Protein News and Research

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Proteins are complex molecules that are made up of amino acids. They can be found in every cell in the body, and carry out vital processes that keep human beings alive. Mutations in proteins can lead to a multitude of diseases, the most common being cancer.

New vascularized grafts may improve bladder surgery for children

Can growing blood vessels within a lab-engineered graft improve bladder reconstruction for children? For more than two decades, UC Davis pediatric urologic surgeon Eric Kurzrock has been developing and testing grafts to avoid the complications after standard enterocystoplasty, a surgery for bladder augmentation.

12 Jun 2026

New genetic driver found for rare small intestinal cancers

A signaling system known as the Wnt pathway plays a central role in how cells in the intestine grow, divide, and renew themselves.

12 Jun 2026

New gel coating delivers anti-inflammatory antibodies directly to the esophagus

There are few treatment options available for people with disorders of the esophagus. Delivering drugs directly to this part of the body is difficult, so patients are usually treated with systemic drugs, which can have unwanted side effects.

12 Jun 2026

Biotechnology breakthrough could revolutionize treatment for neurodegenerative diseases

A research team from the School of Biomedical Sciences at the LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has achieved a significant breakthrough in biotechnology that could revolutionize treatment strategies for neurodegenerative diseases.

12 Jun 2026

New combination therapy improves outcomes in high-risk leukemia

A research team from the Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has developed a novel combination therapy that significantly improves treatment outcomes and survival in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) with FLT3 gene mutations.

11 Jun 2026

Experimental vaccine protects against fentanyl and related opioids

Fentanyl and related variants of the synthetic opioid kill more Americans each year than car accidents and gun violence combined. In too-high doses, the drugs hijack brain chemistry and shut down the signals that control breathing.

11 Jun 2026

Scientists uncover protein-folding mechanism linked to diabetes progression

Origami masters turn simple sheets of paper into ornate sculptures. In the origami of life, our cells must fold proteins into specific three-dimensional shapes before they can carry out their biological jobs.

11 Jun 2026

Laser phase plate dramatically expands cryo-EM imaging capabilities

In a landmark achievement in biological imaging, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley and Biohub today announced the successful demonstration of the laser phase plate, a novel device that dramatically improves the contrast of images produced by cryo-electron microscopes, opening up an entirely new view of human biology.

11 Jun 2026

Trial finds prunes do not outperform calcium and vitamin D for male bone density

A one-year randomized trial found that daily prune supplementation did not improve total or lumbar spine bone mineral density in older men susceptible to, or with, osteopenia. Although some bone turnover biomarkers differed between prune and control groups, these changes did not translate into measurable bone density benefits beyond calcium and vitamin D3 supplementation.

11 Jun 2026

Oral GLP-1 drug elecoglipron helps adults lose up to 11.8% body weight

Once-daily oral elecoglipron produced dose-dependent weight loss in adults with obesity or overweight without diabetes, with mean reductions reaching 10.5% at 26 weeks and 11.8% at 36 weeks in the highest-dose weekly-titration group. The phase 2 trial found no evidence of a weight-loss plateau by 36 weeks, while gastrointestinal adverse events were common but generally manageable.

11 Jun 2026

Amsterdam UMC researchers overturn long-standing biological pacemaker dogma

Researchers from Amsterdam UMC have overturned a key assumption in the biological pacemaker field.

11 Jun 2026

Researchers discover 45 new toxins produced by Salmonella bacteria

Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil have discovered 45 new toxins produced by Salmonella bacteria, some of which are associated with foodborne infections.

11 Jun 2026

Intravenous statins during heart attack reduce cardiac muscle damage

Reducing the damage sustained by the heart during a myocardial infarction remains one of the major challenges in cardiology, even when the blocked coronary artery is reopened in a timely manner.

11 Jun 2026

Collagen exists as liquid droplets inside living cells, study reveals

Collagen, the protein that builds skin, bones, tendons and organs, exists inside cells as a liquid-like droplet rather than the long, rigid rod seen in textbooks over the last half century, according to a new study from the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona.

11 Jun 2026

Circadian clock protein BMAL1 enhances inflammatory responses in immune cells

Daily life is shaped by the solar day, influencing when we wake up, eat, work, and sleep. Inside the body, a similar internal timing system -present in nearly every cell- known as the circadian clock, synchronizes many biological functions such as sleep, metabolism, hormone release, and even the immune system's activity.

11 Jun 2026

Genetic screening of LOXHD1 variants guides early hearing loss intervention

Hearing loss is a common cause of disability worldwide, with anywhere between 30-60% of cases being caused by genetic factors. LOXHD1 is a gene integral to essential protein interactions responsible for maintaining normal hair cell function.

11 Jun 2026

New treatment platform delivers full-length mRNA for Duchenne muscular dystrophy

A new treatment platform developed by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center was able to deliver messenger RNA (mRNA) of the full-length DMD gene into preclinical models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, successfully restoring the production of an important muscle protein, dystrophin, and dramatically improving muscle strength, endurance and function in vivo.

11 Jun 2026

Structure of the Argonaute maturation complex guides RNA therapeutic design

RNA therapeutics have emerged as one of the most promising new classes of medicines. Eight small interfering RNA (siRNA) drugs have already been approved worldwide for the treatment of genetic diseases, yet scientists have not fully understood one of the most fundamental steps underlying their function: how Argonaute, the core protein responsible for gene silencing, becomes activated.

11 Jun 2026

Scientists target NOX4 protein in skeletal muscle to combat aging

The powerful role of exercise in maintaining skeletal muscle could be the key to improving health and resilience in older age, according to new research from Monash University.

11 Jun 2026

A hidden immune pathway may help explain why Alzheimer’s inflammation persists

Researchers found that KAT7 promotes CMPK2-driven mitochondrial DNA release in microglia, activating inflammatory cGAS-STING and NLRP3 pathways linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

11 Jun 2026