Protein News and Research

RSS

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.

Cryo-EM Imaging Unveils Similar Protein Structures in Alzheimer's and Down Syndrome

More than 90% of people with Down syndrome, the most common chromosomal disorder in humans and the most frequent genetic cause of intellectual disability, are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease by ages 55-60.

30 Mar 2024

Tight Junctions Crucial for Cells to Resist Mechanical Stress

Our body consists of ~30 trillion cells. These cells need to tightly attach to each other to maintain the integrity of our body.

29 Mar 2024

Scientists Pioneer mRNA Approach to Target Alzheimer's Protein

Scientists at The Florey have developed an mRNA technology approach to target the toxic protein tau, which builds up in patients with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

29 Mar 2024

Penn Researchers Develop Breakthrough Technique for Creating Human Artificial Chromosomes

Human artificial chromosomes (HACs) capable of working within human cells could power advanced gene therapies, including those addressing some cancers, along with many laboratory applications, though serious technical obstacles have hindered their development.

28 Mar 2024

Autofluorescence Reveals Clues to Stem Cell Dormancy

With the help of a tool created at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, researchers can better study the various states of stem cells in the nervous system by utilizing the light naturally emitted by biological specimens.

28 Mar 2024

AI Predicts Multiple Protein Shapes, Boosting Drug Development

By understanding protein dynamics and functions, a group of academics at Brown University have devised a method for quickly predicting various protein configurations using machine learning.

28 Mar 2024

New Theory Links Gene Length to Cellular Decline

A gene’s length may have more to do with aging than particular “aging genes.” Reduced expression of long genes may be the cause of many aging-related changes, according to researchers writing an opinion piece that was published in the journal Trends in Genetics on March 21st, 2023.

25 Mar 2024

Unraveling the Mysteries of Brown Algae's Sex Chromosomes

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen made a groundbreaking discovery, revealing that an HMG-box gene in brown algae plays a crucial role in determining male sex.

25 Mar 2024

New Study Unveils Mechanism Behind Mice Ovary Development

Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute have provided insight into the proteins governing the development of mice's ovaries both prenatally and postnatally. This might help comprehend the progression of female infertility.

25 Mar 2024

New Study Sheds Light on Blood-Brain Barrier Dysfunction in Aging

The central nervous system requires a tightly controlled environment for the neurons in the brain to function properly and be able to process information. The blood-brain barrier, which is maintained by specific brain endothelial cells lining blood vessel inner walls, controls the exchange of chemicals between the neurological and circulatory systems.

25 Mar 2024

Nature-Inspired Approach Accelerates Folding of Cysteine-Rich Peptides for Drug Discovery

Certain types of peptides and microproteins for drug discovery research can be made more efficiently and quickly using a reaction solvent that helps mimic nature's way.

25 Mar 2024

Multi-Tailed Strucrure Expands the Horizons of mRNA Therapeutics

Messenger RNA (mRNA) made its big leap into the public limelight during the pandemic, thanks to its cornerstone role in several COVID-19 vaccines

25 Mar 2024

U of T Researchers Develop Groundbreaking Platform for Protein-Based Disease Treatment

Researchers at the University of Toronto and Sinai Health have created a new platform to identify proteins that can be co-opted to control the stability of other proteins -; a new but largely unrealized approach to the treatment of disease.

25 Mar 2024

Unraveling the Role of Gene Length in Aging

Aging may be less about specific "aging genes" and more about how long a gene is. Many of the changes associated with aging could be occurring due to decreased expression of long genes, say researchers in an opinion piece publishing March 21 in the journal Trends in Genetics.

22 Mar 2024

$1.65 Million Grant Awarded for Advancing Therapeutic RNA Design

A team led by Dr. Samie Jaffrey, the Greenberg-Starr Professor of Pharmacology at Weill Cornell Medicine, has been awarded a three-year, $1.65 million grant for RNA research under a biotechnology-development program run by the U.S. National Science Foundation.

22 Mar 2024

Insulin Influences Mitochondrial Recycling in Neurons

The hormone insulin controls many cellular processes and adapts them to the body's current energy supply.

20 Mar 2024

Drug Candidates Show Promise to Reverse HIV's Ability to Escape Immune System Detection

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists have identified drug candidates that show promise to reverse the ability of HIV to escape detection by the immune system.

20 Mar 2024

Novel Imaging Technique Unveils Structural Details of Drug-Resistant Cancer Protein

Researchers have shown for the first time that a crucial interface in a protein that drives cancer growth could act as a target for more effective treatments.

20 Mar 2024

The Assemblage of Nuclear Sub-Structures

Researchers from the lab of Rohit Pappu and associates at the Center for Biomolecular Condensates have figured out how nucleolar sub-structures are assembled, a first for the condensate field.

19 Mar 2024

New Biomarker Offers Early Detection of ALS and FTD

Two progressively degenerative diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD, recently in the news with the diagnoses of actor Bruce Willis and talk show host Wendy Williams), are linked by more than the fact that they both damage nerve cells critical to normal functioning -; the former affecting nerves in the brain and spinal cord leading to loss of movement, the latter eroding the brain regions controlling personality, behavior and language.

19 Mar 2024