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.

Hyperactive RANK protein could trigger autoimmune diseases

Autoimmune diseases, in which the body's own immune system attacks healthy tissue, can be life-threatening and can impact all organs.

3 Feb 2021

Researchers study the formation of reinforced, patterned cell walls during proto-xylem development

Trees are by far the tallest organisms on Earth. Height growth is made possible by a specialized vascular system that conducts water from the roots to the leaves with high efficiency, while simultaneously providing stability.

3 Feb 2021

Breast cancer-on-a-chip for rapid screening of immunotherapeutic drugs

There are many mechanisms by which the body responds to foreign invaders. One of these involves the T-cells of the immune system, which have a number of different proteins on their surface called "checkpoint proteins."

3 Feb 2021

Genome architectural changes linked to B cell-related blood cancers

Flaws in the way chromosomes are packed into antibody-producing B-cells seem to play a key role in the development of B-cell-related blood cancers.

2 Feb 2021

Noncoding RNA plays key role in sepsis, regulates inflammatory gene expression

Sepsis can result when the body’s immune response to a specific infection gets out of control.

From University of California Santa Cruz 2 Feb 2021

Severe genetic immunodeficiency reversed by a rare DNA change

Researchers have revealed how a rare DNA change rebalanced the immune system of patients with a life-threatening genetic immunodeficiency.

2 Feb 2021

Study describes dynamic link between protein folding and misfolding

Correct, or native, protein folding is essential for correct protein function. Protein misfolding can lead to the formation of amyloid fibrils, and amyloidosis, which is implicated in various human neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Huntington's diseases.

From Osaka University 2 Feb 2021

Study discovers new anti-inflammatory role for well-known blood clot protein

Flinders University researchers have discovered a new anti-inflammatory role for well-known blood clot protein fibrinogen, which could support targeted new treatments for kidney, heart and other common diseases.

2 Feb 2021

Study reveals NLRP1 protein that serves as a sensor for invasive pathogens

Researchers are paving the way to a more in-depth understanding of the race between pathogens and the host organisms they search to infect.

29 Jan 2021

Scientists discover the origin of rare genetic syndrome

Improvements in DNA sequencing have revealed a rare syndrome triggered by changes in the SATB1gene.

29 Jan 2021

Researchers identify key molecule involved in immune regulation

The majority of the molecules in human bodies support the immune system to keep individuals healthy but they do so without reacting excessively, as this may otherwise drive the immune cells to cause problems, like autoimmune disorders.

29 Jan 2021

Ocean acidification could be affecting lobsters on a molecular scale

The American lobster, which supports the most valuable fishery in North America, maybe more susceptible to the effects of climate change than previously thought, according to a new study published in Ecology and Evolution.

29 Jan 2021

3D genome study reveals molecular regulatory mechanisms of human brain evolution

A team led by Prof. SU Bing from the Kunming Institute of Zoology (KIZ) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Prof. LI Cheng from Peking University, and Prof. ZHANG Shihua from the Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science of CAS has reported the highest resolution by far of the 3D genome of the primate brain, and demonstrated the molecular regulatory mechanisms of human brain evolution through cross-species multi-omics analysis and experimental validation. The study was published in Cell.

29 Jan 2021

Trade restrictions by a few countries could create global food price spikes

Recent events such as the Covid-19 pandemic, locust infestations, drought and labour shortages have disrupted food supply chains, endangering food security in the process.

29 Jan 2021

Research shows how breast cancer cells evade immune attacks

Scientists from Indiana University have discovered how breast cancer cells evade immune cells to survive.

28 Jan 2021

Study shows how stem cell niche maintain their self-renewal capacity

A typical trait of all stem cells is their potential to renew on their own; however, scientists are unsure about how this ability is sustaining throughout life.

28 Jan 2021

LEAFY protein licenses cell reprogramming to floral fate

Cells don't express all the genes they contain all the time. The portion of our genome that encodes eye color, for example, doesn't need to be turned on in liver cells. In plants, genes encoding the structure of a flower can be turned off in cells that will form a leaf.

28 Jan 2021