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Immune system handles graphene oxide in a way similar to pathogens, study shows

A study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet, the University of Manchester and Chalmers University of Technology published in CHEM shows that our immune system handles graphene oxide in a manner similar to pathogens, paving the way for safer biomedical applications of this two-dimensional material.

27 Jan 2018

Scientists discover promising new target to fight a class of viruses

Scientists at the Morgridge Institute for Research have discovered a promising new target to fight a class of viruses responsible for health threats such as Zika, polio, dengue, SARS and hepatitis C.

25 Jan 2018

Researchers study how bioelectric signaling between cells influences cancer progression

Although breast cancer mortality has declined in the U.S., it is still the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer deaths in women under 60 years old.

24 Jan 2018

Researchers explore how cells navigate inside the body

Researchers have long wondered how our cells navigate inside the body. Two new studies, in which Lund University researcher Pontus Nordenfelt has participated, have now demonstrated that the cells use molecular force from within to steer themselves in a certain direction.

24 Jan 2018

Macrophage nanosponges offer promising solution for effectively managing sepsis

A team of researchers at the University of California San Diego has developed macrophage "nanosponges" that can safely absorb and remove molecules from the bloodstream that are known to trigger sepsis.

4 Jan 2018

Discovery of key protein’s structure may help improve drug design

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have peered deep into the heart of a key protein used in drug design and discovered dynamic structural features that may lead to new ways to target diseases.

29 Dec 2017

International researchers find valuable clues for developing robust therapeutic agents against IBDs

Our immune system protects our bodies from numerous pathogenic microbes and toxins in the environment. The system comprises innate (non-specific) and adaptive (acquired) immunity.

26 Dec 2017

Study suggests new target to treat prostate cancer

Hokkaido University researchers have uncovered a cellular protein that stabilizes a tumor promoting signaling pathway, suggesting a new target to treat prostate cancer.

22 Dec 2017

Silky webs of spiders may hold secrets to repairing our skeletons

Some secrets to repairing our skeletons might be found in the silky webs of spiders, according to recent experiments guided by supercomputers. Scientists involved say their results will help understand the details of osteoregeneration, or how bones repair themselves.

20 Dec 2017

Zinc present in semen determines male fertility, study shows

Trace levels of zinc present in semen is a vital determinant of male fertility, a recent study in Bangladesh capital Dhaka concludes.

19 Dec 2017

Excessive copper in diabetes impedes ability to make new blood vessels

It's a metal we worry thieves will steal from our air conditioners or power lines, but inside our bodies too much copper can result in a much larger loss.

18 Dec 2017

‘Sushi-like’ nanodiscs provide structural snapshots of misfolding proteins

When proteins misfold, accumulate and clump around insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, they kill cells. Now, researchers, including University of Michigan biophysicists, have obtained a structural snapshot of these proteins when they are most toxic, detailing them down to the atomic level.

15 Dec 2017

Researchers explore how toxic protein clusters linked to Parkinson's disrupt brain cells

Researchers have glimpsed how the toxic protein clusters that are associated with Parkinson's Disease disrupt the membranes of healthy brain cells, creating defects in the cell walls and eventually causing a series of events that induce neuronal death.

15 Dec 2017

Protein structure could pave way for effective drugs to treat cystic fibrosis

Biochemists at the University of Zurich have used cryo-electron microscopy to determine the detailed architecture of the chloride channel TMEM16A. This protein is a promising target for the development of effective drugs to treat cystic fibrosis.

13 Dec 2017

Study identifies potassium as key to circadian rhythms in red blood cells

An innovative new study from the University of Surrey and Cambridge's MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications, has uncovered the secrets of the circadian rhythms in red blood cells and identified potassium as the key to unraveling the mystery.

12 Dec 2017

New pluripotent stem cell technology provides insights into neuropsychiatric disorders

Studying the genetic code allows researchers to know whether some patients with neuropsychiatric disorders either have extra copies of the CHRNA7 gene or are missing copies. However, little was known about the functional consequences of this genetic imbalance in brain cells.

29 Nov 2017

Researchers solve 3D structure of primary optogenetic tool

An international team of researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, the Institut de Biologie Structurale, and the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics has determined the 3-D structure of channelrhodopsin 2, a membrane protein widely used in optogenetics to control nerve cells with light.

28 Nov 2017

UNIGE scientists unravel key role played by the liver in onset of type-2 diabetes

Affecting as many as 650 million people worldwide, obesity has become one of the most serious global health issues. Among its detrimental effects, it increases the risk of developing metabolic conditions, and primarily type-2 diabetes.

28 Nov 2017

Invasive cells deploy a trick to squeeze through barriers

Invasive cells deploy a trick to break through tissues and spread to other parts of the body, researchers report.

28 Nov 2017

Jena researchers unravel secrets of chemical language between algae and bacteria

It is a gruesome spectacle that meets the eyes of Prasad Aiyar as he looks down the microscope. The doctoral candidate from India, who came to Jena to do his Master's degree in Molecular Life Sciences, examines the species Chlamydomonas reinhardtii on a microscope slide.

28 Nov 2017