Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) News and Research

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Pain reliever appears to help preserve vision in animal model of retinal degeneration

A pain medicine that potently activates a receptor vital to a healthy retina appears to help preserve vision in a model of severe retinal degeneration, scientists report.

28 Jun 2016

Mutant fruit flies provide insight into origins of Parkinson's disease

The neurodegeneration that occurs in Parkinson’s disease is a result of stress on the endoplasmic reticulum in the cell rather than failure of the mitochondria as previously thought, according to a study in fruit flies.

24 Jun 2016

Researchers reveal novel mechanism of smoke induced collapse of protein homeostasis in COPD

Few threats to public health are as perilous as cigarette smoking, with more than 435,000 Americans dying each year of tobacco-related pulmonary illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

22 Jun 2016

First CRISPR/Cas9 screen helps identify human proteins required for Zika virus replication

Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School have performed the first CRISPR/Cas9 screen to discover human proteins that Zika virus needs for replication.

22 Jun 2016

Study sheds new light on how overeating may lead to more eating

Research is finally beginning to shed light on some of the reasons that extra weight is difficult to shed permanently. Now, a new study has uncovered another method by which the gut senses how much food a person eats and relays that to the brain.

16 Jun 2016

Scientists reveal how ER+ breast cancer uses cholesterol-based molecule to evade anti-hormone treatments

New research funded by Breast Cancer Now has identified how the most common breast cancers could be using a cholesterol-based molecule to evade standard anti-hormone treatments, causing patients’ disease to return.

2 Jun 2016

Antimuscarinic drugs effective in improving OAB symptoms

In a recent study of patients with overactive bladder (OAB), a 30 mg extended release formulation of propiverine hydrochloride was at least as effective and safe as a 4 mg extended release formulation of tolterodine tartrate.

26 May 2016

Researchers partially restore lost function of isolated cystic fibrosis lung cells

In experiments with isolated cystic fibrosis lung cells, University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers and colleagues from two other institutions have partially restored the lost function of those cells.

26 May 2016

Single enzyme doing the work of a trio could offer precise way to treat diseases

Researchers identified a single enzyme doing the work of a trio thought necessary to control a common cellular signaling process being pursued as a therapeutic target.

24 May 2016

ULK1, ULK2 enzymes play key role in maintaining cellular homeostasis

Researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have uncovered how two enzymes, ULK1 and ULK2, which are best known for their role in the degradation and recycling of proteins, control the trafficking of specific proteins.

23 May 2016

Combining 2-DG with fenofibrate could provide non-toxic treatments for many cancers

A team of researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine recently discovered a novel, non-toxic approach to treating a wide variety of cancers.

19 May 2016

New national survey reveals that asthma patients most frequently use rescue inhaler

In a new national survey of asthma patients, Health Union, and its new online community Asthma.net, reveals that most were satisfied with the care they received; however, the most frequently used form of treatment, at 89%, is the rescue inhaler.

12 May 2016

New set of practice guidelines from WMS may help in treatment, prevention of drowning

Drowning is a global threat to human health. Each year, more than 372,000 people die as a result of drowning, with many of those deaths being preventable by simple water safety measures. In order to arm professionals with the most up-to-date clinical protocols, the Wilderness Medical Society has issued a new set of practice guidelines for both the treatment and prevention of drowning, published in the society's official journal, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine.

10 May 2016

Scientists develop new technology that helps visualize translation of mRNA into proteins

For the first time, scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine have developed a technology allowing them to "see" single molecules of messenger RNA as they are translated into proteins in living mammalian cells. Initial findings using this technology that may shed light on neurological diseases as well as cancer were published online today in Science.

9 May 2016

Controlling cholesterol metabolism could help reduce pancreatic cancer spread

Researchers have shown how controlling cholesterol metabolism in pancreatic cancer cells reduces metastasis, pointing to a potential new treatment using drugs previously developed for atherosclerosis.

4 May 2016

Predictive statistical approach opens door to development of more effective therapies for breast cancer

Designing effective new drugs, especially drugs to fight cancer, demands that you know as much as you can about the molecular workings of cancer growth. Without that, it's like planning to fight a war against an enemy you've never seen.

29 Apr 2016

One-dose of dexamethasone can improve outcomes of asthmatic patients in ER

Adults with asthma who were treated with one-dose dexamethasone in the emergency department had only slightly higher relapse than patients who were treated with a 5-day course of prednisone.

28 Apr 2016

Derivatives of female sex hormones can influence natural melanin production, study suggests

When skin cells responsible for pigmentation are exposed to estrogen or progesterone, the cells respond by adjusting their melanin production, resulting in either skin darkening or lightening. Although pregnant women often experience alterations in skin pigmentation, the reason for the changes has long puzzled physicians.

27 Apr 2016

Study reveals how visceral fat contributes to insulin resistance, inflammation

Researchers have long-known that visceral fat - the kind that wraps around the internal organs - is more dangerous than subcutaneous fat that lies just under the skin around the belly, thighs and rear. But how visceral fat contributes to insulin resistance and inflammation has remained unknown.

26 Apr 2016

Motivational interviewing can help reduce risky use of pain pills

As America battles an epidemic of deaths from misused pain pills, a new study suggests an inexpensive way to cut risky use of these drugs by people who have a high chance of overdosing.

21 Apr 2016