Membrane News and Research

RSS

Scientists use Zwitterions to prevent blood clotting in medical devices

Zwitterions sound likes a distant cousin of Twitter (X), but in fact they are a common macromolecule found in human cells. Scientists at the University of Sydney are also now using Zwitterions to create materials that could stop blood clots from forming in medical devices and implants.

19 Feb 2025

Direct connection found between memory and sensory processing centers in brain

A newly identified part of a brain circuit mixes sensory information, memories, and emotions to tell whether things are familiar or new—and important or just "background noise."

19 Feb 2025

Researchers identify MLC1 as potential target in multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system caused by the immune system. B cells, which are a type of white blood cell, play a role in the development of MS and are thus a target for therapies.

18 Feb 2025

Researchers discover direct feedback loop in brain circuit connecting memories and emotions

A newly identified part of a brain circuit mixes sensory information, memories, and emotions to tell whether things are familiar or new, and important or just "background noise."

18 Feb 2025

Protein shuttling mechanism enables bacteria to survive exposure to antibiotics

A Cornell University-led collaboration has uncovered the equipment that enables bacteria to survive exposure to antibiotics: a shuttling mechanism that helps a complex of proteins pump out a wide spectrum of antibiotics along with other physiological substrates from the cell.

13 Feb 2025

Protein identified as key to preventing fat build-up and related diseases

Accumulation of fat molecules is detrimental to the cell. Researchers from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), have made a breakthrough in understanding how our cells manage to stay healthy by recycling important fat molecules.

11 Feb 2025

Targeted polymersomes boost methotrexate efficacy for aggressive choriocarcinoma treatment

Researchers develop targeted polymersomes loaded with methotrexate for the treatment of gestational choriocarcinoma,

11 Feb 2025

PDZK1's role in estrogen-induced cholestasis unveiled

Announcing a new publication for Acta Materia Medica journal. Estrogens have been reported to cause dysfunction in biliary transport systems, thereby inducing cholestasis. Multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2) is a transporter responsible for independent bile flow.

11 Feb 2025

Microplastics in food packaging may increase heart disease risk

Microplastics pose a threat to heart health, causing harmful changes in vascular cells and increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis.

10 Feb 2025

New discovery links brain and muscle cells in signal transmission

Our biceps and our brain cells may have more in common than previously thought.

8 Feb 2025

AI-based technology accelerates discovery of new tuberculosis drug candidates

Tuberculosis is a serious global health threat that infected more than 10 million people in 2022. Spread through the air and into the lungs, the pathogen that causes "TB" can lead to chronic cough, chest pains, fatigue, fever and weight loss.

7 Feb 2025

How olive oil bioactives regulate genes linked to insulin resistance

Olive oil bioactives, including MUFAs, polyphenols, and triterpenoids, modulate gene expression linked to insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and beta-cell function, offering potential benefits for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus prevention and management.

5 Feb 2025

New study reveals how anticancer drugs enter cancer cells

A new study shows how an anticancer drug triggers an "outside in" signal that gets it sucked into a cancer cell.

5 Feb 2025

Study unlocks structural secrets of ApoB100 protein linked to heart disease

Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) - commonly known as bad cholesterol - have long been on scientists' radar as a major contributor to heart disease.

3 Feb 2025

Study reveals mechanism behind CAR molecule transfer in cancer therapy

Engineered immune cells called CAR-T cells are used in the treatment of cancer. Researchers from Uppsala University have now discovered that CAR molecules can be transferred from the CAR-T cells to other T cells in the tumour microenvironment.

3 Feb 2025

New method can neutralize coronaviruses with mineral nanoparticles

A new way to neutralize the coronavirus and other membrane-surrounded viruses has been discovered by researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the University of Tartu.

31 Jan 2025

New microscopy technique uncovers 'ribosome cooperativity' in difficult situations

Researchers from the Tanenbaum group at the Hubrecht Institute have developed a new microscopy technique to observe how ribosomes function in cells.

31 Jan 2025

Study reveals how beneficial gut microbe breaks down mucus for health

A microbe found in the lower part of the gut that is associated with good health has been comprehensively analyzed and found to have a focused diet breaking down sugars locked away in mucus.

31 Jan 2025

Bioengineers create non-invasive way to control cells using temperature

Imagine being at a big marquee event at an arena, like the Super Bowl, with the roar of the crowd, the smell of hot dogs, and a sea of jerseys all merging into one chaotic blur.

29 Jan 2025

High-speed in-line force mapping unveils E. coli cell division dynamics

Light and electron microscopy have distinct limitations. Light microscopy makes it difficult to resolve smaller and smaller features, and electron microscopy resolves small structures, but samples must be meticulously prepared, killing any live specimens.

29 Jan 2025