Molecular & Structural Biology

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Researchers find identity of stem-cell niche of the colon

Researchers at the University of Zurich have discovered the identity of the stem-cell niche of the colon. The niche comprises special cells that activate the stem cells of the adjacent intestinal epithelium and are responsible for its continuous renewal.

7 Jun 2018

UCLA researchers have blueprint of telomerase that plays major role in cancer, aging

Cancer, aging-related diseases and other illnesses are closely tied to an important enzyme called "telomerase." UCLA researchers report in the journal Cell the deepest scientific understanding yet of this once-mysterious enzyme, whose catalytic core -- where most of its activity occurs -- can now be seen in near atomic resolution.

7 Jun 2018

Scientists elucidate 3D structure of protein involved in cancer

The human glutamine transporter ASCT2 is upregulated in several forms of cancer. It is also the docking platform for a wide range of pathogenic retroviruses.

6 Jun 2018

Study identifies four tumor survival strategies in childhood cancer

Researchers have identified four main trajectories for the development of childhood cancer, two of which have been linked to disease relapse.

5 Jun 2018

New findings shed light on biological mechanisms of gene regulation

A team led by Prof. Stein Aerts uncovers how access to relevant DNA regions is orchestrated in epithelial cells.

5 Jun 2018

Researchers use nanoparticles to predict heavy wound scarring

Researchers have developed a new way of seeing heavy wound scars as they form, using nanoparticles that enable early intervention by doctors.

4 Jun 2018

Researchers discover how the heart becomes fully developed

Researchers have discovered how the heart develops from a simple tube into its characteristic S-shape and forms ventricles and atria.

4 Jun 2018

MDC researchers provide new insights on embryonic heart development

When it first starts to develop, the heart is a simple tube. Reporting in the journal Nature Communications, researchers at MDC have now described how it forms itself into a its characteristic S-shape and how the ventricles and atria finally develop.

4 Jun 2018

Researchers report on the sweet side of snake venom toxins

A bite from a lancehead snake can be fatal. Species in the family, found throughout Central and South America, have venom that can disrupt blood clotting and cause hemorrhage, strokes and kidney failure.

4 Jun 2018

Detailed structure of protein pair offers blueprint for new medicines

Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers have visualized for the first time how the protein SOCS1 'switches off' cell signaling to dampen immune responses and block cancer growth.

4 Jun 2018

Salk researchers discover molecule that destroys key HIV protein

One of the many challenges in treating HIV is that the virus can lie dormant in cells, quietly evading immune detection until it suddenly roars to life without warning and begins replicating furiously.

1 Jun 2018

Researchers discover three genes that may have contributed to evolution of large human brain

Three genes involved in nerve cell generation in the brain emerged roughly 3.5 million years ago and may have contributed to the rapid evolution of the large human brain, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator David Haussler and colleagues report on May 31, 2018, in the journal Cell.

1 Jun 2018

Highly stable DNA origami nanostructures may pave way for a plethora of biomedical applications

The DNA origami technique is a widely used method for making complex, yet well-defined nanostructures, with applications in biophysics, molecular biology, as well as drug and enzyme delivery.

31 May 2018

Scientists uncover the role of the ApoE gene in Alzheimer's Disease

A study conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has identified why the ApoE4 gene increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, and why the ApoE3 gene reduces the risk.

31 May 2018

Weight gain may be the result of inefficient fat metabolism

Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet have shown that protracted weight gain can, in some cases, be attributed to a reduced ability to metabolise fat.

31 May 2018

Study shows blood stem cells compensate for immune cell deficiencies

Researchers have shown that if certain blood stem cells that produce immune cells are deficient, other blood stem cells compensate by overproducing the immune cells that are lacking.

30 May 2018

Researchers uncover the cause of rheumatoid arthritis

A team of researchers have identified the cellular network involved in initiating and maintaining chronic inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis.

30 May 2018

Small defect in tissues can lead normal cells to take on characteristics of diseased cells

Homeowners know that one little termite can lead to big problems: while termites are efficient at gnawing away at wood, they can do even more damage if the wood is already broken or has another defect.

29 May 2018

New study shows that epigenetic silencing of genes limits eye development of cave fish

Loss of eye tissue in blind cavefish (Astyanax mexicanus), which occurs within a few days of their development, happens through epigenetic silencing of eye-related genes, according to a study led by the National Institutes of Health. Epigenetic regulation is a process where genes are turned off or on, typically in a reversible or temporary manner.

29 May 2018