Molecular & Structural Biology

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Teratomas could provide a new glance at human development

Finding just the right model to study human development--from the early embryonic stage onward--has been a challenge for scientists over the last decade.

From UC San Diego 5 Nov 2020

Researchers use new technology to design promising vaccine for COVID-19

A new nanoparticle vaccine candidate developed for the novel coronavirus creates virus-neutralizing antibodies in mice at levels that are 10 times higher than is observed in individuals, who have recovered from the COVID-19 disease.

4 Nov 2020

Study shows 1 in 8 cancer patients had inherited cancer-related gene mutation

Genetic testing can uncover inherited genetic mutations, and could individualize cancer therapies, improve survival, manage cancer in loved ones and push the boundaries of precision medicine.

3 Nov 2020

MUSC researchers demonstrate polarized Th17 cells can effectively eradicate tumors

Adoptive transfer of T-cells can extend survival and, at times, treat patients with advanced solid tumors.

2 Nov 2020

Checkpoint inhibitors offer a promising solution for hard-to-treat cancers

Cancer immunotherapies, which empower patients' immune systems to eliminate tumors, are revolutionizing cancer treatment. Many patients respond well to these treatments, sometimes experiencing long-lasting remissions. But some cancers remain difficult to treat with immunotherapy, and expanding the impact of the approach is a high priority.

2 Nov 2020

Study identifies genes and molecular pathways most sensitive to chemical exposures

A University of Massachusetts Amherst environmental health scientist has used an unprecedented objective approach to identify which molecular mechanisms in mammals are the most sensitive to chemical exposures.

30 Oct 2020

Researchers discover molecular machinery that coordinates cell orientation in tissue

Plants have veins that transport nutrients throughout their whole body. These veins are organized in a highly ordered manner.

30 Oct 2020

Study shows how fear and aggression are regulated

Our brains are wired to protect us from threats. For social animals like humans, threats often come from other members of our own species when there is conflict over food, mates, or territory.

30 Oct 2020

SARS-Cov-2 spike proteins can directly impact the function of blood-brain barrier

Like a key, SARS-CoV-2 - the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) - attaches to specific molecules on the host cell surface, opening gateways into the cell interior.

30 Oct 2020

'Training’ the innate immunity may improve the success of immunotherapy

Immunotherapies, such as checkpoint inhibitor drugs, have made worlds of difference for the treatment of cancer. Most clinicians and scientists understand these drugs to act on what's known as the adaptive immune system, the T cells and B cells that respond to specific threats to the body.

30 Oct 2020

Scientists discover link between two signaling pathways crucial to growth of colon cancer

In breakthrough colon cancer research, scientists at ChristianaCare's Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute have discovered a link between two key signaling pathways crucial to the development and growth of colon cancer. The study is published today in the journal PLOS ONE.

29 Oct 2020

Individuals infected with mild-to-moderate COVID 19 mount a robust antibody response

The vast majority of individuals infected with mild-to-moderate COVID 19 mount a robust antibody response that is relatively stable for at least five months, according to research conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published October 28, in the journal Science.

29 Oct 2020

Sodium bicarbonate can reprogram T cells in leukemia patients

Scientists have discovered that sodium bicarbonate - also known as baking soda or bicarbonate of soda - can reprogram T cells in leukemia patients to resist the immune-suppressing effects of cancer cells, which can drive leukemia relapse after stem cell transplants.

29 Oct 2020

Scientists use new model to develop specific cancer immunotherapy

The function of the body’s immune system is to defeat diseases by detecting foreign invaders and then mounting a response against these pathogens.

28 Oct 2020

Researchers map molecular structure of CV30 antibody to neutralize coronavirus

Scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle have shown that a potent antibody from a COVID-19 survivor interferes with a key feature on the surface of the coronavirus's distinctive spikes and induces critical pieces of those spikes to break off in the process.

28 Oct 2020

Study shows adverse effect of pH-dependent switch in protein interaction

Each biological process depends on pH in one way or another. The human body should maintain constant and specific pH regulation to function efficiently.

27 Oct 2020

Study sheds new light on penicillin allergy

Scientists have reported the first strong evidence of the role of HLA-B, a crucial histocompatibility complex gene, in penicillin allergy.

27 Oct 2020

Anti-inflammatory mediator could play key role in wound healing

"Wound healing is one of the most complex biological processes," writes Professor Kazumitsu Sugiura and Dr Kenta Saito from Fujita Health University, Japan, in their article recently published in Nature's Scientific Reports.

27 Oct 2020

Targeting DEL-1 molecule could be an effective way to treat autoimmune disease

Immune response is a balancing act: Too much can lead to inflammatory or autoimmune disease; too little could lead to a serious infection. Regulatory T cells, or Tregs, are important players in striking this balance, acting as "brakes" on the immune response so it doesn't go overboard.

27 Oct 2020

Study explains the nuances of mechanical signaling in cells

Actin is among the most abundant proteins in cells, and it has many jobs--from giving the cell its very shape and structure to managing networks of proteins crucial to numerous cellular functions. Without it, the fragile fundamental unit of life would crumble.

27 Oct 2020