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Scientists visualize insulin receptor activation for the first time

As we are approaching the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin, a wide array of its signaling pathways has been defined.

20 Feb 2018

Alzheimer’s study on mice reveals important mechanism behind neural hyperactivity

Alzheimer´s disease is the key cause of dementia in elderly patients. Those affected develop deficiencies in their abilities to learn, think logically, communicate, and to master the challenges of everyday life.

9 Feb 2018

Scientists find new way to kill liver cancer cells

Scientists at the University of Delaware and the University of Illinois at Chicago have found a new way to kill liver cancer cells and inhibit tumor growth. First, they silence a key cellular enzyme, and then they add a powerful drug.

7 Feb 2018

Researchers develop novel antibody-based therapy to treat organ fibrosis

Fibrosis can be triggered by many events- surgery, injury, disease- but regardless of the cause, it's characterized by accumulating masses of collagen-packed scar tissue that can permanently damage compromised organs.

6 Feb 2018

Ribosomes found to be cause of somatic cell pluripotency

In 2012, a Japanese research group discovered that human skin cells acquire pluripotency when introduced to lactic acid bacteria. Now, the same group of researchers have found that the cause of somatic cell conversion into pluripotent stem cells is the ribosome, a protein synthesizing cellular organelle.

5 Feb 2018

Researchers use innovative method to screen kinases for cancer drug's effectiveness

In recent years, a powerful suite of drugs known as kinase inhibitors have been developed to treat cancer and other diseases. Primary targets of such drugs include a family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) which protrude from cell surfaces like antennae and can activate cancer-related pathways in virtually all types of cancer when signaling molecules bind with them.

5 Feb 2018

Free magnesium ions regulate chromosome shape, new tool shows

Japanese researchers report a new ion detector, MARIO. Using it, they show that changes in the intracellular concentration of free magnesium ions (Mg2+) is critical for the chromosome folding that must occur for cells to divide.

1 Feb 2018

Computational approach can help identify chemoresistant potential targets in cancer stem cells

In cancer, one of the most important features is the methylation of deoxycytosine to form 5-methylcytosine (5mC). DNA methylation is a process by which methyl groups (structural units of organic compounds consisting of three hydrogen atoms bonded to a carbon atom) are added to the DNA molecule.

30 Jan 2018

Viral replication process weak spot may help develop cure for infections

Researchers at the Morgridge Institute for Research believe they have identified a weak spot in the replication process of positive-strand RNA viruses, which could yield treatment for viral infections such as Zika, Polio, Chikungunya, Hepatitis C and even common cold viruses.

29 Jan 2018

Enzyme inhibitor and chemotherapy combination regresses glioblastoma

In animal experiments, a human-derived glioblastoma significantly regressed when treated with the combination of an experimental enzyme inhibitor and the standard glioblastoma chemotherapy drug, temozolomide.

24 Jan 2018

Scientists develop unique technique to map elasticity of cell components

Scientists at Université de Montréal have developed a unique technique to map, on a scale of milliseconds, the elasticity of the components inside a cell.

17 Jan 2018

Researchers use novel PET tracer to assess myelin damage in mouse models of MS

The loss or damage of myelin, a cellular sheath that surrounds and insulates nerves, is the hallmark of the immune-mediated neurological disorder multiple sclerosis.

12 Jan 2018

Unhealthy diet makes the body's defenses more aggressive in the long term

The immune system reacts similarly to a high fat and high-calorie diet as to a bacterial infection. This is shown by a recent study led by the University of Bonn.

11 Jan 2018

Discovery of key protein’s structure may help improve drug design

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have peered deep into the heart of a key protein used in drug design and discovered dynamic structural features that may lead to new ways to target diseases.

29 Dec 2017

Nanomedicine platform can guide doctors to remove tumors and kill malignant cells

Oregon State University scientists have developed a nanomedicine platform for cancer that can help doctors know which tissue to cut out as well as kill any malignant cells that can't be surgically removed.

21 Dec 2017

Silky webs of spiders may hold secrets to repairing our skeletons

Some secrets to repairing our skeletons might be found in the silky webs of spiders, according to recent experiments guided by supercomputers. Scientists involved say their results will help understand the details of osteoregeneration, or how bones repair themselves.

20 Dec 2017