Molecular & Structural Biology

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Biologists identify a molecular mechanism that underlies phenotypic plasticity

Evolutionary and developmental biologist Craig Albertson and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Amherst report that they have identified a molecular mechanism that allows an organism to change the way it looks depending on the environment it is exposed to, a process known as phenotypic plasticity.

29 Jul 2020

Study sheds new light on core regulatory networks that govern cell types in vertebrates

The FANTOM Consortium has shed new light into the main regulatory networks that govern the types of cells found in different vertebrate species.

29 Jul 2020

Study pinpoints the miRNA that promotes hair follicle growth

A research team from North Carolina State University has discovered a microRNA, or miRNA, that could make hairs to grow again.

29 Jul 2020

Testing COVID-19 with FDA-approved drugs can improve outcomes for affected patients

A protein found in viruses that are responsible for causing SARS and COVID-19 infections is virtually identical.

29 Jul 2020

A novel approach to identify cancer targets using 'synthetic lethality'

With advances in genome sequencing, cancer treatments have increasingly sought to leverage the idea of "synthetic lethality," exploiting cancer-specific genetic defects to identify targets that are uniquely essential to the survival of cancer cells.

28 Jul 2020

Virginia Tech scientists reveal molecular cause underlying rare genetic disorder

Virginia Tech scientists have revealed how a nonfunctioning version of an ordinary gene impairs brain structure and function. The findings help explain a genetic form of microcephaly -- a condition where babies' heads are small and grow more slowly than their peers.

28 Jul 2020

EBV viral genome modifies the host epigenetic landscape to promote gastric cancer

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), one of the most common human viruses, is associated with about 8-10 per cent of stomach -- or gastric -- cancers, the third leading cause of cancer death globally.

28 Jul 2020

Study validates new pharmacological target for Alzheimer’s disease

A UB study published in the journal Neurotherapeutics has validated a new pharmacological target for Alzheimer's disease.

28 Jul 2020

Artificial intelligence-based process can help design novel proteins

Proteins are known to perform complex tasks and catalyze chemical reactions, making them crucial for cell survival.

27 Jul 2020

Study shows genetic mutations allow MRSA to develop antibiotic resistance

Researchers have discovered that genetic mutations that occur in MRSA enable it to evolve and turn out to be more resistant to antibiotics like penicillin.

27 Jul 2020

Research identifies how the gut communicates with spinal cord and brain

You're faced with a big decision so your second brain provides what's normally referred to as 'gut instinct', but how did this sensation reach you before it was too late?

27 Jul 2020

Heparin blocks SARS-CoV-2 infection in cell studies

In a test of antiviral effectiveness against the virus that causes COVID-19, an extract from edible seaweeds substantially outperformed remdesivir, the current standard antiviral used to combat the disease.

27 Jul 2020

New study shows how T cells function in atherosclerosis

High cholesterol kills. In fact, one in four Americans will die from the consequences of atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaques of fat and cholesterol in the arteries. Statins have helped reduce mortality, but millions are still at risk.

27 Jul 2020

Higher levels of specific protein linked with severity of COVID-19 symptoms

A new study found raised levels of transforming growth factor beta-induced protein (TGFBIp) in blood sampled from roughly 100 people hospitalized for COVID-19, and further found that elevated levels of both the normal and acetylated forms of TGFBIp correlated with the severity of disease symptoms in these patients.

27 Jul 2020

Clinical trial shows CAR-T cell therapy can be used for treating Hodgkin lymphoma

CAR-T cell therapy, which attacks cancer cells using a person's reprogrammed immune cells, has been used to treat Hodgkin lymphoma with remarkable success for the first time, according to the results of an early phase clinical trial led by researchers at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

24 Jul 2020

Study shows KBTBD2 gene plays a key role in regulating insulin sensitivity

Deleting a key gene in mice in just their fat made tissues throughout these animals insulin resistant, in addition to other effects, a new study by UT Southwestern researchers shows.

24 Jul 2020

New approach is more effective in treating certain blood cancers

Some of the most promising advances in cancer treatment have centered on immunotherapies that rev up a patient's immune system to attack cancer.

24 Jul 2020

Less invasive imaging system can improve cancer diagnosis

Cancer diagnosis requires a lengthy process of multiple analyses of tissue biopsies, impeding the quick and early detection of cancers.

From Osaka University 24 Jul 2020

Visual working memory exhibits hierarchical encoding of images

Researchers from HSE University and the University of California San Diego, Igor Utochkin and Timothy Brady, have found new evidence of hierarchical encoding of images in visual working memory.

23 Jul 2020

Researchers identify the role of calcium channel subunits in synapse development

The ability of the human brain to process and store information is determined to a large extent by the connectivity between nerve cells. Chemical synapses are very important in this context as they constitute the interface for the transmission of information between individual nerve cells.

23 Jul 2020