Chaperones News and Research

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Study uncovers genetic clues behind sex differences in Parkinson's disease

New research presented today (Wednesday) at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum 2026 has discovered some of the genetic changes in brain cells that may help to explain why more men than women develop Parkinson's disease.

7 Jul 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

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

TIFR researchers identify protein essential for survival and function of vomeronasal sensory neurons

Researchers at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Hyderabad, have identified a mammalian protein, Cnpy1 (Canopy1), that is essential for the survival and function of vomeronasal sensory neurons in mice.

7 Apr 2026

PEX38 protein offers new target against tropical trypanosome diseases

The pathogens that cause tropical diseases rely on an essential protein that is absent from all other organism. This discovery opens the possibility for targeted treatment.

27 Feb 2026

Researchers discover critical vulnerability shared by pathogens causing tropical diseases

Researchers working with Professor Ralf Erdmann at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, have discovered a critical vulnerability shared by the pathogens that cause African sleeping sickness, Chagas disease, and leishmaniasis.

27 Feb 2026

Unfolding the role of Hsp70 chaperones in neurodegeneration

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) affect millions of people worldwide, yet treatments remain largely limited to symptom management.

22 Jan 2026

Cryo-EM reveals how proteins are protected during synthesis

Proteins are often called the building blocks of cells, but even those building blocks need to be built. One of the most important steps in the process of building proteins is glycosylation, when sugar molecules (glycans) are attached to the maturing protein.

19 Nov 2025

Revolutionary structures show how chaperone proteins prevent diseases caused by protein misfolding

The first full-length structures of two heat shock chaperone proteins in a complex reveal the key structural region regulating their function, according to a new study from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

15 Oct 2025

A single drug stabilizes nearly all mutations of key kidney protein

A study published today in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology is the first time researchers have shown evidence that a single drug, already licensed for medical use, can stabilize nearly all mutated versions of a human protein, regardless of where the mutation is in the sequence.

23 Sep 2025

Understanding how long non-coding RNAs control gene expression in cancer

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) are a type of RNA molecule that do not carry instructions to make proteins. Instead, they influence how other genes are expressed.

5 Aug 2025

CHAF1B drives lung squamous cell carcinoma progression by repressing SETD7

CHAF1B, a histone chaperone component of the chromatin assembly factor-1 complex, is overexpressed in multiple cancers and linked to tumor progression, but its role in lung squamous-cell carcinoma (LUSC) remained unclear.

11 Jun 2025

Autophagy-based mechanism provides insight into Parkinson’s disease protein secretion

Intracellular protein trafficking and secretion of proteins into the extracellular environment are sequential and tightly regulated processes in eukaryotic cells.

23 May 2025

Unfolded protein response disruptions contribute to colorectal cancer and gut-related disorders

The intestinal epithelium is a highly dynamic barrier that regulates digestion, absorption, immune responses, and communication between the gut microbiota and the nervous system.

20 Feb 2025

New discovery on mitochondrial protein could transform Charcot-Marie-Tooth treatment

Researchers from Cologne, Bochum, Padova and Angers have discovered a novel connection between mitochondrial function, protein quality control and cellular health, whose failure could be the leading cause in the currently incurable neurological disease Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT).

14 Feb 2025

The crucial role of 'chaperones' in maintaining neuronal function

A team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst is the first to show how proteins called "chaperones" are vital in ensuring that neurons can transmit signals to one another. When this neurotransmission breaks down, devastating diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's along with many others, can occur.

20 Dec 2024

Cellular RNA enhances MAVS signalosome activation in antiviral immunity

Scientists have uncovered a new role for a cell's own RNA in fending off attacks by RNA viruses. Some of the cell's RNA molecules, researchers found, help regulate antiviral signaling. These signals are part of the intricate coordination of immune responses against virus invasion.

19 Dec 2024