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Nanoparticles release bursts of calcium to reverse multidrug resistance in tumor cells

Multidrug resistance (MDR) -- a process in which tumors become resistant to multiple medicines -- is the main cause of failure of cancer chemotherapy.

16 Oct 2020

Scientists find sensor protein that makes normal bladder function possible

A team co-led by scientists at Scripps Research has found that the main sensor protein enabling our sense of touch also underlies the feeling of having a full bladder and makes normal bladder function possible.

14 Oct 2020

New machine learning concepts can help develop novel drugs

Tandem mass spectrometry is a powerful analytical tool used to characterize complex mixtures in drug discovery and other fields.

14 Oct 2020

Two well-known neurochemicals found to be involved in sub-second perception, cognition

In first-of-their-kind observations in the human brain, an international team of researchers has revealed two well-known neurochemicals - dopamine and serotonin - are at work at sub-second speeds to shape how people perceive the world and take action based on their perception.

12 Oct 2020

Neurobiologists decode central mechanism of degenerative processes in brains of mouse models

Heidelberg neurobiologists decode central mechanism of degenerative processes in the brains of mouse models and develop new principle for therapeutic agents

9 Oct 2020

SARS-CoV-2 spike protein may induce analgesia

A recent study published in the journal Pain in October 2020 adds another piece to the puzzle, showing that the virus is capable of dulling pain pathways. This may contribute to its early and extensive spread.

7 Oct 2020

Development of a coarse-grained model of SARS-CoV-2 virion

A team of scientists of the University of Chicago and the University of California San Diego has developed a coarse-grained (CG) model of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virion. The model can be used as a valuable resource to perform multiscale simulations of the SARS-CoV-2 virion. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

5 Oct 2020

Promising breath analysis for early-stage cancer testing takes a leap forward

The global quest to use a person's breath analysis for rapid, inexpensive and accurate early-stage testing for cancer and other diseases has taken a leap forward.

5 Oct 2020

New approach transforms oldest antibiotics into safer, stronger drugs

Physicians and scientists have long searched the natural world for chemicals that can improve human health. However, evolutionary selection optimized natural chemicals to benefit their host, not for safety or efficacy in humans.

5 Oct 2020

Researchers identify 'social cells' in the brain linked to social behavior

A research team led by Professor TAKUMI Toru of Kobe University's Graduate School of Medicine (also a Senior Visiting Scientist at RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research) have identified 'social cells' in the brain that are related to social behavior. The cells were identified via Ca imaging conducted using a microendoscope .

1 Oct 2020

Discovery of high affinity binders for SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

An exciting, 'tour-de-force' paper by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology describes de novo discovery of high-affinity peptide binders for SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein, which opens the door for the development of rapid viral identification or conjugates for virus-directed delivery of therapeutics.

30 Sep 2020

Newly developed fusion protein could improve COVID-19 research

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland have developed a high-quality recombinant virus protein that could be applied in the development of vaccines against the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and in the detection of novel viruses or antibodies.

30 Sep 2020

Vitamin D deficiency during early development can influence metabolic health

Using a zebrafish model, researchers from North Carolina State University have found that vitamin D deficiency during early development can disrupt the metabolic balance between growth and fat accumulation.

29 Sep 2020

Cardiac arrhythmias linked to functional and structural consequences of gene mutations

Life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias can be linked to the functional and structural consequences of gene mutations. The study is published in the peer-reviewed journal Bioelectricity.

29 Sep 2020

Ultra-low-cost hearing aid could help millions of older people worldwide

Using a device that could be built with a dollar's worth of open-source parts and a 3D-printed case, researchers want to help the hundreds of millions of older people worldwide who can't afford existing hearing aids to address their age-related hearing loss.

23 Sep 2020

Spider venom peptide could help stop pain in irritable bowel syndrome

Their study titled, "A spider-venom peptide with multi-target activity on sodium and calcium channels alleviates chronic visceral pain in a model of irritable bowel syndrome," is published in the latest issue of the journal Pain.

22 Sep 2020

Researchers discover a hormone that might help tackle malabsorption

Scientists at Cincinnati Children's used human intestinal organoids grown from stem cells to discover how our bodies control the absorption of nutrients from the food we eat.

22 Sep 2020

Australian stinging tree could pave way for novel painkillers

Australia is well known for having many of the world's most venomous creatures, ranging from snakes, spiders, jellyfish, centipedes, fish, ticks, bees, and ants. 21 of the 25 most venomous snakes in the world are all from Australia. The country is also home to dangerous plants, like the Australian stinging tree.

17 Sep 2020

New drug candidate suppresses SARS-CoV-2 replication

Researchers at Stanford University and Utah State University have developed a novel inhibitor of the coronavirus main protease (Mpro) that effectively suppresses the viral replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

17 Sep 2020

Bacterial movement is powered by tiny protein motor

The ability to move is key for bacteria like some strains of salmonella and E. coli to efficiently spread infections. They can propel themselves forward using threads, known as flagella, powered by the flagellar rotary motor.

15 Sep 2020