Serotonin metabolites in mollusks suggest pathways for human therapies
...ts restore the pathways by preventing the cellular uptake of serotonin, where it is converted to other metabolites, or by directly inhibiting the enzymes responsible for the molecular conversion. Because serotonin is distributed throughout the body, pharmaceuticals intended to correct serotonin imbalanc...The search for a kinder, gentler chemotherapy
...hold onto them and how closely we can regulate the uptake and release," said Lyon....Cell's gatekeeper for ammonia revealed in unprecedented detail
...ocused on AmtB, a protein that facilitates ammonia uptake in bacteria. The bacterial AmtB is a member of a "superfamily" of protein channels with very similar amino acid sequences and very similar functions in all species. Humans have four members of this superfamily of cell membrane channels. They are the ...New treatment for fibromyalgia
...ntidepressant drugs, including selective serotonin uptake inhibitors and tricyclic agents, have had mixed results. A new and different antidepressant, duloxetine, works by inhibiting the reuptake of both serotonin and norepinephrine. In a recent clinical trial conducted for the treatment of fibromyalgia--o...Proteins show promise for mosquito control
...ld block the carrier protein, it would disrupt the uptake of cholesterol by the mosquito. Screening what she calls "a small chemical library of 16,000 compounds," Lan and her team found 57 compounds that inhibited the cholesterol-binding capacity of SCP-2. The top five most viable inhibitor compounds were...Rice finds 'on-off switch' for buckyball toxicity
...Risk assessments take into account exposure rates, uptake mechanisms, transport within the body and much more. Most often, cytotoxicity studies are used as indicators of whether more extensive toxicological study is needed. Based on our results we think buckyballs should be studied in more detail, and we're...Potential for enhanced sequestration of carbon in soils supports evaluations
...land-management practices designed to increase the uptake of carbon dioxide by soils. The increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere contributes to ongoing global warming that is causing ecological disruption and threatens human populations. The researchers note that a variety of l...