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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.

Animals Adapt Rapidly Through Protein Networks, Not Genes

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have discovered a key molecular mechanism that allows animals to adapt to changing environmental conditions without altering their genes – an ability known as phenotypic plasticity.

15 May 2026

Novel RNA Analysis Method Supports Antiviral Drug Discovery

Researchers from A*STAR Genome Institute of Singapore (A*STAR GIS) have developed a new method, called 'sm-PORE-cupine', to study individual RNA molecules and reveal how their structures influence gene regulation, a fundamental process that affects how cells function in health and disease.

15 May 2026

Scientists Discover How DNA Damage Modulates the Tumor Microenvironment for Therapy

Researchers have identified a pathway that triggers an immune response in cells with defective DNA repair.

14 May 2026

Restricted Interaction Peptides Change Shape to Lock Therapy Inside Solid Tumors

Medications are designed to treat diseased tissues while sparing healthy ones, often by attaching the drug to something that helps guide it directly to its target.

14 May 2026

A Possible Brain Fluid Recycling System In Humans

A study shows cerebrospinal fluid circulates in the brain, enhancing waste clearance and offering insights into aging and neurodegenerative disease mechanisms.

14 May 2026

Inherited Genetic Pathways Shape Individual Cancer Risk and Outcomes

Why do two people with the same cancer diagnosis-the same stage, the same cell type, and the same clinical profile-often have completely different outcomes? For decades, scientists have studied acquired mutations in cancer to find answers, but mutations alone explain only part of the story.

12 May 2026

DNA Study Reveals the Personal Pathways Behind Different Tumors

Why do two individuals with the identical cancer diagnosis—the same cell type, the same stage, and the same clinical profile—often experience very different outcomes? Scientists have been researching acquired mutations in cancer for decades in an effort to uncover solutions, but mutations by themselves only account for a part of the problem.

11 May 2026

New CRISPR System Destroys Diseased Cells With High Precision

A new kind of CRISPR that destroys cells rather than gene editing them has shown potential for killing sick cells while leaving healthy cells untouched.

8 May 2026

Why Women Face a Much Higher Risk of Autoimmune Disease

A recent study has identified biological abnormalities that make the female immune system more likely to mistakenly attack the body's own healthy tissues, providing insight into why women are significantly more likely than men to experience autoimmune diseases.

8 May 2026

Cell Swelling Found to Trigger Inflammatory Immune Responses

As part of the body's first line of defense against foreign invaders, macrophages play an integral role in the innate immune system.

8 May 2026

Scientists Discover Viral Strategy That Disables Bacterial CRISPR Immunity

Bacteria fend off invading viruses with molecular scissors that slice up viral DNA - a system called CRISPR that's become indispensable to gene editing.

8 May 2026

UNC Professor Receives Grant to Investigate Origins of the Genetic Code

Over the course of natural history, animals and plants have evolved to adapt to an ever-changing environment and increase the chances of survival. So, too, has our own DNA.

7 May 2026

Tardigrade Proteins Allow Synthetic Cells to Survive Extreme Dehydration

A protein found only in microscopic tardigrades, one that allows them to survive extreme conditions like dehydration, can convey similar durability in synthetic cells, according to new research from University of Michigan Engineering and the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering.

7 May 2026

Discovery Shows How Plants Prevent Excess Immune Responses

Salicylic acid, the active molecule in aspirin and some acne medications, is a hormone in plants that is essential for immunity, but it's a double-edged sword: Too much can cause autoimmunity and stunt growth.

5 May 2026

Metabolic Pathway Loss Makes Cancer Cells Vulnerable to PARP Drugs

Loss of an enzyme necessary for a process called lipoylation disrupts the way cancer cells copy their DNA, increasing their vulnerability to a class of anticancer drugs known as PARP inhibitors, a study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers shows.

5 May 2026