchers use endocytic pathways to sort out NSCLC lines into two distinct clusters

In the Age of Personalized Medicine, we've learned that one size doesn't fit all, least of all in cancer. Cancer is a disease of your cells, and sorting out your cancer from all others is a daunting challenge but one that cancer cell biologists are furiously pursuing. They are examining every aspect of cell function and cell structure, looking for clusters of phenotypes that could label a patient's cancer so precisely that it could be linked to therapies proven effective against just that type.

12 Dec 2015

TSRI-led study shows how different drugs regulate protein linked to asthma, obesity and diabetes

A new study, led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute, shows how different pharmaceutical drugs hit either the "on" or "off" switch of a signaling protein linked to asthma, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

11 Dec 2015

Shank3 gene linked to both autism and schizophrenia

Although it is known that psychiatric disorders have a strong genetic component, untangling the web of genes contributing to each disease is a daunting task. Scientists have found hundreds of genes that are mutated in patients with disorders such as autism, but each patient usually has only a handful of these variations.

10 Dec 2015

Study reveals how MGCs dispose waste that obstructs normal physiological processes

If rubbish is too big and unwieldy for normal household waste, its removal becomes the job of specialized experts. Researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have now discovered, in cooperation with colleagues from the UK, how large, fused cells help our body to deal with bulky items that may otherwise obstruct normal physiological processes.

7 Dec 2015

Genetic variations associated with increased risk for osteonecrosis in young ALL patients

Variations in genes involved in normal bone development are associated with an 8- to 15-fold increased risk for osteonecrosis in young patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), according to research led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Children's Oncology Group investigators.

7 Dec 2015

Could statins treat muscular dystrophy? An interview with Dr. Nick Whitehead and Dr Stan Froehner

In addition to their well established cholesterol lowering benefits, statins also have potent anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic and antioxidant effects, which continue to be identified in a wide range of diseases.

30 Nov 2015

American scientists synthesize glycopolymers that prolong lifetime of healthy cells

Glycoproteins such as the mucins are assumed to be heavily involved in oncogenesis and metastasic spread. They are part of a strategy developed by malignant cells to resist or dodge the cell death machinery specialized for cells that show insufficient signaling through adhesions.

28 Nov 2015

Liver's cannabinoid receptors could be targeted to combat liver cancer in some patients

A new study reveals that the liver's cannabinoid receptors could be targeted to fight liver cancer in some patients; and it offers a way to predict what treatments have the best chance of working.

23 Nov 2015

EMBL scientists develop new laser technique to prevent cells from contracting

You were once a hollow shell. To sculpt that hollow ball into an organism with layers of internal organs, muscle and skin, portions of that embryonic 'shell' folded inwards. The same happens to fruit fly embryos, and researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany, have now identified a particular group of cells which are crucial for the first such fold.

23 Nov 2015

Findings may lead researchers to create urine-producing kidney through regenerative medicine

Various research groups are collecting different types of cells and turning them into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells that can then generate diverse types of cells and tissues in the body. Now investigators have transplanted kidney tissue made from human iPS cells into a mouse kidney, and they found that the animal's blood vessels readily connect to the human tissue.

22 Nov 2015

New approach to regulate people's cholesterol levels

A discovery about how the body deals with the cholesterol contained within its dying cells has suggested an exciting new approach to control people's cholesterol levels - and thus their risk of developing heart disease.

19 Nov 2015

Researchers find mechanism to repair communication between neurons

A team of researchers led by professor Patrik Verstreken (VIB/KU Leuven) has exposed the fine details of a mechanism that provides more insight in the communication between neurons. The research has clarified how damaged synapses - the connection points between neurons - are repaired to keep communication between neurons at an optimal level.

19 Nov 2015

NRL researchers to develop next generation of functional materials to map brain connections

Research biologists, chemists and theoreticians at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, are on pace to develop the next generation of functional materials that could enable the mapping of the complex neural connections in the brain. The ultimate goal is to better understand how the billions of neurons in the brain communicate with one another during normal brain function, or dysfunction, as result of injury or disease.

18 Nov 2015

Negative impact of high-fat diet on red blood cells may promote development of cardiovascular disease

University of Cincinnati researchers have discovered the negative impact a high fat diet has on red blood cells and how these cells, in turn, promote the development of cardiovascular disease.

17 Nov 2015

Loyola and Notre Dame researchers report promising new approaches to treating cancer

Promising new approaches to treating cancer were reported during a recent meeting of researchers from Loyola University Chicago and the University of Notre Dame.

12 Nov 2015

Common ingredient in sunscreen can prevent infections related to medical implants

A common ingredient in sunscreen could be an effective antibacterial coating for medical implants such as pacemakers and replacement joints.

11 Nov 2015

Protein sensor for proprioception found

Can you touch a finger to the tip of your nose with your eyes closed? Most of us can, thanks to a sense called proprioception, which tells us where our body parts are relative to each other and our environment. Not surprisingly, this sense is essential for normal movement and balance—walking, for instance.

10 Nov 2015

Researchers develop novel technology for chronic arthritis

Joint inflammation (arthritis) is a common problem in medical practice and can be due to a variety of causes. Many types of inflammatory disorders affecting the joints belong to the diverse group of rheumatic diseases.

6 Nov 2015

Communication network makes astrocytomas more resistant to treatment

Astrocytomas are special type of brain tumours that are difficult to treat, because they do not respond to standard forms of treatment. One reason for this resistance could be their ability to form a communication network.

5 Nov 2015