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Researchers identify enzyme that controls cell’s collagen secretion

Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology have identified an enzyme that controls how much our cells secrete collagen.

11 Jun 2018

UCLA researchers have blueprint of telomerase that plays major role in cancer, aging

Cancer, aging-related diseases and other illnesses are closely tied to an important enzyme called "telomerase." UCLA researchers report in the journal Cell the deepest scientific understanding yet of this once-mysterious enzyme, whose catalytic core -- where most of its activity occurs -- can now be seen in near atomic resolution.

7 Jun 2018

Scientists elucidate 3D structure of protein involved in cancer

The human glutamine transporter ASCT2 is upregulated in several forms of cancer. It is also the docking platform for a wide range of pathogenic retroviruses.

6 Jun 2018

Scientists create small, self-contained spaces inside mammalian cells

How to install new capabilities in cells without interfering with their metabolic processes? A team from the Technical University of Munich and the Helmholtz Zentrum München have altered mammalian cells in such a way that they formed artificial compartments in which sequestered reactions could take place, allowing the detection of cells deep in the tissue and also their manipulation with magnetic fields.

23 May 2018

Biochemists isolate protein supercomplex from bacteria that generates voltage

Biochemists at the University of Illinois have isolated a protein supercomplex from a bacterial membrane that, like a battery, generates a voltage across the bacterial membrane.

15 May 2018

Researchers to take 'unprecedented look' into protein behind hypertension, epilepsy, and overactive bladder

The seemingly unrelated conditions of hypertension, epilepsy and overactive bladder may be linked by electrical activity in a protein long studied by a biomedical engineer at Washington University in St. Louis.

15 May 2018

Increasingly failing communication between cells' organelles is main cause of aging, shows study

A basic discovery of how the cellular functions are connected to control aging is presented in the journal Cell Metabolism.

11 May 2018

UAB researchers unravel brain neuron dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies

A decay of brain function is a hallmark of Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, or DLB. Specifically, cognitive dysfunction defines DLB, and nearly eight of every 10 Parkinson's patients develop dementia.

11 May 2018

Scientists use X-ray laser to gain insights into structure of Alzheimer's proteins

A new experimental method permits the X-ray analysis of amyloids, a class of large, filamentous biomolecules which are an important hallmark of diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

9 May 2018

TUM researchers unravel mechanism of action for one of pore-forming bacterial toxins

Pore-forming toxins are common bacterial poisons. They attack organisms by introducing holes in cell membranes.

7 May 2018

Researchers discover how key brain receptor can function in hostile environment

During a stroke or an epileptic seizure, neurons in affected parts of the brain fire at an abnormally rapid rate.

7 May 2018

New research illustrates how beneficial bacteria establish robust gut colonization

The mammalian gut is warm, moist, and incredibly nutrient-rich--an environment that is perfect for bacterial growth. The communities of "good bacteria" in the gut, commonly referred to as the microbiome, are vital partners for the body, helping to digest fiber, extract nutrients, and prevent various diseases.

4 May 2018

3D structures of nicotine receptor could lead to new ways for treating addiction

UT Southwestern researchers today published in Nature atomic-scale blueprints of the most abundant class of brain nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. A structural understanding of the protein, found in neurons, could lead to new ways to treat nicotine addiction from smoking and vaping.

3 May 2018

Scientists use cryo-ET techniques to capture images of measles viruses

Researchers have been able to capture images of measles viruses as they emerge from infected cells, using state of the art cryo-electron tomography techniques

3 May 2018

Novel magnetic nanoparticles move from lab to first breast cancer clinical trials

Sandia National Laboratories materials chemist Dale Huber has been working on the challenge of making iron-based nanoparticles the exact same size for 15 years.

30 Apr 2018

Scientists reveal detailed structure of virus that affects transplant patients

Researchers from the University of Leeds have revealed the structure of a virus which affects kidney and bone marrow transplant patients in near-atomic levels of detail for the first time.

27 Apr 2018

Scientists analyze nanostructure of chicken eggshells

The results of a study recently published in the prestigious international journal Science Advances have enabled researchers to better understand the role of eggshells in embryo development and hatching.

17 Apr 2018

CNIO researchers determine structure of protein complex related to cell survival

A team from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre has determined for the first time the high-resolution structure of a complex (R2TP) involved in key processes for cell survival and in diseases such as cancer.

16 Apr 2018

Research reveals how bacteria prepare sticky adhesion protein

Researchers at Harvard Medical School, the University of California, San Francisco, and the University of Georgia have described how the protein that allows strep and staph bacteria to stick to human cells is prepared and packaged.

6 Apr 2018

Biophysical mechanism involving spaghetti-like proteins helps cells avoid 'data breaches'

Cells can avoid "data breaches" when letting signaling proteins into their nuclei thanks to a quirky biophysical mechanism involving a blur of spaghetti-like proteins, researchers from the Rockefeller University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine have shown.

28 Mar 2018