Cell Biology

RSS

Researchers discover how shattered chromosomes make cancer cells more aggressive

Cancer is one of the world's greatest health afflictions because, unlike some diseases, it is a moving target, constantly evolving to evade and resist treatment.

23 Dec 2020

Study uncovers a new paradigm for the role of the thymus in pregnancy

How the immune system adapts to pregnancy has puzzled researchers for decades. An international team of researchers, including scientists from IMBA – Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences – has now discovered that important changes in the thymus occur in order to prevent miscarriages and gestational diabetes.

23 Dec 2020

Researchers discover protein that adjusts gene activity to match nutrient levels in roundworms

Transforming a fertilized egg into a fully functional adult is a complicated task. Cells must divide, move, and mature at specific times. Developmental genes control that process, turning on and off in a choreographed way.

23 Dec 2020

New drug starves cancer cells by attacking mitochondria

A newly developed compound starves cancer cells by attacking their "power plants" - the so-called mitochondria.

22 Dec 2020

Scientists discover molecular defects associated with rare genetic disorder in children

Damien D'Amours and his team at the Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology needed three years to discover the molecular defects associated with the LIC Syndrome, a serious genetic disorder that affects young children and result in acute respiratory distress, immune deficiency and abnormal chromosomes.

22 Dec 2020

New drug combination improves blood glucose control and weight loss in mice

Scientists have shown that adding an experimental cancer drug to a widely used diabetes treatment improves blood glucose control and weight loss in mice, according to a study published today in eLife.

22 Dec 2020

Gene-regulating snippet of RNA may contribute to breast cancer metastasis

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) scientists have discovered a gene-regulating snippet of RNA that may contribute to the spread of many breast cancers.

22 Dec 2020

Discovery reveals new type of brain cell sensitive to distance and direction of objects

The existence of GPS-like brain cells, which can store maps of the places we've been, like our kitchen or holiday destination, was already widely known, but this discovery shows there is also a type of brain cell sensitive to the distance and direction of objects that can store their locations on these maps.

21 Dec 2020

Study highlights the far-reaching effects of mutagenic compounds on human health

In order to survive, flourish and successfully reproduce, organisms rely on a high degree of genetic stability. Mutagenic agents, which can threaten the integrity of the genetic code by causing mutations in DNA, pose a serious risk to human health.

21 Dec 2020

Stem cells in the brain divide over months to create new nerve cells

For the first time, scientists at the University of Zurich have been able to observe stem cells in the adult mouse brain that divide over the course of several months to create new nerve cells. The study shows that brain stem cells are active over a long period, and thus provides new insights for stem cell research.

21 Dec 2020

The weak spot of colon cancer stem cells

Colon cancer stem cells have one weak spot: the enzyme Mll1. An MDC team led by Walter Birchmeier has now shown in Nature Communications that blocking this protein prevents the development of new tumors in the body.

21 Dec 2020

Novel microcopy methods used to study tiny traction forces during T-cell activation

Highly complicated processes constantly take place in our body to keep pathogens in check: The T-cells of our immune system are busy searching for antigens - suspicious molecules that fit exactly into certain receptors of the T-cells like a key into a lock.

21 Dec 2020

Stem cell engineering used to identify gene signaling pathway linked to schizophrenia

Using human-induced pluripotent stem cells engineered from a single family's blood samples, a gene signaling pathway linked to a higher risk for developing schizophrenia was discovered by scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

21 Dec 2020

Research reveals development stages of plaques in Alzheimer's disease

One cannot simply look inside someone else’s head. This makes it difficult to understand what is happening in the brains of people with dementia. A new method offers insights.

21 Dec 2020

Researchers use precision medicine strategy to identify a new genetic skeletal disorder

Researchers of the "Cell Biology and Physiology-LABRET" group of the University of Malaga (UMA), together with the Networking Biomedical Research Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), have described a new genetic skeletal disorder based on a precision medicine strategy.

21 Dec 2020

Researchers discover novel mechanism by which cells turn over mitochondria

Mitochondria are cellular organelles that generate most of the energy cells need to function, and thus play an important role in maintaining cell health.

21 Dec 2020

New understanding of physical properties of chromatin may show how genome is encoded and decoded

University of Alberta researchers have found an answer to a fundamental question in genomic biology that has eluded scientists since the discovery of DNA: Within the nucleus of our cells, is the complex package of DNA and proteins called chromatin a solid or a liquid?

20 Dec 2020

Novel amorphous nanoparticles can efficiently and selectively kill cancer cells

LMU researchers have developed a novel type of nanoparticle that efficiently and selectively kills cancer cells, thus opening up new therapeutic options for the treatment of tumors.

18 Dec 2020

Anti-hypertension drug may be key to extending lifespan, shows study

A stress response of mitochondria, the part of our cells that produce energy to power bodily functions, is important to a longer life.

18 Dec 2020

A protein plays key role in the spread of stress signals among liver cells

A key protein in the communication channels between cells can allow a stress response in one liver cell to spread to neighboring liver cells in mice, causing otherwise healthy cells to become dysfunctional, according to new research co-led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Sheba Medical Center in Israel.

18 Dec 2020

Cell Biology

Researchers discover how shattered chromosomes make cancer cells more aggressive

Study uncovers a new paradigm for the role of the thymus in pregnancy

Researchers discover protein that adjusts gene activity to match nutrient levels in roundworms

New drug starves cancer cells by attacking mitochondria

Scientists discover molecular defects associated with rare genetic disorder in children

New drug combination improves blood glucose control and weight loss in mice

Gene-regulating snippet of RNA may contribute to breast cancer metastasis

Discovery reveals new type of brain cell sensitive to distance and direction of objects

Study highlights the far-reaching effects of mutagenic compounds on human health

Stem cells in the brain divide over months to create new nerve cells

The weak spot of colon cancer stem cells

Novel microcopy methods used to study tiny traction forces during T-cell activation

Stem cell engineering used to identify gene signaling pathway linked to schizophrenia

Research reveals development stages of plaques in Alzheimer's disease

Researchers use precision medicine strategy to identify a new genetic skeletal disorder

Researchers discover novel mechanism by which cells turn over mitochondria

New understanding of physical properties of chromatin may show how genome is encoded and decoded

Novel amorphous nanoparticles can efficiently and selectively kill cancer cells

Anti-hypertension drug may be key to extending lifespan, shows study

A protein plays key role in the spread of stress signals among liver cells

Unlocking live single-cell functional insights

Fluidics in Modern Healthcare & Medical Device Innovation

How microRNA is transforming science: From discovery to diagnostics

Latest Life Science News