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Cannabinoid receptors regulate memory processes by modulating mitochondrial energy metabolism

It has been known for some time that the extracts of the Cannabis plant, just like synthetic cannabinoids and those produced by the brain itself, join up with type 1 (CB1) cannabinoid receptors located in the nerve endings of the neurons, and inhibit the release of chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) in the communication areas between the nerve cells.

10 Nov 2016

Elucidating IDP behaviour on crowded membranes

IDPs are proteins that contain stretches of amino-acid sequence that are flexible and do not comprise stable structure in isolation. This is in contrast with a more traditional view of proteins as largely occupying a stable native structure that correlates with functions such as enzyme activity or binding.

10 Nov 2016

Scientists investigate role of mitochondria in Alzheimer's disease pathology

On Nov. 25, 1901, a 51-year-old woman is admitted to a hospital in Frankfurt, Germany, displaying a bizarre constellation of symptoms.

8 Nov 2016

New study shows final stages of how mitochondria regularly divide and propagate

A new University of Colorado Boulder study shows for the first time the final stages of how mitochondria, the sausage-shaped, power-generating organelles found in nearly all living cells, regularly divide and propagate.

2 Nov 2016

Research shows genetic link between mitochondrial DNA and autism

Cornell University researchers have confirmed a genetic link between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is passed on from the mother, and some forms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

31 Oct 2016

Rare neurological syndromes linked to variations in ATAD3A gene

A team of scientists from a number of institutions around the world, including Baylor College of Medicine, has discovered that rare neurological syndromes for which there was no cause can be the result of variations in the gene ATAD3A.

21 Oct 2016

Researchers discover how toxic proteins linked to neurological diseases impair membrane-less organelles

Researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have discovered the way toxic proteins linked to the most common forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) incapacitate membrane-less organelles inside cells.

21 Oct 2016

New study raises serious safety concerns in clinical use of caspase inhibitors for liver injury

Many acute and chronic liver diseases, including alcoholic hepatitis, result from apoptotic (programmed) cell death mediated by the enzyme caspase.

20 Oct 2016

Study unravels how caloric restriction provides beneficial effects to the brain

Studies of different animal species suggest a link between eating less and living longer, but the molecular mechanisms by which caloric restriction affords protection against disease and extends longevity are not well understood.

19 Oct 2016

Researchers come together to discuss potential impact of exercise at all stages of life

Get more exercise. The often-repeated health recommendation is usually prescribed to lose weight or build muscle, but the many health effects of exercise reach far beyond weight and body composition.

19 Oct 2016

Scientists solve structure of BinAB toxin that kills larvae of certain type of mosquitoes

Could we get rid of mosquitoes without polluting the environment? Yes, we can! The BinAB toxin, produced in crystal form by a bacterium, specifically kills the larvae of Culex and Anopheles mosquitoes, but it is inactive on tiger mosquitoes (or Aedes), the vectors for dengue fever and chikungunya.

29 Sep 2016

UC San Diego professor Samara Reck-Peterson named HHMI-Simons Faculty Scholar

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Simons Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has named Samara Reck-Peterson, PhD, an HHMI-Simons Faculty Scholar.

28 Sep 2016

Virginia Tech researchers identify novel compound that blocks growth of deadly fungus

Researchers with the Virginia Tech Center for Drug Discovery have identified a compound that blocks the growth of a fungus that causes deadly lung infections and allergic reactions in people with compromised immune systems.

22 Sep 2016

CUMC researchers uncover new details of intracellular channel that controls skeletal muscle

Using high-resolution electron microscopy, Columbia University Medical Center researchers have uncovered new details of the structure and function of an intracellular channel that controls the contraction of skeletal muscle.

22 Sep 2016

Cold plasma therapy may help treat non-healing wounds

Russian scientists at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, the Joint Institute for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Gamaleya Research Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology found that treating cells with cold plasma leads to their regeneration and rejuvenation.

13 Sep 2016

New study raises safety concerns on clinical use of caspase inhibitors for liver diseases

Many acute and chronic liver diseases, including alcoholic hepatitis, result from apoptotic (programmed) cell death mediated by the enzyme caspase. Caspase inhibitors have therapeutic potential to treat and prevent apoptosis-mediated liver injury, and some are currently in clinical trials.

9 Sep 2016

Researchers describe how genetic mutations cause unnamed neurological disorder

In rare cases -- for instance, among siblings in two families from Pakistan and Oman described in a new study -- children have been born with an unnamed neurological disorder.

6 Sep 2016

Discovery of signalling pathway could pave way for developing treatments targeting T-ALL leukaemia

Cooperation between Finnish and Chinese research groups has opened up new opportunities for developing treatments targeting aggressive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL).

2 Sep 2016

Whitehead Institute scientists develop novel method for profiling mitochondrial metabolites

Whitehead Institute scientists have developed a method to quickly isolate and systematically measure metabolite concentrations within the cellular organelles known as mitochondria, often referred to as the "powerhouses of the cell."

31 Aug 2016

Multi-purpose protein may offer clues for successful treatment of Alzheimer's disease

The tidal wave approaches. In the coming decades, Alzheimer's disease is projected to exact a devastating economic and emotional toll on society, with patient numbers in the US alone expected to reach 13.5 million by mid-century at a projected cost of over a trillion dollars.

30 Aug 2016