Chaperones News and Research

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Gene therapy is the best stratagem to impact the course of GM2 gangliosidosis

Since its clinical description in 1881, Tay-Sachs disease has had almost totemic significance as a cruel and relentless genetic condition that destroys the developing brain of babies and young children.

28 Apr 2018

Newly discovered molecular chaperones may soon be part of therapies for Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative disease. It is always fatal. The disease is caused by a defect in the Huntingtin gene. To this day, no therapy will put a stop to the insidious disintegration of brain cells.

12 Dec 2017

Researchers discover mechanism that corrects protein misfolding in plants

Various human nervous system diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and Parkinson's diseases, are associated with the same basic disorder: the loss of nerve cells capacity to fold their proteins correctly, which causes protein aggregations that form "clumps" that end up generating the cell death.

25 Oct 2017

New model predicts how E. coli bacteria respond to temperature changes, genetic mutations

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed a genome-scale model that can accurately predict how E. coli bacteria respond to temperature changes and genetic mutations.

13 Oct 2017

MIT study sheds light on flu viruses' rapid evolution

Influenza viruses mutate rapidly, which is why flu vaccines have to be redesigned every year. A new study from MIT sheds light on just how these viruses evolve so quickly and offers a potential way to slow them down.

26 Sep 2017

Researchers design novel small antibody fragment with improved crystallizability

Antibodies are a powerful weapon system in defending our body against invaders such as bacteria and viruses. Each antibody consists of four polypeptide chains: two heavy chains and two light chains joined to form a Y-shaped molecule.

21 Sep 2017

Researchers demystify interdomain communication pathway in Hsp70 protein

Using a combination of computational and experimental techniques, a research team at the University of Massachusetts Amherst led by molecular biologist Lila Gierasch has demystified the pathway of interdomain communication in a family of proteins known as Hsp70s - a top target of dozens of research laboratories trying to develop new anti-cancer drugs, antibiotics and treatments for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

30 Aug 2017

Study uncovers how effects of HSP90 protein can alter course of genetic diseases

Proteins do most of the work inside the human body, supporting the structure, function, regulation, and repair of organs, tissues and cells.

24 Feb 2017

Duke Health researchers identify potential new drug target for Huntington's disease

The loss of motor function and mental acuity associated with Huntington's disease might be treatable by restoring a cellular quality control process, which Duke Health researchers have identified as a key factor in the degenerative illness.

13 Feb 2017

New Caltech study shows how chaperones protect ribosomal proteins

For proteins, this would be the equivalent of the red-carpet treatment: each protein belonging to the complex machinery of ribosomes -- components of the cell that produce proteins -- has its own chaperone to guide it to the right place at the right time and protect it from harm.

3 Feb 2017

Study provides insights into CPEB4 gene and fatty liver disease

This condition generally leads to chronic inflammation (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis), which can trigger fibrosis, cirrhosis and ultimately liver cancer. This study on the basic biology of the liver paves the way to examine therapeutic strategies to fight and prevent fatty liver disease.

18 Jan 2017

Mitochondria regulates stem cell proliferation in gut epithelium, study shows

What happens in intestinal epithelial cells during a chronic illness? Basic research conducted at the Chair of Nutrition and Immunology at the Technical University of Munich addressed this question by generating a new model system.

27 Oct 2016

Prion proteins can drive emergence of new traits and adaptive opportunities

Prion proteins, best known as the agents of deadly brain disorders like mad cow disease, can help yeast survive hard times and pass the advantageous traits down to their offspring, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

4 Oct 2016

BGU researchers elucidate molecular mechanism that could lead to new therapies for ALS

Researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have published a new study that describes a novel molecular mechanism that could lead to the development of new therapies for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

4 Oct 2016

TSRI study reveals new approach to intervene in deadly disease

In a new study, scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have identified drug candidates that can boost a cell's ability to catch the "typos" in protein production that can cause a deadly disease called amyloidosis.

From Paxman 21 Jul 2016

Minoryx Therapeutics initiates phase 1 clinical trial of MIN-102

Minoryx Therapeutics, a drug development company specialized in the discovery and development of new drugs for orphan diseases, today announces the initiation of its first-in-man Phase 1 clinical trial for its lead compound MIN-102.

7 Jul 2016

TSRI scientists identify GlyRS protein that launches cancer growth

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have identified a protein that launches cancer growth and appears to contribute to higher mortality in breast cancer patients.

28 Jun 2016

New research offers more insights into development of Kennedy's disease

Kennedy's disease leads to progressive muscle wastage. It is a condition that affects only men and it appears between 40 and 50 years of age. There is no specific treatment available.

13 Jun 2016

UCSF scientists identify eye drop chemical that may reverse cataracts

A chemical that could potentially be used in eye drops to reverse cataracts, the leading cause of blindness, has been identified by a team of scientists from UC San Francisco (UCSF), the University of Michigan (U-M), and Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL).

6 Nov 2015

HSCI researchers find surprising similarities between SMA and ALS

Harvard Stem Cell Institute researchers studying spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) have found what they term "surprising similarities" between this childhood disorder that attacks motor neurons and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

25 Sep 2015