Molecular & Structural Biology

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Brain scans link signs of cellular aging to symptoms of Alzheimer’s

According to a new study led by Anya Topiwala of Oxford Population Health, a division of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, and published on March 22nd, 2023 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, changes in the brain caused by Alzheimer’s disease are connected to telomeres shortening, the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that shorten as cells age.

23 Mar 2023

RHOJ acts as a key regulator of EMT-associated resistance to chemotherapy

In spite of the ongoing development of new targeted therapies, chemotherapies remain the most popular used treatment for patients with advanced cancers. Chemotherapy resistance is one of the leading causes of cancer treatment failure and death.

23 Mar 2023

Revealing how hematopoietic stem cells acquire malignant traits in cancer

Scientists from Lund University’s Faculty of Medicine have discovered a novel mechanism connecting ribonucleic acid (RNA) metabolism to the development of leukemia in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

23 Mar 2023

Study identifies 238 amyloid toxicity protective or activator genes

An international study led by the Molecular Physiology Laboratory at the UPF Department of Medicine and Life Sciences (MELIS) identifies new genes that modulate the toxicity of the protein β-amyloid, responsible for causing Alzheimer's disease.

22 Mar 2023

Novel low oxygen signaling pathway discovered in the Arabidopsis plant

Aerobic reactions are essential to sustain plant growth and development. Impaired oxygen availability due to excessive water availability, e.g., during waterlogging or flooding, reduces plant productivity and survival.

22 Mar 2023

Researchers discover a new intracellular "smoke detector"

Researchers at the Universities of Bonn and Singapore have discovered a new intracellular "smoke detector." The sensor warns of damage to the mitochondria - the microscopic power plants that supply the cell with energy.

22 Mar 2023

Scientists devise a tiny, nano-sized sensor capable of detecting protein biomarkers

While a popular hobby for many, fishing is also a pastime full of uncertainty. Each time you have something on the line, you can never be completely sure what type of fish you've hooked until you pull it out of the water.

21 Mar 2023

DNA drugs help restore the normal processing of protein-encoding RNA

A protein named TDP-43 has been lost from its normal location in the nucleus of the cell in virtually all persons having amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and in up to half of all cases of frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

From UC San Diego 20 Mar 2023

Perspectives on nucleolar DNA damage response in the fight against cancer

Cancer, which affects so many people each year, relies on proteins to proliferate throughout the body. Scientists are damaging the disease’s protein factories as part of a new tactic to combat the widespread disease.

20 Mar 2023

The protein synthesis mechanism in the Giardia parasite

Cryo-electron microscopy was employed by Uppsala University researchers to reveal information on the protein synthesis mechanism in the parasite Giardia intestinalis, which causes diarrhea. The new findings could help in the development of specific medicines to combat Giardia and other protozoan parasites.

20 Mar 2023

Researchers uncover the role of third intracellular loop in GPCR's signaling mechanism

More than a third of FDA-approved drugs work by targeting a G protein-coupled receptor, or GPCR. The human body has more than 800 types of GPCRs that provide cells with information about the external environment to calibrate responses.

20 Mar 2023

Decreased viral infection severity in females linked to extra copy of epigenetic regulator

It has long been known that viral infections can be more severe in males than females, but the question as to why has remained a mystery – until possibly now.

20 Mar 2023

Delaying paralysis in ALS by using designer DNA drug

In virtually all persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and in up to half of all cases of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia, a protein called TDP-43 is lost from its normal location in the nucleus of the cell.

20 Mar 2023

Spatial Computing theory could explain the brain's flexible working memory

Brain applies rhythms to physical patches of the cortex to selectively control just the right neurons at the right times to do the right things.

16 Mar 2023

Unique region of the brain's cortex used when visually navigating an area by foot

Using vision to efficiently move through an area by foot uses a unique region of the brain's cortex, according to a small study funded by the National Eye Institute.

16 Mar 2023

Using PET and electron microscopy to generate 3D maps of mitochondrial networks in lung tumors

Scientists have long known that mitochondria, the "powerhouses" of cells, play a crucial role in the metabolism and energy production of cancer cells.

16 Mar 2023

Influence of molecular component of caffeine on gut health

Certain microbes are considered to play a role in the development of inflammatory disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

16 Mar 2023

High doses of sucralose limit T cell proliferation and differentiation

Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute have found that high consumption of a common artificial sweetener, sucralose, lowers activation of T-cells, an important component of the immune system, in mice.

16 Mar 2023

First molecular images of olfaction sets the stage to create novel smells

Breaking a longstanding impasse in our understanding of olfaction, scientists at UC San Francisco (UCSF) have created the first molecular-level, 3D picture of how an odor molecule activates a human odorant receptor, a crucial step in deciphering the sense of smell.

16 Mar 2023