Cell Membrane News and Research

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Twist‐and‐squeeze mechanism of transporter protein confers cancer drug resistance

In 1986, cellular biochemist Kazumitsu Ueda, currently at Kyoto University's Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences, discovered that a protein called ABCB1 could transport multiple chemotherapeutics out of some cancer cells, making them resistant to treatment. How it did this has remained a mystery for the past 35 years.

29 Dec 2020

HKU researchers develop new drug discovery strategy targeting membrane proteins on live cells

A research team led by Dr Xiaoyu LI from the Research Division for Chemistry, Faculty of Science, in collaboration with Professor Yizhou LI from School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University and Professor Yan CAO from School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University in Shanghai has developed a new drug discovery method targeting membrane proteins on live cells.

29 Dec 2020

Scientists discover new class of compounds for combating antimicrobial resistance

Wistar Institute scientists have discovered a new class of compounds that uniquely combine direct antibiotic killing of pan drug-resistant bacterial pathogens with a simultaneous rapid immune response for combatting antimicrobial resistance (AMR). These finding were published today in Nature.

24 Dec 2020

Transporter protein likely played a crucial role in vertebrate evolution

A transporter protein that regulates cell membrane cholesterol likely played an important role in vertebrate evolution, according to a review published by iCeMS researchers in the journal FEBS Letters.

24 Dec 2020

New computational tool can segment and analyze cell images of C. elegans

A joint research team co-led by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has developed a novel computational tool that can reconstruct and visualise three-dimensional (3D) shapes and temporal changes of cells, speeding up the analysing process from hundreds of hours by hand to a few hours by the computer.

23 Dec 2020

Scientists use honey bee peptide to design RBC carriers that deliver therapeutic proteins

Most often, protein therapies are more selective and potent toward their biochemical targets when compared to other types of medicines, specifically small molecules.

10 Dec 2020

Specific immune mechanism in COVID-19 patients triggers inflammatory process

Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil have demonstrated for the first time that in COVID-19 patients an immune mechanism known as the inflammasome participates in activation of the inflammatory process that can damage several organs and even lead to death.

3 Dec 2020

Biologists unravel how tissue geometry influences cell migration

Cells move constantly throughout our bodies, performing myriad operations critical to tissue development, immune responses, and general wellbeing. This bustle is guided by chemical cues long studied by scientists interested in cellular migration.

23 Nov 2020

Researchers investigate solutions to make cell membranes resistant to coronavirus entry

The cell membrane is the cell's outermost line of defense against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 disease.

23 Nov 2020

Chemists identify effective inhibitors to block the uptake of SARS-CoV-2

The cell membrane is impermeable to viruses: to get inside and infect a cell, they use a range of strategies to exploit the cellular and biochemical properties of the membranes.

23 Nov 2020

Scientists elucidate the structure of ABC transporter protein

A high concentration of salt or sugar in the environment will dehydrate microorganisms and stop them from growing.

19 Nov 2020

MIT chemists determine molecular structure of SARS-CoV-2 protein

MIT chemists have determined the molecular structure of a protein found in the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This protein, called the envelope protein E, forms a cation-selective channel and plays a key role in the virus's ability to replicate itself and stimulate the host cell's inflammation response.

From Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 16 Nov 2020

Researchers develop new method to produce artificial organelles in living yeast cells

Cells of higher organisms use cell organelles to separate metabolic processes from each other. This is how cell respiration takes place in the mitochondria, the cell’s power plants.

16 Nov 2020

Light-activated liposomes could help deliver CRISPR gene therapy

Light-activated liposomes could help to deliver CRISPR gene therapy - and the method could prove safer and more direct than current methods.

From The University of New South Wales (UNSW) 16 Nov 2020

Glass surface embedded with self-assembled gold nanoparticles can improve live-cell imaging

In the quest to image exceedingly small structures and phenomenon with higher precision, scientists have been pushing the limits of optical microscope resolution, but these advances often come with increased complication and cost.

9 Nov 2020

Researcher creates “leaf profile” of components involved in CO2 journey

During the process of photosynthesis, leaves trap the atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and convert it into organic compounds.

4 Nov 2020

Researchers identify new potential therapeutic targets for SARS-CoV-2 infection

To identify new potential therapeutic targets for SARS-CoV-2, a team of scientists at the New York Genome Center, New York University, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, performed a genome-scale, loss-of-function CRISPR screen to systematically knockout all genes in the human genome.

27 Oct 2020

Scientists use molecular dynamics simulations to reveal the secrets of SARS-CoV-2 virus

The virus wreaking havoc on our lives is an efficient infection machine. Comprised of only 29 proteins (compared to our 400,000), with a genome 1/200,000 the size of ours, SARS-CoV-2 is expertly evolved to trick our cells to contribute its machinery to assist in its propagation.

22 Oct 2020

New nanoparticles can destroy drug-resistant cancer cells

Multidrug resistance, or MDR, is a process in which tumors become impervious to numerous drugs and is a major cause of failure in cancer chemotherapy.

19 Oct 2020

Peptide therapy prevents overreaction of the immune system against infections

Individuals require enough action to remove offensive viruses or bacteria, but not so much that their body suffer a considerable damage.

From UC San Diego 15 Oct 2020

Cell Membrane News and Research

Twist‐and‐squeeze mechanism of transporter protein confers cancer drug resistance

HKU researchers develop new drug discovery strategy targeting membrane proteins on live cells

Scientists discover new class of compounds for combating antimicrobial resistance

Transporter protein likely played a crucial role in vertebrate evolution

New computational tool can segment and analyze cell images of C. elegans

Scientists use honey bee peptide to design RBC carriers that deliver therapeutic proteins

Specific immune mechanism in COVID-19 patients triggers inflammatory process

Biologists unravel how tissue geometry influences cell migration

Researchers investigate solutions to make cell membranes resistant to coronavirus entry

Chemists identify effective inhibitors to block the uptake of SARS-CoV-2

Scientists elucidate the structure of ABC transporter protein

MIT chemists determine molecular structure of SARS-CoV-2 protein

Researchers develop new method to produce artificial organelles in living yeast cells

Light-activated liposomes could help deliver CRISPR gene therapy

Glass surface embedded with self-assembled gold nanoparticles can improve live-cell imaging

Researcher creates “leaf profile” of components involved in CO2 journey

Researchers identify new potential therapeutic targets for SARS-CoV-2 infection

Scientists use molecular dynamics simulations to reveal the secrets of SARS-CoV-2 virus

New nanoparticles can destroy drug-resistant cancer cells

Peptide therapy prevents overreaction of the immune system against infections

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