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HDO-antimiR could be a potent weapon to combat microRNA-related disease

MicroRNA (miRNA) is a type of RNA that plays an important role in various cellular processes and is also involved in developing defenses against pathogens. Increasing numbers of studies have indicated that certain human diseases are caused by altered expression and organization of miRNA.

27 Jul 2019

Plant compound found in red wine displays anti-stress effects

Like to unwind with a glass of red wine after a stressful day? Don't give alcohol all the credit.

26 Jul 2019

Study reveals mechanism that may contribute to HIV-associated metabolic conditions

HIV-infected cells release vesicles that contain a viral protein called Nef, impairing cholesterol metabolism and triggering inflammation in uninfected bystander cells, according to a study published July 25 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Dmitri Sviridov of the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Australia, and colleagues.

From PLOS ONE 26 Jul 2019

Maternal behavior in mice linked to oxytocin-sensitive cells in the female brain

A startling new study shows that cells that are exquisitely sensitive to oxytocin are found in a tiny region in the brains of female but not male mice. This could be of great importance in explaining maternal behavior in females and eventually in treating social disorders like postpartum depression and autism spectrum disorder.

25 Jul 2019

'Junk' DNA mutations highly significant in autism and stroke

Non-coding DNA, junk DNA, genetic dark matter – these are all names for the 98% of DNA that doesn’t directly code for proteins but is crucial in regulating protein synthesis. This is now the focus of a large new study published in the journal Nature Genetics.

25 Jul 2019

Defective immune signals could underlie some types of fatal heart disease

Researchers have come up with exciting evidence that confirms the role of abnormal immune signaling in myocarditis.

25 Jul 2019

Study identifies new mechanism that impacts HIV infection

A team of scientists led by Texas Biomed's Assistant Professor Smita Kulkarni, Ph.D. and Mary Carrington, Ph.D., at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, published results of a study that pinpointed a long noncoding RNA molecule which influences a key receptor involved in HIV infection and progression of the disease.

25 Jul 2019

Molecule inhibits toxic protein accumulation in Parkinson's disease model

Parkinson's disease often begins with small tremors. Over time symptoms worsen. Tremors become shakes and stiffness takes the body hostage.

25 Jul 2019

Salk study unlocks new way to target hard-to-treat cancers

Now, a new Salk Institute study, published on July 24, 2019, in the journal Science Advances, shows that researchers could target these hard-to-treat cancers by pursuing drugs that keep a cellular "switch," called CREB, from triggering tumor growth.

25 Jul 2019

New vaccine shows promise against toughest HIV strains

A new study reports successful immunization against a so-far invincible “death star” strain of an HIV-related laboratory virus (SIVmac239) and another tough strain. The new approach also achieves long-term protection with a single dose, showing that gene therapy could allow broad and durable protection, based on a modified form of the CD4 protein that allows HIV entry into human cells.

24 Jul 2019

Weak electron attraction helps hold together amyloid beta sheets found in Alzheimer's

The chemical interactions that give proteins their shape may be weaker and more numerous than previously recognized. These weak connections provide a new way for researchers to understand proteins that cause disease and help them gain insights into the fundamentals of chemistry.

24 Jul 2019

Novel sensor could accelerate diagnosis of sepsis

A novel sensor designed by MIT researchers could dramatically accelerate the process of diagnosing sepsis, a leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals that kills nearly 250,000 patients annually.

24 Jul 2019

Women who inherit BRCA mutations have high risk of developing cancer

Women who inherit harmful mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene are at high risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.

24 Jul 2019

Evolutionary gene loss may explain heightened risk of cardiovascular disease in humans

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine say the loss of a single gene two to three million years ago in our ancestors may have resulted in a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease in all humans as a species, while also setting up a further risk for red meat-eating humans.

23 Jul 2019

UV-DDB protein scouts DNA damage and oversees repair

In the time it takes you to read this sentence, every cell in your body suffers some form of DNA damage. Without vigilant repair, cancer would run rampant, and now scientists at the University of Pittsburgh have gotten a glimpse of how one protein in particular keeps DNA damage in check.

22 Jul 2019

Researchers identify toxin responsible for Legionella growth

A team of scientists led by EMBL group leader Sagar Bhogaraju and Ivan Dikic of Goethe University, Frankfurt, discovered that the toxin SidJ in Legionella bacteria enforces a unique modification on human proteins and helps legionella grow inside human cells.

22 Jul 2019