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Study shows how RNA splicing errors may trigger development of ALS, FTD

The most frequent genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD)- rare and related neurological disorders marked by progressive deterioration of motor or cognitive abilities- may be due to errors in RNA splicing, an intermediary step for translating genetic instructions into functional proteins.

14 Jun 2017

KAUST-led researchers reveal epigenetic mechanism for gene regulation

An epigenetic mechanism regulating gene activity has been revealed by a KAUST-led international team of researchers investigating interactions between the human genome and its environment in adult tissues.

12 Jun 2017

Scientists identify microtubule-based therapy to alleviate Gulf War Illness symptoms

At least 100,000 military veterans who served in the 1990-1991 Gulf War were exposed to chemical weapons, released into the air after the United States bombed an ammunition depot in Khamisiyah, Iraq.

7 Jun 2017

Cancer treatment may be effective therapy for psoriasis

HDAC inhibitors, already widely used to treat cancer, may be an effective therapy for psoriasis as well, scientists report.

31 May 2017

Study: Abnormal proteins in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases share similar feature

A Loyola University Chicago study has found that abnormal proteins found in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease all share a similar ability to cause damage when they invade brain cells.

23 May 2017

New findings could lead to first broadly effective ebolavirus therapies and vaccines

After analyzing the blood of a survivor of the 2013-16 Ebola outbreak, a team of scientists from academia, industry and the government has discovered the first natural human antibodies that can neutralize and protect animals against all three major disease-causing ebolaviruses.

19 May 2017

Freiburg scientists show that enzymes can be activated through electrical stimulation of cell membrane

The enzymes nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS1) and protein kinase C (PKC) play an important role in a variety of signal transfer processes in neurons of the brain, as well as in many cell types of other organs.

18 May 2017

Study shows how influenza A hijacks human cellular machinery to replicate

Much is known about flu viruses, but little is understood about how they reproduce inside human host cells, spreading infection. Now, a research team headed by investigators from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is the first to identify a mechanism by which influenza A, a family of pathogens that includes the most deadly strains of flu worldwide, hijacks cellular machinery to replicate.

5 May 2017

Researchers show how dengue virus employs multiple tactics to evade immune detection

For the human body to mount an immune response to a viral infection, host cells must identify the viral invader and trigger a signaling pathway. This signal then prompts the immune system to attack and subdue the pathogen.

19 Apr 2017

Pioneering IVF technique offers hope to families with inheritable mitochondrial disorders

Details of a pioneering IVF technique using mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT) have been revealed, giving hope to those families with inheritable mitochondrial disorders that they may be able to have healthy children in the future.

3 Apr 2017

Study shows how zinc regulates storage and release of neurotransmitters

Zinc is a vital micronutrient involved in many cellular processes: For example, in learning and memory processes, it plays a role that is not yet understood. By using nanoelectrochemical measurements, Swedish researchers have made progress toward understanding by demonstrating that zinc influences the release of messenger molecules.

22 Mar 2017

Research shows how Ebola viral proteins packaged in exosomes affect immune cells

Cells infected by the deadly Ebola virus may release viral proteins such as VP40 packaged in exosomes, which, as new research indicates, can affect immune cells throughout the body impairing their ability to combat the infection and to seek out and destroy hidden virus.

16 Mar 2017

Researchers investigate how rare sugars could help regulate glucose levels

In an era when the label "natural" hits a sweet spot with consumers, some uncommon sugars emerging on the market could live up to the connotation.

8 Mar 2017

Scientists discover how misfolded proteins can damage cells’ energy-producing powerhouses

Working with yeast and human cells, researchers at Johns Hopkins say they have discovered an unexpected route for cells to eliminate protein clumps that may sometimes be the molecular equivalent of throwing too much or the wrong trash into the garbage disposal.

3 Mar 2017

Researchers develop smart genetic reference library for locating disease-causing mutations

Researchers at Hiroshima University have developed a smart genetic reference library for locating and weeding out disease-causing mutations in populations.

3 Mar 2017

SBP researchers identify new regulator of innate immune response to foreign invaders

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have identified a new regulator of the innate immune response—the immediate, natural immune response to foreign invaders.

28 Feb 2017

Danish research may pave way for immunological treatment of cancer

Researchers from Aarhus University have found an important piece of the puzzle leading towards an understanding of how our innate immune system reacts against viral infections and recognises foreign DNA, for example from dying cancer cells.

21 Feb 2017

Research provides more evidence that mRNA vaccines can protect mice against Zika virus

Vaccine developers have successfully protected mice against Zika by injecting synthetic messenger RNA that encodes for virus proteins into the animals.

17 Feb 2017

Scientists discover 'Achilles' heel' of tumor-suppressing protein that drives prostate cancer metastasis

Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have discovered that a protein called Importin-11 protects the anti-cancer protein PTEN from destruction by transporting it into the cell nucleus. A study they publish today in The Journal of Cell Biology suggests that the loss of Importin-11 may destabilize PTEN, leading to the development of lung, prostate, and other cancers.

13 Feb 2017

LMU study shows crucial role of microRNAs in protecting precursors of neurons

Programmed cell death is an integral part of embryonic development. Exploring the regulation of the process, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet in Munich researchers have shown that so-called microRNAs protect the precursors of neurons from 'precocious' elimination.