By Sally Robertson, B.Sc Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, have made an important discovery about a viral fusion protein found on the surface of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that could help researchers develop a vaccine. Their finding that a mutation in the protein’s cleavage site disrupts binding to host...
by Brain Chemistry Labs A naturally occurring amino acid is gaining increased attention from scientists as a possible treatment for ALS following a new study published today in the Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology. The study showed that the amino acid, L-serine, successfully reduced ALS-like changes in an animal model of ALS. The scientists...
by Chinese Academy of Sciences Despite the remarkable success of molecular targeted therapy in recent years, the rapid increase of drug resistance is a major obstacle to effective treatment of lung cancer. How do lung cancer cells adapt to targeted therapy? What is the molecular basis of such adaptive behavior? Can this adaptive response be memorized by cancer cells? If so,...
Altered metabolism in cancer cells EMORY HEALTH SCIENCES Cancer cells consume sugar at a higher rate than healthy cells, but they’re also hungry for amino acids, the building blocks of proteins and other biomolecules. Researchers at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University have discovered a way to exploit that hunger to selectively block the growth of leukemias. The results were published...
Getting enough of the omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA into the brain to study their effects on conditions such as Alzheimer’s and depression—which they have been shown to help—is no easy task. While supplements containing these fatty acids exist, there is scant evidence showing that these supplements actually increase DHA or EPA in the brain. To measurably increase levels of EPA in the brain, a...
A recent study from the Laxman lab at inStem, Bangalore, elucidates how a small metabolite and amino acid, methionine, acts as a growth signal for cells, by setting into motion a metabolic program for cell proliferation NATIONAL CENTRE FOR BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES IMAGE: A RECENT STUDY FROM THE LAXMAN LAB ELUCIDATES HOW A SMALL METABOLITE AND AMINO ACID, METHIONINE, ACTS AS A GROWTH SIGNAL FOR CELLS, BY SETTING INTO...
Photodynamic therapy is often used to treat brain tumors because of its specificity—it can target very small regions containing cancerous cells while sparing the normal cells around it from damage. It works by injecting a drug called a photosensitizer into the bloodstream, where it gathers in cells, and then exposing the drug-filled cells to light....
