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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.

Study Reveals How Trypanosomes Fine-Tune Protein Production Through Destruction

To survive in the human bloodstream, the African trypanosome parasite wears a "cloak" made of proteins known as a variant surface glycoprotein (VSG). The study, published in Nature Microbiology, identifies the protein that allows the parasite to fine-tune this "cloak".

31 Mar 2026

Study Links ER Stress From Fat Buildup to Senescence

When cells experience enough chronic stress, they can stop dividing permanently. In this state of cellular limbo, known as replicative senescence, cells remain alive but no longer proliferate.

31 Mar 2026

Novel Immunotherapy Disrupts the Protective Tumor Microenvironment Ecosystem

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy - CAR T for short - has been a major advance in treating blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. But the immunotherapy has struggled against solid tumors for two main reasons: tumor cells often don't share one consistent surface target, and many solid tumors are protected by a dense network of scar tissue and immune-suppressive cells that blocks T cells.

31 Mar 2026

Sweat Peptide Dermcidin Prevents Flu Virus Entry Into Cells

A research team led by the Fisabio Foundation has demonstrated that dermcidin, an antimicrobial peptide produced constitutively by the human body, also exhibits antiviral activity against the influenza virus. The study also shows that people who do not develop flu-like symptoms have higher baseline levels of this molecule, which could be associated with lower susceptibility to infection.

31 Mar 2026

Study Highlights the Vast Untapped Potential Within the Global Protein Universe

The number of known proteins is infinitely small in comparison to the universe of possible proteins which could in theory be realized. Yet these known proteins are the only major training ground for future protein design. Understanding how representative these proteins are of the overall potential diversity can therefore help inform strategies for a wide range of applications, including therapeutic, biocatalysis, or biomaterials development.

31 Mar 2026

New Computational Tools Improve Gene Function Determination Within Fungal Organisms

While RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has become a standard tool for profiling which genes are active in an organism, determining the actual biological functions of those genes in fungi remains a significant technical challenge. Most existing software tools are designed to cover a broad range of species, often lacking the specificity required for the unique genetic landscape of fungi.

31 Mar 2026

Identifying the Cellular Origin of MS-Related Neuroinflammation

Signals from the gut have been linked to autoimmune inflammation, but fundamental cellular processes remain poorly understood.

30 Mar 2026

Fusion Protein Rewires Brain Development to Trigger Pediatric Cancer

A team of researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital and collaborating institutions reveal in the journal Nature a novel mechanism that drives the development of pediatric supratentorial ependymoma (EPN), the third most common pediatric brain tumor.

28 Mar 2026

Study Reveals How STING Protein Migrates to Trigger Immune Responses

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified how the quintessential immune protein known as stimulator of interferon genes (STING) migrates from one cellular organelle to another, a necessary step in its activation.

27 Mar 2026

Microtubules Act as Active Regulators of Key Cellular Enzymatic Reactions

Microtubules, the dynamic filaments that form the cell's internal scaffolding, have long been viewed as mere passive structural supports. But a new study reveals they play a far more active signaling role.

27 Mar 2026

Newly Discovered CRISPR System Activates Genes Without Cutting DNA

In back-to-back studies published in Nature, researchers from Purdue University and Columbia University report a naturally evolved gene-editing system that can activate genes, offering an advantage over existing CRISPR gene-editing systems that merely find and cut DNA.

26 Mar 2026

SLIT3 Protein Drives Brown Fat Activation Through Dual Signaling

Researchers have determined how a key protein activates brown fat by expanding blood vessels and nerves in the heat-generating tissue.

26 Mar 2026

Study Reveals Molecular Basis of Reduced Cold Sensitivity in Salamanders

The ability to sense environmental temperature, which helps animals move away from sub-optimal locations and find those with ideal temperatures, involves various channels on sensory neurons that open at specific temperature ranges.

26 Mar 2026

Reversing Memory Loss in Aging Mice by Targeting Gut Bacteria

The study uncovers how gut bacteria like Parabacteroides goldsteinii contribute to memory decline, offering insights for potential cognitive interventions.

26 Mar 2026

Synthetic Plasmid Design Enables Precise Control of DNA Replication

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," goes the old adage, which Rice University professor James Chappell completely ignored in a recent Nature Communications publication.

26 Mar 2026

NAC Complex Triggers Protein Folding at Earliest Stage of Synthesis

In the earliest phase of creating human proteins, the protein complex NAC performs an essential task by starting the first steps towards folding proteins into their correct three-dimensional structures.

24 Mar 2026

New PanNDA Atlas Maps Protein Networks in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases form a tangled biological web with overlapping molecular signatures and symptoms. To decode this complexity, a multi-institute collaboration led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists developed the pan-neurodegeneration atlas (PanNDA).

24 Mar 2026

SHP Protein Slows Cartilage Degeneration in Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, a condition that causes pain and reduced mobility in joints such as the knees and fingers, is one of the most common joint disorders worldwide, particularly among aging populations.

24 Mar 2026

New Mechanism Links Mitochondria Dysfunction to T Cell Exhaustion

The immune system's killer T cells do a commendable job of detecting and destroying cancer cells. But the harsh environment at the heart of tumors often saps them of their vitality, pushing them into a state of permanent lassitude called "terminal exhaustion."

23 Mar 2026