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Scientists discover role of nucleocytoplasmic transport in specific forms of ALS and FTD

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are two devastating adult-onset neurodegenerative disorders.

15 Feb 2016

Researchers find how microtubules, motor proteins assemble into macroscopic networks

What bones are to bodies, the cytoskeleton is to cells. The cytoskeleton maintains cellular structure, builds appendages like flagella and, together with motor proteins, powers cellular movement, transport, and division. Microtubules are a critical component of the cytoskeleton, vital for cell division and, because of that, an excellent target for chemotherapy drugs.

29 Jan 2016

New discovery may help researchers tackle mitochondrial diseases and age-related diseases

Buck Institute faculty Judith Campisi, PhD, says age researchers need to stop thinking of cellular senescence, now accepted as an important driver of aging, as a single phenotype that stems from genotoxic stress. Research from her lab reveals that cellular senescence, a process whereby cells permanently lose the ability to divide, is also induced by signaling from dysfunctional mitochondria - and that the arrested cells secrete a distinctly different "stew" of biologically active factors in a process unrelated to the damaging free radicals that are created in mitochondria as part of oxygen metabolism.

13 Jan 2016

UCLA discovery could lead to new therapies for autism

UCLA scientists have discovered that an overlooked region in brain cells houses a motherlode of mutated genes previously tied to autism. Recently published in Neuron, the finding could provide fresh drug targets and lead to new therapies for the disorder, which affects one in 68 children in the United States.

13 Jan 2016

Father-daughter duo co-author research paper on new grapefruit cybrids

When Jude Grosser's daughter, Melinda, was in elementary school, he would often take her to his laboratory at the University of Florida's Citrus Research and Education Center, where he works as a researcher on citrus diseases and creating new varieties.

26 Dec 2015

Scientists identify overlooked consequence of spatial separation of cells into nucleus, cytoplasm

Genetically identical cells do not always behave the same way. According to the accepted theory, the reason are random molecular processes - known as random noise. For decades this view has been underpinned by numerous experiments and theoretical models.

18 Dec 2015

UMMS researchers identify new life cycle stage in HIV infection

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School have identified a new life cycle stage in HIV infection, thanks to a novel technique they developed to take images of intact infected cells.

17 Dec 2015

Light-driven protein has potential to become key tool for optogenetics

Biophysicists have developed a hypothesis to explain the function of a light-driven protein which pumps sodium ions across a cell membrane, and they have revealed the key structural feature of these pumps. The scientists see these sodium pumps as being highly promising tools in using light signals to control nerve cells – which is exactly what is involved in the new scientific field of optogenetics.

15 Dec 2015

Research shows how scientists altered stem cells, triggered bone growth

Imagine you have a bone fracture or a hip replacement, and you need bone to form, but you heal slowly - a common fact of life for older people. Instead of forming bone, you could form fat. Researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine may have found a way to tip the scale in favor of bone formation. They used cytochalasin D, a naturally occurring substance found in mold, as a proxy to alter gene expression in the nuclei of mesenchymal stem cells to force them to become osteoblasts (bone cells).

17 Nov 2015

Scientists identify new jelly-like properties of essential proteins that lead to serious diseases

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have identified a new property of essential proteins which, when it malfunctions, can cause the build up, or 'aggregation', of misshaped proteins and lead to serious diseases.

31 Oct 2015

New research shows that autophagy can operate in cell nucleus to guard against start of cancer

Autophagy, literally self-eating or the degradation of unwanted cellular bits and pieces by the cell itself, has been shown for the first time to also work in the cell nucleus. In addition, in this setting it plays a role in guarding against the start of cancer, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

29 Oct 2015

Researchers identify role of cGAS enzyme in autoimmune diseases

Activating an enzyme that sounds an alarm for the body's innate immune system causes two lethal autoimmune diseases in mice, while inhibiting the same enzyme rescues them, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report.

28 Oct 2015

Genetic mutation linked to ALS, FTD prevents proteins from entering and exiting the cell's nucleus

Three teams of scientists supported by the National Institutes of Health showed that a genetic mutation linked to some forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) may destroy neurons by disrupting the movement of materials in and out of the cell's nucleus, or command center where most of its DNA is stored.

19 Oct 2015

Researchers identify molecular switch that can avoid inflammation

Our immune system is vital to us and can sometimes overreact causing chronic illnesses, such as for instance rheumatism and allergy. Now, researchers from Umeå University and University of Gothenburg have identified a molecular switch - MYSM1 - that can suppress such an overreaction and avoid inflammation.

14 Oct 2015

Valerion announces positive results from non-clinical pilot study of VAL-1221 for treatment of Pompe disease

Valerion Therapeutics, LLC yesterday announced positive results from a non-clinical "proof of concept" pilot study for a novel humanized antibody and acid alpha glucosidase (GAA) fusion candidate for the treatment of Pompe disease.

3 Sep 2015

Two studies highlight important new discovery around most common genetic defect linked to ALS

In today's issue of Nature, two new studies funded in part by The ALS Association both highlight an important new discovery around the C9orf72 mutation, the most common genetic defect associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

27 Aug 2015

Common gene mutation may cause brain damage associated with ALS and FTD

Johns Hopkins researchers say they have discovered some of the first steps in how a very common gene mutation causes the brain damage associated with both amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

27 Aug 2015

Scientists reveal how a common gene mutation in ALS and FTD disrupts normal cell function

Researchers have determined how the most common gene mutation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) disrupts normal cell function, providing insight likely to advance efforts to develop targeted therapies for these brain diseases.

27 Aug 2015

Determining the dynein-dynactin complex structure: an interview with Dr Gabriel C. Lander

This is a macromolecular assembly is made up of two components, dynein and dynactin, that works to move molecular cargo (organelles, RNA, vesicles, proteins, viruses) along microtubule highways within our cells.

16 Aug 2015

Sigma 1 receptor appears to play vital role in supporting the retina

A receptor that is already a target for treating neurodegenerative disease also appears to play a key role in supporting the retina, scientists report.

11 Aug 2015

Cytoplasm News and Research

Scientists discover role of nucleocytoplasmic transport in specific forms of ALS and FTD

Researchers find how microtubules, motor proteins assemble into macroscopic networks

New discovery may help researchers tackle mitochondrial diseases and age-related diseases

UCLA discovery could lead to new therapies for autism

Father-daughter duo co-author research paper on new grapefruit cybrids

Scientists identify overlooked consequence of spatial separation of cells into nucleus, cytoplasm

UMMS researchers identify new life cycle stage in HIV infection

Light-driven protein has potential to become key tool for optogenetics

Research shows how scientists altered stem cells, triggered bone growth

Scientists identify new jelly-like properties of essential proteins that lead to serious diseases

New research shows that autophagy can operate in cell nucleus to guard against start of cancer

Researchers identify role of cGAS enzyme in autoimmune diseases

Genetic mutation linked to ALS, FTD prevents proteins from entering and exiting the cell's nucleus

Researchers identify molecular switch that can avoid inflammation

Valerion announces positive results from non-clinical pilot study of VAL-1221 for treatment of Pompe disease

Two studies highlight important new discovery around most common genetic defect linked to ALS

Common gene mutation may cause brain damage associated with ALS and FTD

Scientists reveal how a common gene mutation in ALS and FTD disrupts normal cell function

Determining the dynein-dynactin complex structure: an interview with Dr Gabriel C. Lander

Sigma 1 receptor appears to play vital role in supporting the retina

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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