Ligase News and Research

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UGA researchers find new way to improve cancer-killing power of chemotherapy

University of Georgia researchers have found a way to enhance chemotherapy's cancer-killing powers, bringing science one step closer to a more complete cancer treatment.

2 Nov 2016

Researchers develop new, highly-specific functional imaging probe to detect hypoxic tumors

Tumor detection using targeted fluorescent imaging probes is a promising technology that takes advantage of specific molecular events occurring in cancer tissues.

24 Oct 2016

Biomedical researchers develop new RNA ligase for laboratory use

Ligases are enzymes that serve critical functions in cells, helping to fuse together broken strands of DNA and RNA. These enzymes are also important bioengineering tools, useful in genetic sequencing, mutation detection and other applications.

12 Oct 2016

Researcher identifies how Itch protein inhibits colonic inflammation and carcinogenesis

Venuprasad Poojary, PhD, an associate investigator at Baylor Institute for Immunology Research (BIIR), part of Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, reported this week in the journal Nature Immunology the role of a key protein in the regulatory pathway that is involved in limiting colon inflammation and tumor growth.

30 Jun 2016

Research describes how gene BRCA1 plays vital role in DNA repair

Scientists at the University of Birmingham are a step closer to understanding the role of the gene BRCA1. Changes in this gene are associated with a high risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.

30 May 2016

Researchers discover potential candidates for development of novel targeted therapies for blood cancers

A research team from the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at Roswell Park Cancer Institute has discovered a new class of small-molecule compounds that are good candidates for development of novel targeted therapies in the treatment of leukemia and lymphoma.

28 Jan 2016

Scientists solve atomic structure of ubiquitin ligase complex that plays key role in protein degradation

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have solved the atomic structure of a unique ubiquitin ligase complex. Ubiquitin is best known for its role in protein degradation, but more recently seen as important for cell signaling, DNA repair, anti-inflammatory, and immune responses.

21 Jan 2016

New mechanism of differentiation may offer novel therapeutic approaches to blood malignancies, solid tumors

In humans the differentiation of stem cells into hundreds of specialized cell types is vital. Differentiation drives development from fertilized egg to a newborn, and it underlies the continuous replacement of the 5 billion cells that die every hour in an adult. On the downside, mutations in differentiation pathways of different cell types can be drivers of cancers.

13 Jan 2016

Bacteriophage therapy: an alternative to antibiotics? An interview Professor Clokie

A phage is a virus that infects a bacterium. People often get very confused about what the difference is between a virus and a bacterium. A virus, like a bacterium, is also a microorganism, but unlike bacteria, it needs to have a host to be able to replicate and propagate.

2 Dec 2015

UofL researchers discover mechanism involved in skeletal muscle repair

Researchers at the University of Louisville have discovered a mechanism involved in skeletal muscle repair that may enable clinicians to boost the effectiveness of adult stem cell therapies for diseases such as muscular dystrophy.

1 Dec 2015

Study describes new genome screen that identifies partner molecules of cell-waste disposal proteins

Rhythmic expression of key genes is essential for maintaining proper timekeeping of the body's clock. In addition, rhythmic degradation of clockwork proteins is also crucial. However, surprisingly, researchers know little about these specific processes.

7 Oct 2015

Experimental drug improves failing heart's function

An experimental drug improves the ability of heart muscle cells damaged by heart failure to pump blood, according to the results of a study led by Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai researchers and published online today in Nature Communications.

14 Jun 2015

ITbM researchers find new molecules that change circadian rhythm in mammals

A team of chemists and biologists at the Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules, Nagoya University have succeeded in finding new molecules that change the circadian rhythm in mammals by applying synthetic chemistry methods, which makes use of highly selective metal catalysts.

10 Jun 2015

Researchers suggest new target for treating BRAF inhibitor-resistant melanoma tumors

A new collaborative study led by researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, published today in Cell Reports, provides new insight into the molecular changes that lead to resistance to a commonly prescribed group of drugs called BRAF inhibitors.

28 May 2015

Scientists uncover mechanism behind 'tubulin code'

Driving down the highway, you encounter ever-changing signs -- speed limits, exits, food and gas options. Seeing these roadside markers may cause you to slow down, change lanes or start thinking about lunch. In a similar way, cellular structures called microtubules are tagged with a variety of chemical markers that can influence cell functions.

13 May 2015

TSRI scientists map out protein structure involved in cellular function, nervous system development

Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute, working closely with researchers at the National Institutes of Health, have mapped out the structure of an important protein involved in cellular function and nervous system development.

12 May 2015

MDC scientists find solution to increase efficiency of precise genetic modifications

CRISPR-Cas9 is a powerful new tool for editing the genome. For researchers around the world, the CRISPR-Cas9 technique is an exciting innovation because it is faster and cheaper than previous methods. Now, using a molecular trick, Dr. Van Trung Chu and Professor Klaus Rajewsky of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine Berlin-Buch and Dr. Ralf Kühn, MDC and Berlin Institute of Health, have found a solution to considerably increase the efficiency of precise genetic modifications by up to eightfold.

30 Mar 2015

Vanderbilt researchers find link between the biological clock and Angelman syndrome

Monitoring participants' biological clocks may be the quickest way to determine the effectiveness of experimental drugs currently under development to treat Angelman syndrome: a debilitating genetic disorder that occurs in more than one in every 15,000 live births.

6 Feb 2015

TUM researchers discover new mechanism for regulating programmed cell death

Programmed cell death is a mechanism that causes defective and potentially harmful cells to destroy themselves. It serves a number of purposes in the body, including the prevention of malignant tumor growth. Now, researchers at Technische Universität München have discovered a previously unknown mechanism for regulating programmed cell death.

18 Dec 2014

Understanding neuron development: an interview with Dr. Brock Grill, The Scripps Research Institute

There’s a big difference between understanding coordination and actually building connectivity. In terms of building connectivity, several molecules have been identified that control this process and a lot has been learned from both genetic and biochemical research in a variety of different systems, particularly studies in the nematode C. elegans, the fruit fly Drosophila and mice.

22 Aug 2014