Optimizing protein's 'death domain' halts leukemia in laboratory study
...om many other proteins could be used like keys to turn off protein activity involved in disease processes. These alpha helices then could serve as the foundation for building novel drugs. But one hurdle loomed. When the helical "death domain" is removed from its parent protein, it loses its rigid shape,...Entrepreneurs to be told how nature's secrets can improve business
...e link between nature and technology, but actually turn biology into creativity. "What we say to ...loping commercial inventions - it's a great way to turn opportunities out there into something relevant to modern industry. We invite people to come and bre...Men from early middle ages were nearly as tall as modern people
...c and health costs on northern Europeans, which in turn may have caused a downward trend in average height." Urbanization and the growth of trade gained considerable momentum in the 16th and 17th centuries. Both brought people together, which encouraged the spread of disease. And global exploration and tr...Mouse study shows NPAS3 and NPAS1 genes may be linked to psychosis
... characterize human schizophrenia. Our results may turn out to have nothing to do with schizophrenia, or they could point to something more substantial." Little is known about the NPAS1 and NPAS3 genes. Both genes are expressed in brain cells called inhibitory interneurons. These neurons are smaller...MIT team explains yin-yang of ginseng
... Sasisekharan's expertise in complex sugars, which turn out to be key to ginseng's activity. "The sites where sugars are attached and how they are attached are unique for each of the molecular constituents, the ratio of which are distinct among the different varieties of ginseng," he explained. In 1999 Sa...Advances in tumor angiogenesis Dendritic cells co-opted to the dark side
... their ability to induce tumor rejection, which in turn may explain why some tumors are tolerated immunolo...s have shown that monocytes or dendritic cells can turn into something that looks like endothelial cells, but no one has been able to demonstrate that this ...Trojan Horses, xenon imaging and remote controlled genes
...the Dmochowski lab is studying how to use light to turn genes off. They have created caged antisense mole...Dmochowski said. "It means that researchers could turn specific genes off like a switch in order to find out the nature of a gene by what happens when it d...Testing the fitness of biological clocks
... microscopic plants use their biological clocks to turn their photosynthesis system on and off. In a normal 14-hour day/night cycle, this allows the microscopic plant to maximize the amount of chemical energy it can extract during daylight. "In constant illumination, however, the biological clocks may kee...Breakthrough in understanding of hereditary disease of lymphatic vessels
...hatic and venous valves, so these results may also turn out to be important for the understanding and treatment of chronic venous insufficiency, which affects 5-25 % of the adult population."...Study suggests cell-cycle triggers might be cancer drug targets
... one. They respond to signals outside the cell and turn the cell-cycle machinery on when needed, enabling the cell to adjust to changes in environment. How this process is carried out in the mouse embryos with no D-type cyclins is a puzzle, says Sicinski who is also an associate professor at Harvard Medic......pe of regulatory protein that binds to DNA and can turn gene expression on or off like the flicking of a switch. Rora, once it is turned on, activates the transcription of a gene that encodes another transcription activator known as Bmal-1, which is one of the known circadian genes. Bmal-1 drives the tr...When is a mouse like a test tube?
...ed to another type of sugar, sialic acid, which in turn is incorporated into sugar polymers on the cell surface. More importantly, the more azide-sugar she fed cells, the more appeared on the surface. In the current experiment, her research group extended this to living mice. Graduate students Jennifer Pr...New model can aid in understanding immune system diseases
... called latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1), which in turn can cause B cell lymphoma, or tumors, Bishop said. The new mouse model will help researchers study how LMP1 impacts specific organs or tissues. Previous UI studies helped show that this viral protein mimics a normal cellular process in humans. In tha...Stem cell research targets cerebral palsy
...we can get stem cells into the brain and they will turn into brain cells but we really don't know how well they work," says Dr. James E. Carroll, chief of the MCG Section of Pediatric Neurology. "The cells probably do form synapses," he says of connections brain cells make so they can communicate. "But th...RNA could form building blocks for nanomachines
...o forth - larger, more elaborate structures can in turn be constructed, such as rods gathered into spindly, many-pronged bundles. These structures could theoretically form the scaffolding on which other components, such as nano-sized transistors, wires or sensors, could be mounted. "Because these RN...Rutgers-Newark biologist links presence of protein to spread of cancerous cells
... proteins serve as a regulator with the ability to turn on or activate other proteins, including myosin II, a motor protein instrumental in taking energy and converting it to movement in the human body. The researchers' findings identified a link between cell division and a cell's ability to remain associ...Joslin Diabetes Center launches research section on developmental and stem cell biology
... she is studying the signals that make a stem cell turn into a nerve cell, similar signals are involved in making a stem cell into an insulin-producing beta cell. "We see great potential promise in stem cells for someday preventing or halting diabetes, providing a vast supply of insulin-producing cells to...For Africa's valuable mahoganies, it's the soil, stupid
...ggers to simply move on to other species, which in turn has led to deforestation. The early stages of this vicious cycle are evident even in the most remote forests of Africa. Knowing and taking into account the regeneration requirements of these species when writing management plans will vastly improve...Excess levels of nitrogen, phosphorus linked to deformed frogs
...become the limbs of the frog that the tadpole will turn into. By interfering with the tadpoles limb development, the parasite causes the frog to become deformed, often by making extra or missing limbs. This deformed frog is then prime prey for wading birds, such as herons or egrets, which the parasite n...Scientist who discovered Sly syndrome finds new research path to explore for treating the disease
... "We've got to convince the blood-brain barrier to turn the delivery system back on." The answer to switching the delivery system back on, Banks speculates, lies in the area of protein translocation - the process that cells use to decide where they put the proteins they make. "It becomes a molecular biolo...