Molecular & Structural Biology

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New system of gene editing allows for targeted, super-fast DNA repair

In a series of experiments using human cancer cell lines, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have successfully used light as a trigger to make precise cuts in genomic material rapidly, using a molecular scalpel known as CRISPR, and observe how specialized cell proteins repair the exact spot where the gene was cut.

18 Jun 2020

EEG study in split-brain patients shines light on sleep slow waves

The particular kind of waves that the brain produces during sleep, which repeatedly sweep the surface of the cerebral cortex, travel through the anatomical "highways" that connect distant areas of the cortical mantle, a new study in The Journal of Neuroscience shows.

18 Jun 2020

Dysfunctional placenta can contribute to Cornelia de Lange syndrome

Researchers have demonstrated that a dysfunctional placenta can play a formerly unknown role during the earliest phases of development in Cornelia de Lange.

17 Jun 2020

Loss of lipid-regulating protein drives prostate cancer metastasis

Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers from the Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences identified a lipid-regulating protein that conveys what the researchers describe as "superpowers" onto prostate cancer cells, causing them to aggressively spread.

17 Jun 2020

New mechanism shows promise for treating certain congenital disorders

Scientists have discovered a major mechanism in the inactivation of X chromosomes, an event that may hold clues to develop treatments for congenital disorders.

16 Jun 2020

New X-ray technique reveals inner architecture of human bones

An international research team has used new X-ray techniques to describe how the architecture of healthy human bones is built up. The team has uncovered a hitherto unknown structure in healthy bones.

16 Jun 2020

Disrupted circadian rhythms in older adults linked to increased risk of Parkinson's disease

Older men who have a weak or irregular circadian rhythm guiding their daily cycles of rest and activity are more likely to later develop Parkinson's disease, according to a new study by scientists at the UC San Francisco Weill Institute for Neurosciences who analyzed 11 years of data for nearly 3,000 independently living older men.

16 Jun 2020

Activating specific neurons can trigger hibernation-like state in mice

In Sci-Fi movies, astronauts often enter an inactive state in "hibernation chambers" to cross the vastness of space.

15 Jun 2020

Inhibitory interneurons excite the developing brain, study finds

Brain function depends on inhibitory cells that balance or 'brake' excitation. These neurons allow the brain to process information and also prevent runaway seizures.

15 Jun 2020

Cardiac organoids that closely mimic physiological conditions during a heart attack

In the U.S., someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds, and yet researchers have not had a model that fully mimics what occurs in the human heart after a heart attack.

12 Jun 2020

New protein design could help in drug discovery for Parkinson’s disease

The neurotransmitter dopamine plays a vital role in everything, starting from motor control to higher cognitive functions, arousal, motivation, sexual gratification, and reinforcement.

12 Jun 2020

Protein glycosylation plays a major role in DNA methylation

An underlying principle in molecular biology is that “DNA makes RNA makes protein.” The process of gene expression is firmly controlled in various ways.

12 Jun 2020

Excessive degradation of mitochondria causes severe disease in children

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have discovered that excessive degradation of the power plants of our cells plays an important role in the onset of mitochondrial disease in children.

12 Jun 2020

Deleting a key gene to create an immune cell with stronger anti-tumor activity

Using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and deleting a key gene, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have created natural killer cells -- a type of immune cell -- with measurably stronger activity against a form of leukemia, both in vivo and in vitro.

From UC San Diego 12 Jun 2020

A protein that helps to fight viruses can also inhibit lung tissue repair

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have found that a protein which is initially helpful in the body’s immune response to a virus, can later interfere with the repair of lung tissue.

12 Jun 2020

Study uncovers two brain phenomena that may explain ketamine's side-effects

Researchers have identified two brain phenomena that may explain some of the side-effects of ketamine. Their measurements of the brain waves of sheep sedated by the drug may explain the out-of-body experience and state of complete oblivion it can cause.

12 Jun 2020