Protein News and Research

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Proteins are complex molecules that are made up of amino acids. They can be found in every cell in the body, and carry out vital processes that keep human beings alive. Mutations in proteins can lead to a multitude of diseases, the most common being cancer.

Novel protein interactions aid in the recovery process of brain damage

Patients suffering from brain damage largely depend on rehabilitation therapy for recovery, because no other effective treatment options are available.

21 Jun 2021

Study sheds new light on age-related diseases

Researchers from Sanford Burnham Prebys have explored the intricacies of autophagy to get a better understanding of the process.

21 Jun 2021

Protein known to mediate cell death plays a key role in maturation and release of interleukin-1α

Interluekin-1α (IL-1α) is an important part of the immune response, but until now it has been unclear how this molecule is processed from its precursor, pro-IL-1α, and exits the cell during inflammasome activation.

21 Jun 2021

A new treatment approach against SARS-CoV-2

Scientists have come up with a new method to treat SARS-CoV-2 infection by fixing the cell damage instead of fighting the virus directly.

21 Jun 2021

Genetically engineering NK cells can target and kill glioblastoma stem cells

Preclinical research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center finds that although glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) can be targeted by natural killer (NK) cells, they are able to evade immune attack by releasing the TFG-β signaling protein, which blocks NK cell activity.

18 Jun 2021

Presence of certain stem cells correlates with non-genetic resistance mechanisms to cancer drugs

Cancer cells can develop resistance to therapy through both genetic and non-genetic mechanisms. But it is unclear how and why one of these routes to resistance prevails.

18 Jun 2021

Natural killer cells target breast cancer using the body’s immune system

In a recent study, researchers investigated how natural killer cells target breast cancer using the body's own immune system.

18 Jun 2021

'Enabler cells' in tumors could promote cancer metastasis

Just a small number of cells found in tumors can enable and recruit other types of cells nearby, allowing the cancer to spread to other parts of the body, report Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center scientists.

17 Jun 2021

Researchers systematically analyze alternative splicing in the family of glutamate receptors

Alternative splicing can lead to the formation of numerous protein variants. For the first time, alternative splicing has now been systematically analysed for the family of glutamate receptors.

17 Jun 2021

Novel technique greatly increases the resolution of atomic force microscopy

Scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine have developed a computational technique that greatly increases the resolution of atomic force microscopy, a specialized type of microscope that "feels" the atoms at a surface.

17 Jun 2021

Study decodes the activation mechanism of immune cells

Chemokines are small proteins that adhere to these chemokine receptors and regulate the behavior and movement of white blood cells.

17 Jun 2021

Newly identified protein regulates the flow of materials in the Drosophila ovary

According to a research work performed by Northwestern Medicine and published in the Current Biology journal, a protein helps guide the flow of materials in the ovary of Drosophila fruit flies during the formation of egg cells.

17 Jun 2021

Study reveals the key role of motor proteins in mitotic spindle elongation

Proper chromosome segregation into two future daughter cells requires the mitotic spindle to elongate in anaphase. However, although some candidate proteins are implicated in this process, the molecular mechanism that drives spindle elongation in human cells has been unknown, until now!

16 Jun 2021

New method reveals high-resolution structure of biomolecules

A new study integrates molecular dynamics simulations and experimental data to inspect biomolecules in their natural environment.

16 Jun 2021

Single mutation leads to rare genetic muscle disease

The origin of rare, severe muscle disease has been uncovered by an international team of researchers headed by the University of Bonn (Germany).

16 Jun 2021

Study reveals molecular factors that allow birds to fly

For many years, researchers, adventure-seekers, and aeronautical designers have attempted to simulate the characteristics that enable birds to fly, particularly balance and wing structure.

15 Jun 2021

Study finds a link between progression of Alzheimer’s disease and corpuscles in cell nuclei

Studies conducted on patients’ tissue as well as mini-brains created from stem cells have provided a better insight into Alzheimer’s disease.

15 Jun 2021

Misfolded tau proteins cause progressive degeneration in Alzheimer's disease

According to a study performed by researchers from the Van Andel Institute and the University of Pennsylvania, misfolded proteins that impair neurons in Alzheimer’s disease travel the “roads” of the brain, similar to a supply truck crossing the countryside.

11 Jun 2021

Study sheds new light on the early stages of viral evolution

Scientists from the Universities of York and Leeds, in association with Hilvert Laboratory at the ETH Zurich, have investigated the evolution, structure, and assembly of virus-like particles. According to the researchers, this breakthrough discovery will impact the way viruses are treated in the future.

11 Jun 2021

Living cells can produce semi-interpenetrating polymer networks

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have demonstrated that a class of interwoven composite materials called semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (sIPNs) can be produced by living cells. The approach could make these versatile materials more biologically compatible for biomedical applications such as time-delayed drug delivery systems.

11 Jun 2021