by Chris Barncard, University of Wisconsin-Madison The intestinal linings of monkeys with inflamed bowels show chemical alterations similar to abnormal protein deposits in the brains of Parkinson’s patients, lending support to the idea that inflammation may play a key role in the development of the degenerative neurological disorder. A study published by University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers today in the Journal of...
Tag: <span>Protein</span>
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How proteins help influenza A bind and slice its way to cells
New study adds to our understanding of how influenza A effectively overcomes the first line of our defence against infection ELIFE Researchers have provided new insight on how two proteins help influenza A virus particles fight their way to human cells. The findings, published today in the open-access journal eLife, further explain how influenza A is able to penetrate defensive...
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Surface protein editing in bacteria
Posted Today This news or article is intended for readers with certain scientific or professional knowledge in the field. Researchers studied how oral bacteria adhere to and develop biofilms (plaque) in the oral cavity. The team wanted to learn whether and how the bacterial cells might adjust their adhesive surface proteins. They discovered a previously unknown circuit that is embedded in the...
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A simple solution to a complex problem
UNIVERSITY OF FREIBURG A team headed by Dr. Claudia Jessen-Trefzer of the University of Freiburg’s Institute for Pharmaceuticals Sciences has for the first time identified a transport protein in mycobacteria which is responsible for the uptake of the nutrient L-arabinofuranose. The lead authors of the study, Miaomiao Li of the Institute for Pharmaceuticals Sciences, Christoph...
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Hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis, prognosis and treatment may improve by identifying a protein
Analysing the levels of a protein called TonEBP could provide valuable insight into the likelihood of recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma, an aggressive cancer of the liver, following its surgical removal. Drugs that target TonEBP could also be investigated for liver cancer treatment. Tonicity-responsive enhancer-binding protein (TonEBP) helps protect cells from stress, but also elevates the...
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Protein engineering extends the language of immune cells
Small infections can be fatal: Millions of people die each year from sepsis, an overreaction of the immune system. A new immune signaling molecule, designed by a research team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), now provides the basis for potential new approaches in sepsis therapy. IMAGE: THIS THE MODIFIED HUMAN INTERLEUKIN-27-ALPHA. INSPIRED BY...
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Researchers discover new binding partner for amyloid precursor protein
An international team of researchers has discovered a new binding partner for amyloid precursor protein (APP)—a neurotransmitter called GABABR1a. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their study of a non-pathogenic version of APP and what they found. Martin Korte with Technische Universität Braunschweig has written a Perspective piece on the...
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Researchers answer decades-old question about protein found in Alzheimer’s brain plaques
Alzheimer’s-affected brains are riddled with so-called amyloid plaques: protein aggregates consisting mainly of amyloid-β. However, this amyloid-β is a fragment produced from a precursor protein whose normal function has remained enigmatic for decades. A team of scientists at VIB and KU Leuven led by professors Joris de Wit and Bart De Strooper has now uncovered that this amyloid precursor protein modulates neuronal signal...
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Synaptic protein regulates anxiety behaviour
Anxiety disorders are severe mental disorders in which patients suffer from intense fears and anxiety or from sudden, inexplicable panic attacks. In extreme cases, the affected individuals barely leave their homes, which can have serious consequences for their relationships with family and friends as well as for their professional lives. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Experimental...
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The role of PCSK9 in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
This article by Dr Eleni Theocharidou et al. is published in Current Pharmaceutical Design, Volume 24, Issue 31, 2018 BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBLISHERS Statin treatment exhibits a beneficial effect in patients of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and non–alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Statins are common treatments for such conditions. The role of proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type-9 (PCSK9) in the pathogenesis of NAFLD is summarized...