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Polycystic kidney disease may be preventable

Kidney failure is a lifelong burden in hundreds of thousands of people who need to be treated either by dialysis or a kidney transplant. Both procedures significantly increase the cost of healthcare and reduce the quality of life.

26 Aug 2019

Using principles of mechanics and physics to identify state of individual cells

Researchers at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering have discovered a new way to identify the state of individual cells by bringing principles of mechanical engineering and physics to bear on processes that are now well understood at the macro level, but not yet at the cellular level: how stressors such as injury and disease force an organism into a new level of equilibrium -- a biological process of finding a "new normal" called allostasis.

20 Aug 2019

Scientists identify group of proteins for repair of nerve fibers

Scientists at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases have identified a group of proteins that help to regenerate damaged nerve cells. Their findings are reported in the journal Neuron.

7 Aug 2019

Researchers use paper-based structures to mimic layered nature of aortic valves

Paper is at the heart of an experimental device developed by Rice University bioengineers to study heart disease.

6 Aug 2019

Active adhesive dressings can close wounds faster than other methods

Cuts, scrapes, blisters, burns, splinters, and punctures - there are a number of ways our skin can be broken.

25 Jul 2019

Bioinspired adhesive dressings could accelerate wound healing

Cuts, scrapes, blisters, burns, splinters, and punctures - there are a number of ways our skin can be broken. Most treatments for skin wounds involve simply placing a barrier over them (usually an adhesive gauze bandage) to keep it moist, limit pain, and reduce exposure to infectious microbes, but do not actively assist in the healing process.

25 Jul 2019

New study reveals 'clutch' proteins responsible for putting T cell activation 'into gear'

In collaborative research, scientists from three continents were able to discover a crucial bit of information about how T cells move proteins inside them to drive the immune response. This could help evolve specific new treatments centered on T cell selectivity.

12 Jul 2019

Schwann cells induce self-repair of damaged nerves

Researchers from Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and at the Swiss University of Fribourg have now found that the Schwann cells and axons may be behind this regeneration process.

11 Jul 2019

New study helps develop treatments targeting inflammation without affecting gut function

A type of immune cell that contributes to inflammatory bowel disease exists in two forms, 'good' and 'bad'.

20 Jun 2019

FACS-based CRISPR screening shows how Chlamydia bacterium invades host cells

Using FACS-based CRISPR screening, scientists have identified three candidate genes that may facilitate the invasion of Chlamydia trachomatis into host cells.

19 Jun 2019

Muscle loss in space travelers could be reduced finds study

Researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston explain that space travellers often face muscle loss that is caused due to reduced gravity during their flight missions in space. They have found that exercise and certain hormones could help prevent this muscle loss.

13 Jun 2019

Biologists team up to identify underlying mechanism of yolk segregation from surrounding cytoplasm

The segregation of yolk from the surrounding cytoplasm in the very early fish embryo is a key process for the development of the fish larva.

10 May 2019

Cell's cytoskeleton aids in energy transfer and information processing within neurons, study finds

Dysfunctions and malformations in the scaffold of a cell are thought to contribute to heart muscle weakness, neurodegenerative disease and even deafness.

8 May 2019

Finding potential treatments for autoimmune diseases

More than 50 million Americans are affected by an autoimmune disease, with women at an increased risk for developing one.

7 May 2019

Form drives function in cancer proliferation, UTSW study finds

A new study finds that the protein responsible for the crawling movements of cells also drives the ability of cancer cells to grow when under stress.

6 May 2019

Scientists discover central role of cell 'skeleton'

All cells possess a cytoskeleton which allows them to move and maintain their shape. However, scientists recently showed that a part of this cytoskeleton called branched actin is also essential to cell proliferation: this actin transmits information to cells about the space around them, environmental chemical messages and therefore on whether they should proliferate.

10 Apr 2019

Mutation in Huntington’s disease may alter interactions of Huntingtin protein with Rac1

Since 1993, when the gene that causes Huntington's disease was identified, there has been intense focus on understanding how this genetic mutation causes the disease's severe progressive neural deterioration.

4 Apr 2019

Discovery of protein, lipid connection could lead to new influenza therapies

The connection between an influenza virus surface protein and a host cell lipid has been discovered by researchers at the University of Maine and the National Institutes of Health. Confirmation of direct interaction between the protein and lipid could lead to new antiviral therapies.

6 Mar 2019

New technique uses acoustic waves to measure the stiffness of living cells

MIT engineers have devised a new, noninvasive way to measure the stiffness of living cells using acoustic waves. Their technique allows them to monitor single cells over several generations and investigate how stiffness changes as cells go through the cell division cycle.

11 Feb 2019

Discovery of proteins that control mucin secretion reveals clues to treating colon, airway diseases

Cells produce mucins at a constant rate, and when exposed to an allergen or pathogen, they produce more mucin in a rapid burst. Both the constant and rapid mucin secretion is controlled by calcium.

1 Feb 2019