Cell Biology

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Researchers discover instant messaging in proteins

Proteins are essential for every living cell and responsible for many fundamental processes. In particular, they are required as bio-catalysts in metabolism and for signaling inside the cell and between cells.

19 Sep 2019

Brain tumors hijack healthy neurons in order to grow

Scientists have discovered that brain tumors integrate themselves with the brain’s healthy neuronal network to support their growth.

19 Sep 2019

Researchers identify new mechanism for dysfunctional insulin release

In a new study, researchers at Uppsala University have identified a previously unknown mechanism that regulates release of insulin, a hormone that lowers blood glucose levels, from the β-cells (beta cells) of the pancreas. This mechanism is disrupted in type 2 diabetes.

19 Sep 2019

DNA origami: creating DNA-based nanomachines

DNA-based nanomachines are being created by DNA origami in several ways to create mechanical force at the scale of picoNewtons.

19 Sep 2019

TUM researchers identify complex interactions between bacteria and parasites

A team at the Technical University of Munich has completed the first study of the effects of a simultaneous infection with blood flukes (schistosomes) and the bacterium Helicobacter pylori - a fairly common occurrence in some parts of the world.

19 Sep 2019

Explosion at biofacility in Russia raises concerns over safety: Should we be worried?

A Russian research facility which holds one of the world's largest collections of viruses has suffered an explosion, triggering concerns over potential biological contamination.

18 Sep 2019

Genetic mutation appears to help people fight off MRSA

Researchers have discovered that people who carry a certain genetic mutation may have a greater chance of fighting off MRSA infections.

18 Sep 2019

Cancer cells survive chemotherapy by eating their neighboring tumor cells

Researchers from the Tulane University School of Medicine have discovered that some cancer cells survive chemotherapy by eating their neighboring tumor cells.

17 Sep 2019

Researchers develop new way to measure how mechanical fatigue affects biological cells

Human red blood cells are extremely resilient and have the capacity to undergo cellular deformation as they navigate across various micro-vessels and capillaries.

17 Sep 2019

Synthetic cell intercepts and deciphers hidden messages of the immune system

When immune cells detect harmful pathogens or cancer, they mobilize and coordinate a competent defense response.

17 Sep 2019

Pros and cons of gene editing technology

CRISPR technology has greatly facilitated gene editing. Associate Professor Thorsten Müller from Ruhr-Universität Bochum and Dr. Hassan Bukhari from Harvard Medical School discuss its pros and cons in a review article in the journal "Trends in Cell Biology" from 12 September 2019.

17 Sep 2019

Using everyday materials as tissue scaffolds

As the global demand for tissue and organ transplants significantly outstrips supply, tissue engineering might provide a potential solution. But one of the significant challenges in tissue engineering is growing tissue in 3D, and the scaffolds used to position cells to develop tissue-specific functions are often challenging or prohibitively expensive to develop.

17 Sep 2019

Mutant live attenuated Ebola virus elicits protective immunity in monkeys

Inoculation with an Ebola virus that has mutations in a protein called VP35 does not cause disease and elicits protection in monkeys, researchers show September 17 in the journal Cell Reports.

17 Sep 2019

Study finds dietary fiber components that encourage growth of beneficial gut microbes

Humans choose food based on the way it looks, smells, and tastes. But the microbes in our guts use a different classification system--one that is based on the molecular components that make up different fibers.

17 Sep 2019

Bone marrow-derived cells also travel to the womb to help pregnancy

Bone marrow-derived cells play a role in changes to the mouse uterus before and during pregnancy, enabling implantation of the embryo and reducing pregnancy loss, according to research published September 12 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology.

From PLOS ONE 17 Sep 2019

Strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease impairs function of human microglia

A study carried out with a new human stem cell-derived model reveals that the most prevalent genetic risk factor of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4), impairs the function of human brain immune cells, microglia. These findings pave the way for new, effective treatment approaches for AD. The results were published in Stem Cell Reports.

17 Sep 2019

Cellular metabolic overactivity leads to inflammation, research reveals

Scientists describe a previously unknown disorder of the immune system: in a distinct subset of immune cells from patients with primary immunodeficiency, cellular respiration is significantly increased.

16 Sep 2019

New platform uses nanoparticles to deliver anti-cancer agent to cells

Scientists from the University of Cambridge have developed a platform that uses nanoparticles known as metal-organic frameworks to deliver a promising anti-cancer agent to cells.

16 Sep 2019

Scientists to study how cellular circuits recycle proteins

Human cells break down excess or unusable proteins into amino acids they can use, but scientists do not understand the process.

16 Sep 2019

Biologists observe how microtubules branch in new directions in animal cells

Cell biologist Thomas Maresca and senior research fellow Vikash Verma at the University of Massachusetts Amherst say they have, for the first time, directly observed and recorded in animal cells a pathway called branching microtubule nucleation, a mechanism in cell division that had been imaged in cellular extracts and plant cells but not directly observed in animal cells.

16 Sep 2019