Molecular & Structural Biology

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Researchers Develop 3D Organoids that Reflect the Complexity of Brain Tumors

Efforts to identify and evaluate next-generation therapeutics for pediatric brain tumors are easily stymied by the quality and availability of laboratory models for research. To address this issue, scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital developed patient-derived tumor organoids and tumor organoid xenografts that accurately reflect the biologic underpinnings of embryonal brain tumors.

16 Apr 2026

"Zombie" Macrophages Accumulate in Aging Tissues and Diseased Livers

UCLA researchers have identified a rogue population of immune cells that quietly accumulates in aging tissues and in the livers of people with fatty liver disease. Clearing these cells, they found, dramatically reduced inflammation and reversed liver damage in mice - even while the animals remained on an unhealthy diet.

16 Apr 2026

Identifying Somatic Driver Mutations in Thyroid Autoimmune Disease

According to recent studies, immune cell DNA mutations that eliminate the immune system's natural brakes may be the cause of autoimmune disorders.

15 Apr 2026

How Single-Cell Proteomics Could Unlock the Rules That Govern Cells

This review shows how single-cell proteomics by mass spectrometry has advanced from an uncertain idea to a rapidly improving toolkit that can now quantify thousands of protein groups from individual cells. It argues that direct protein measurements, combined with better sample preparation, instrumentation, and multiplexing, could help researchers build more mechanistic models of cell biology while pushing throughput far higher.

13 Apr 2026

Kinesin Motor Protein Variations Control Cargo Specificity in Neuronal Transport

Intracellular transport is a vital process that allows cells to move proteins and other molecules to specific locations.

13 Apr 2026

Cryo-Electron Microscopy Reveals Structure of Borna Virus RNA Protein Complex

Cases of Borna disease virus 1, or BoDV-1, are extremely rare in humans, but in those who develop disease the outcome is severe, almost always resulting in fatal encephalitis or inflammation in the brain.

13 Apr 2026

AI Predicts Viral Mutations to Design Future-Proof Vaccines

The wave-shaped chart Ratul Chowdhury pulls up on a computer monitor in his office captures the evolutionary cat-and-mouse game his research lab is up against.

13 Apr 2026

Nanodisc Platform Shows How Antibodies Really Target Viruses

Viruses are masters at entering human cells, thanks to specialized proteins that coat their surfaces.

13 Apr 2026

Single-Letter Insertion in Non-Coding DNA can Alter Sex Development in Mice

Researchers at Bar-Ilan University have discovered that changing just one letter in DNA can completely alter sex development in mice.

11 Apr 2026

New Experimental System Mimics Low-Grade Pediatric Glioma in 3D

A three-dimensional experimental system has been developed to study the response to drugs in low-grade glioma, a tumor of the central nervous system that often occurs in children.

10 Apr 2026

Low Oxygen Triggers Latent Regenerative Programs in Embryonic Mouse Limbs

Certain animals are able to regenerate missing body parts. After amputation, salamanders and frog tadpoles are able to reconstruct entire limbs. Mammals are unable to. Biologists have been trying to figure out why for decades.

10 Apr 2026

RNU2-2 Variants Drive Most Common Recessive Neurodevelopmental Disorder

New findings on RNU2-2 syndrome highlight its role in neurodevelopmental disorders, emphasizing genetic counseling and early diagnosis for affected families.

9 Apr 2026

RNA Barcoding Technique Reveals Neural Connections at Synapse Level

By tagging neurons with molecular "barcodes," researchers mapped connections among thousands of neurons in the mouse brain with unprecedented speed and resolution.

8 Apr 2026

Cnpy1 Protein Found Essential for Vomeronasal Neuron Survival

Researchers at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Hyderabad, have identified a mammalian protein, Cnpy1 (Canopy1), that is essential for the survival and function of vomeronasal sensory neurons in mice.

8 Apr 2026

Study Reveals Pol Theta Role in Cancer DNA Repair

A cancer drug target already being investigated in clinical trials turns out to be doing something even more consequential than researchers realized.

8 Apr 2026

How Cancer Cells Evade Chemotherapy-Induced Apoptosis

Researchers at Umeå University have provided new insights into how cancer cells defend themselves against cell death.

8 Apr 2026

Breakthrough Platform Could Accelerate Therapeutic Development for Mitochondrial Disorders

Some of your most important life partners are the mitochondria that power all your cells. You and these little cellular powerhouses are in a 1.5-billion-year-old evolutionary relationship-but mitochondria brought some baggage.

7 Apr 2026

How Bacterial Enzymes Use Ratchet Mechanisms to Break Down Collagen

Collagen is an important protein that helps build the tissues of humans and animals. It is very strong because it is made of three protein strands twisted tightly together like a rope. Because of this sturdy structure, ordinary protein-cutting enzymes usually cannot break it down.

6 Apr 2026

Experimental Flu Vaccine That Protects Against Multiple Strains in Mice

According to a study published by investigators at Georgia State University’s Institute for Biomedical Sciences, a novel vaccine platform has been created to generate broad, protective immunity against multiple influenza virus infections, demonstrating potential as an effective mucosal vaccination approach.

6 Apr 2026

Molecular Switch AHR Limits Neuron Regeneration and Axon Repair

Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have discovered a molecular switch in neurons that limits the regrowth of damaged axonal fibers.

3 Apr 2026