Molecular & Structural Biology

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DNA barcoding tracks the progression of tumor cells through time

According to a recent study from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, some cancer cells can use parallel mechanisms to elude immune system defenses and withstand immunotherapy treatment.

8 Nov 2022

Actin serves as catalyst for shaping the cells

In a recent study, scientists from the University of Maryland have explained how actin, a protein, plays a key role in giving cells their shape.

8 Nov 2022

Enhancing outcomes after surgery of breast cancer patients with miR-145

According to research results published online ahead of print in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS), microRNA (miRNA) can be used as a biomarker to identify which individuals are most likely to experience breast cancer recurrence and mortality.

8 Nov 2022

Different cancers carry distinctive genetic signatures

After analyzing data from a public repository, CD4-T, CD8-T cells, and Treg cells, a team of researchers led by bioinformatics Mabel Vidal from the University of Concepcion and working with researchers from MELISA Institute and other academic institutions discovered a distinctive genetic signature among subsets of infiltrating T cells of various types of cancer.

4 Nov 2022

Role of p53-mediated metabolism in preventing genomic instability

The gene that codes for the protein p53 is most likely the most significant factor in defending human cells against DNA-damaging agents that cause cancer. The protein permits cells to repair DNA damage and so prevents the formation of malignancies, earning it the nickname “guardian of the genome.”

4 Nov 2022

New bioprinting platform to replicate tumors in 3D spheroids

Bowel cancer patients could in future benefit from a new 3D bioprinting technology which would use their own cells to replicate the complex cellular environment of solid tumors in 3D models.

3 Nov 2022

RNA-edited regions in brain shed light on neurodevelopment and disease

Numerous sites in the brain where RNA is altered over the course of a person’s lifespan through a process known as adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) editing have been identified by Mount Sinai researchers.

3 Nov 2022

DNA-based nanotransporters could improve treatment of cancers, other diseases

A team of Canadian researchers from Université de Montréal has designed and validated a new class of drug transporters made of DNA that are 20,000 times smaller than a human hair and that could improve how cancers and other diseases are treated.

2 Nov 2022

Combination of microscopy and DNA analysis yields new insights into polar cod’s diet

An essential component of the Arctic food chain is polar fish. Along with colleagues from KU Leuven and the Alfred Wegener Institute, Sarah Maes (KU Leuven) and Fokje Schaafsma (Wageningen Marine Research) examined the diet of polar cod from the Barents Sea.

1 Nov 2022

Resistance against Epstein-Barr virus from experimental monoclonal antibodies

When tested in a lab setting using human cells, a panel of experimental monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that target various Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) sites prevented infection.

1 Nov 2022

Inexpensive recombinant protein production induced by urea

A common chemical present in the urine can be utilized to initiate large-scale production of proteins needed by biotech companies, like hormones and antibodies.

28 Oct 2022

Many proteins share important roles in the formation and function of synapses, study finds

Not just three, but even five proteins share important roles in the formation and function of synapses and can substitute for each other. This discovery was made by a team of the research focus "Mental Health & Neuroscience" of the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences Krems (KL Krems) and the CavX PhD program of the Medical University of Innsbruck.

26 Oct 2022

A new outlook on sow breeding using dietary nucleotides

The primary fetal organ systems’ growth and development are strongly influenced by the nutrition status of the mother. Late gestation is when fetal growth is rapidly accelerated, and the nutritional needs of sows rise dramatically as a result of the fetus’ rapid growth and the placenta’s quick expansion.

26 Oct 2022

Molecular mechanisms behind mitochondrial dysfunction in chronic heart failure

Chronic heart failure induces dysfunction in the cell’s powerhouses, which is caused in part by an excess of an essential intermediate compound in energy production. Compensating for this by supplementing the diet could be a potential technique for treating heart failure.

26 Oct 2022

New genome-wide association study of dyslexia

For the first time, researchers have identified a large number of genes that are reliably linked to dyslexia.

25 Oct 2022

Novel method for comparing single-cell trajectories with tree alignment

The genes that are activated in a single cell can now be determined thanks to advances in high-throughput biological studies. However, interpreting the resulting complex datasets might be difficult.

From Osaka University 20 Oct 2022

Harsh parenting leads to depression later in life

Strict parenting can influence how the body reads the children’s DNA. These modifications can become “hard-wired” into the DNA of kids who consider their parents to be harsh, enhancing their biological risk for depression in adolescence and later life.

20 Oct 2022

Innovative method opens myriad new avenues for understanding the biology behind COVID-19

A highly innovative method using the latest technology has generated a comprehensive list of SARS-CoV-2 viral and human proteins that interact with each other, with one such interaction showing the virus directly influencing proteins that regulate the human immune system.

18 Oct 2022

Drug discovery method facilitates promising treatment approaches for metabolic diseases

The body’s chemical processes known as “metabolism” produce the raw materials needed for development and general health.

17 Oct 2022

Building designer plant cuticles with important protective functions

Scientists are working to bioengineer a common defense mechanism that most plants develop naturally to protect against drought, insects and other environmental stresses.

11 Oct 2022