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New strategy can help treat diabetes and other diseases

Transplanted islet cells that release insulin during very low blood sugar levels offer a potential way for treating diabetes.

From Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 31 Mar 2020

Gene deletion from insulin-producing cells prevents type 1 diabetes in mice

According to a new study performed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, deleting a gene from insulin-producing cells prevents the development of Type 1 diabetes in mice, by sparing the cells from being attacked by their own immune system.

27 Mar 2020

Researchers engineer skin cells into brain cells for effective regenerative therapies

Precise activation of selfish genetic elements called LINE-1 (L1) retrotransposons is essential to develop functional brain cells in a lab dish.

27 Mar 2020

Study finds large gaps in the scientific knowledge of cannabis genome

In an international study published recently, researchers from the University of Saskatchewan report that combined scientific effort would be needed to assemble and map the genome of cannabis to unravel its full potential for human health and agriculture.

26 Mar 2020

How do stem cells promote neuronal growth in tissue regeneration?

Stem cells are capable of producing a wide range of particular tissues and are used more and more in clinical applications—for example, these cells are used for replacing a cartilage or bone.

24 Mar 2020

Study discovers the mode of action of daptomycin, the reserve antibiotic

The reserve antibiotic daptomycin is one of the last means to fight against harmful bacteria. It is specifically used when traditional drugs fail due to bacteria that are resistant.

23 Mar 2020

New method for mapping the structures of heparan sulfate sugars

Heparin, the blood-thinning drug, is used worldwide. However, to date, mapping of the fundamental sugar structures of heparin and the wider class of heparan sulfate sugars in cells has not been accomplished.

23 Mar 2020

Bacteria’s ability to develop novel peptides for cancer treatment

At Texas A&M University, chemists have identified a new way to beat viruses at their own game—take a p[h]age from bacteria’s playbook and, in the process, develop new kinds of drugs to combat cancer and a range of other human diseases.

20 Mar 2020

Multi-tissue model shows how different tissues account for various inflammatory diseases

Biological engineers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a multi-tissue model that allows them to analyze the associations between the immune system and different organs, on a dedicated microfluidic platform embedded with human cells.

From Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 19 Mar 2020

Regulating ion flow using a ball-and-chain mechanism

Ion channels that permit potassium and sodium ions to move in and out of cells are essential for the function of the brain and heart, and also for neuronal “firing” in the central nervous system.

19 Mar 2020

A New Imaging Technique for Mapping Forces Exerted by Cell Clusters

AZoLifeSciences talks to Ian Wong about a new imaging technique that maps forces cell clusters exert on their surroundings.

From Brown University 19 Mar 2020

IL-2's flexible structure helping the immune system

Scientists have known that interleukin-2 (IL-2), a signaling molecule, strongly influences the immune system. However, attempts to leverage its potential for therapeutic purposes have went futile due to serious side effects.

From University of California Santa Cruz 18 Mar 2020

Study discovers structure of bacterial enzyme that breaks down amino acid found in collagen

Chemists from MIT and Harvard University have elucidated the structure of a strange bacterial enzyme with the ability to break down an amino acid found in collagen.

18 Mar 2020

Study demonstrates ability of blended electrospun mat to gradually release protein

Russian scientists from the Federal Research Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, and Lomonosov Moscow State University have shown that it is possible to combine two incompatible components—a protein and a polymer—in one electrospun fiber.

17 Mar 2020

Study finds impact of specific gene on neurodevelopment, causing ASD and macrocephaly

During the developmental phase of brains, a number of moving parts occur—and if mutations occur during the early neurodevelopment, it can result in disorders such as autism and macrocephaly.

12 Mar 2020

Copper-binding protein influences migration of breast cancer cells

At the Chalmers University of Technology, scientists have demonstrated that the Atox1 protein, which is highly concentrated in breast cancer cells, takes part in a process—the process through which cancer cells spread.

11 Mar 2020

Study explores the impact of solute carriers on the activity and potency of cytotoxic drugs

At the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, scientists have investigated how solute carriers (SLCs)—a large class of membrane transport proteins—affect the activity and potency of cytotoxic drugs, for example, those used to treat leukemia and other cancers.

10 Mar 2020