Cell Biology

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Study reveals the key role of motor proteins in mitotic spindle elongation

Proper chromosome segregation into two future daughter cells requires the mitotic spindle to elongate in anaphase. However, although some candidate proteins are implicated in this process, the molecular mechanism that drives spindle elongation in human cells has been unknown, until now!

16 Jun 2021

AI model helps predict which viruses are likely to spread from animals to humans

A new model that applies artificial intelligence to carbohydrates improves the understanding of the infection process and could help predict which viruses are likely to spread from animals to humans. This is reported in a recent study led by researchers at the University of Gothenburg.

16 Jun 2021

Single mutation leads to rare genetic muscle disease

The origin of rare, severe muscle disease has been uncovered by an international team of researchers headed by the University of Bonn (Germany).

16 Jun 2021

Kirigami-inspired stent could deliver drugs to tubular organs

Inspired by kirigami, the Japanese art of folding and cutting paper to create three-dimensional structures, MIT engineers and their collaborators have designed a new type of stent that could be used to deliver drugs to the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, or other tubular organs in the body.

15 Jun 2021

New technology offers an alternative way to produce highly detailed images of the brain

The gold standard in functional brain imaging for over two decades, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has transformed the landscape of research and clinical care. Yet, because of its cost and functional limitations, scientists have continued to look for new ways to see into the human brain.

15 Jun 2021

Human cells can convert RNA sequences into DNA

Cells include machinery that replicates DNA into a new set, and this, in turn, develops into a newly formed cell.

15 Jun 2021

New types of glial cells in the brain may treat neurodegenerative diseases

Researchers from the University of Basel have discovered two types of glial cells that may play an important role in brain plasticity and repair.

15 Jun 2021

Study finds a link between progression of Alzheimer’s disease and corpuscles in cell nuclei

Studies conducted on patients’ tissue as well as mini-brains created from stem cells have provided a better insight into Alzheimer’s disease.

15 Jun 2021

Misfolded tau proteins cause progressive degeneration in Alzheimer's disease

According to a study performed by researchers from the Van Andel Institute and the University of Pennsylvania, misfolded proteins that impair neurons in Alzheimer’s disease travel the “roads” of the brain, similar to a supply truck crossing the countryside.

11 Jun 2021

Living cells can produce semi-interpenetrating polymer networks

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have demonstrated that a class of interwoven composite materials called semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (sIPNs) can be produced by living cells. The approach could make these versatile materials more biologically compatible for biomedical applications such as time-delayed drug delivery systems.

11 Jun 2021

Naked mole rats' unique DNA repair mechanism helps prevent cancers, dementia

Scientists say naked mole rats - a rodent native to West Africa - may hold the key to new treatments for degenerative diseases such as cancer and dementia.

11 Jun 2021

New research focuses on possible treatment options for childhood brain cancer

Medulloblastoma is a rare but devastating childhood brain cancer. This cancer can spread through the spinal fluid and be deposited elsewhere in the brain or spine.

11 Jun 2021

New understanding of the molecular basis behind continuous stem cell activity in plants

An inter-university research group has succeeded in constructing the gene expression network behind the vascular development process in plants. They achieved this by performing bioinformatics analysis using the 'VISUAL' tissue culture platform, which generates vascular stem cells from leaf cells.

11 Jun 2021

Scientists unravel the proteins that trigger some cancerous tumors

Even on a good day, DNA is constantly getting damaged. Nicks, scratches, breaks: the delicate strands that carry life's genetic code take a beating as they jumble about in the course of their work. If left untreated, errors accumulate, with fatal consequences -- such as cancerous tumors -- for the cell and the organism.

11 Jun 2021

New “phase separation” protects against premature aging, neurological disorders

According to a new study, a mechanism through which an RNA, called NORAD, drives the Pumilio protein to create liquid droplets in cells—similar to oil in water—appears to closely control the activity of this protein.

11 Jun 2021

ASU study reveals how diets high in saturated fats cause colon cancer

For decades, physicians and dieticians have urged people to limit their intake of high fat foods, citing links to poor health outcomes and some of the leading causes of death in the U.S., such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

10 Jun 2021

Commonly used antidepressant drugs can also help the immune system to attack cancer

A class of drug called monoamine oxidase inhibitors is commonly prescribed to treat depression; the medications work by boosting levels of serotonin, the brain's "happiness hormone."

10 Jun 2021

Study reveals key molecule involved in myelin repair

New research works indicate that new brain cells are continuously formed in response to physical exercise, injury, and mental stimulation.

9 Jun 2021

Pre-trained viruses are more effective in countering antibiotic resistance

The risk of antibiotic resistance increases as bacteria continue to evade even the most powerful contemporary medicinal treatments. Antibiotic-resistant microorganisms threaten to take more than 10 million lives by 2050, as present-day treatments prove ineffective.

9 Jun 2021

Study shows how T cells become activated when encountering pathogens

Researchers from Monash University have made a significant breakthrough relating to how T cells get activated when exposed to pathogens, like viruses.

9 Jun 2021