by Justin Jackson , Medical Xpress Pixabay/CC0 Public DomainResearchers at the Scripps Research Institute, Florida, have developed a new method to counteract α-synuclein protein levels by targeting the mRNA that forms them. The strategy unlocks many research doors with potential therapeutic approaches for addressing neurodegenerative diseases. In a paper, “Decreasing the intrinsically disordered protein α-synuclein...
Osaka UniversityJust as healthy organs are vital to our well-being, healthy organelles are vital to the proper functioning of the cell. These subcellular structures carry out specific jobs within the cell, for example, mitochondria power the cell and lysosomes keep the cell tidy. Although damage to these two organelles has been linked to aging, cellular...
by Catholic University of the Sacred Heart Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Neuroscientists at the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the Catholic University, Rome, and the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS have genetically modified a molecule, the protein LIMK1, which is normally active in the brain, with a key role in memory. They added a...
by Lisbeth Heilesen, Aarhus University New research from Aarhus University with international collaborations has revealed that natural aSN activates an important calcium pump in the cell membrane. Credit: Antoni Kowalski The protein alpha-synuclein (aSN) has long been known as a main cause in Parkinson’s disease and Lewy Body Dementia, for example, when it forms lumpy protein...
by University of Delaware The blue area is the cell nucleus, the white area is F-actin, the structural scaffolding of the cells. Researchers discovered adseverin regulates the amount of F-actin in the cells. In osteoarthritis loss of F-actin can eventually lead to cell death. Credit: University of Delaware A previously unstudied protein in the framework of...
WILEY New research published in The FASEB Journal indicates that increasing the expression of a particular gene may help to prevent bone loss associated with postmenopausal osteoporosis. For the study, investigators examined which genes are involved in turning precursor cells called bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) into cells that play a crucial role in bone formation. The screen...
Scientists have unraveled the step-by-step activation process of a protein with a deep evolutionary history in all domains of life, opening the door to harnessing its functions for use as a biotechnology tool. The protein belongs to the “superfamily” of Argonaute proteins, which previous research has suggested to be involved in gene silencing, a fundamental process known as RNA interference....
by Bruno Geoffroy, University of Montreal Throughout the course of antiretroviral therapy, HIV hides quietly in reservoirs inside CD4+ T lymphocytes, white blood cells that play a role in activating the immune system against infection. The existence of these viral sanctuaries explains why antiretroviral therapy has to be maintained throughout a patient’s lifetime in order to keep the virus...
by Laurie Fickman, University of Houston Graphical abstract. Credit: JCI Insight (2023). DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.164768 A team of researchers at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy is reporting that by manipulating TAK1, a signaling protein that plays an important role in development of the immune system, they can slow down disease progression and improve muscle function in Duchenne muscular dystrophy...
By WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY MAY 22, 2023 New research indicates that lifespan in warm climates is not just passively shortened due to increased metabolic rate but is also actively regulated by a nervous system protein called NPR-8, which controls collagen expression. They found that worms lacking this protein had increased collagen expression in warmer temperatures, thereby exhibiting increased stress...
