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.

Naked mole rats' unique DNA repair mechanism helps prevent cancers, dementia

Scientists say naked mole rats - a rodent native to West Africa - may hold the key to new treatments for degenerative diseases such as cancer and dementia.

11 Jun 2021

Scientists unravel the proteins that trigger some cancerous tumors

Even on a good day, DNA is constantly getting damaged. Nicks, scratches, breaks: the delicate strands that carry life's genetic code take a beating as they jumble about in the course of their work. If left untreated, errors accumulate, with fatal consequences -- such as cancerous tumors -- for the cell and the organism.

11 Jun 2021

New “phase separation” protects against premature aging, neurological disorders

According to a new study, a mechanism through which an RNA, called NORAD, drives the Pumilio protein to create liquid droplets in cells—similar to oil in water—appears to closely control the activity of this protein.

11 Jun 2021

ASU study reveals how diets high in saturated fats cause colon cancer

For decades, physicians and dieticians have urged people to limit their intake of high fat foods, citing links to poor health outcomes and some of the leading causes of death in the U.S., such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

10 Jun 2021

Commonly used antidepressant drugs can also help the immune system to attack cancer

A class of drug called monoamine oxidase inhibitors is commonly prescribed to treat depression; the medications work by boosting levels of serotonin, the brain's "happiness hormone."

10 Jun 2021

NIH grant awarded to model and analyze protein-ligand interactions in cancer research

Computer scientist Lydia Kavraki of Rice University's Brown School of Engineering has won a prestigious National Institutes of Health U01 grant to develop a new approach to model and analyze protein-ligand interactions in cancer research.

8 Jun 2021

Single biomarker in the blood can accurately indicate underlying neurodegeneration

Levels of a protein called neurofilament light chain (NfL) in the blood can identify those who might have neurodegenerative diseases such as Down's syndrome dementia, motor neuron disease (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia, when clinical symptoms are not definitive.

8 Jun 2021

Food scientists aim to create healthier and tastier plant-based proteins

As meat consumption grows throughout the world, food scientists are working to develop better-tasting, more sustainable, and healthier plant-based protein products that replicate cheese, fish, eggs, milk, and meat.

8 Jun 2021

New insights on how synovial sarcoma develops and spreads

A new study published today in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, reports findings that may change the understanding of how synovial sarcoma develops and spreads.

7 Jun 2021

Scientists discover two drugs that provide effective SARS-CoV-2 suppression

COVID-19 continues to claim lives across the world and is infecting millions more. Although several vaccines have recently become available, making significant strides towards preventing COVID-19, what about the treatment of those who already have the infection?

From Tokyo University of Science 4 Jun 2021

Study offers an ultra-detailed look into the organization of a living human cell

Sinai Health researchers published a study that offers an ultra-detailed look into the arrangement of a living human cell.

4 Jun 2021

Study describes the impact of DNA methylation on the 3D structure of genome

Although all cells in an organism share the same DNA sequence, their shapes, roles, and even lifespans differ drastically.

4 Jun 2021

Novel protein could improve treatment outcomes after heart attacks

New research, headed by scientists from Washington State University, has revealed a protein that could be crucial for enhancing treatments after a heart attack.

4 Jun 2021

Newly identified protein helps tumors evade the immune system

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have identified a protein that helps tumors evade the immune system and, in certain types of cancers, is linked to a poorer chance of survival. The protein could become a target for future cancer treatments.

3 Jun 2021

Study provides new insights into the structure of the Ras protein

Researchers from Bochum and Osnabrück have gained new insights into the structure of the Ras protein, which acts as a molecular switch for cell growth and is involved in the development of cancer.

3 Jun 2021

Study shows that declining fish biodiversity can affect human nutrition

All fish are not created equal, at least when it comes to nutritional benefits. This truth has important implications for how declining fish biodiversity can affect human nutrition, according to a computer modeling study led by Cornell and Columbia University researchers.

3 Jun 2021

Scientists discover the central role of LRRC8A gene in cellular ability to survive osmotic shock

Cells have to constantly adapt to their surroundings in order to survive. A sudden increase in the environmental levels of an osmolyte, such as salt, causes cells to lose water and shrink. In a matter of seconds, they activate a mechanism that allows them to recover their initial water volume and avoid dying.

2 Jun 2021