Technology reveals 'lock and key' proteins behind diseases
...sporters that are poised in cellular membranes and act as gatekeepers to allow the entry of certain substances, like nutrients, into the cell and promote the export of other substances, like toxins, out of the cell," says Professor Igor Stagljar, Department of Medical Genetics and Department of Biochemis...A genetic 'gang of 4' drives spread of breast cancer
...he lung," he said. Two drugs already on the market act directly on proteins produced by the genes Massagus group had been studying. Cetuximab is an antibody that blocks the action of epiregulin and is used to treat advanced colorectal cancer. Celecoxib is an inhibitor of COX2 that is used as an anti-infl...Liver regeneration may be simpler than previously thought
...wing organ in an embryo. In other words, the cells act as if the liver is growing, as do other organs in a developing embryo. Many of the proteins that induce organ regeneration have been identified and scientists are now trying to make organs regrow by stimulating these proteins. Regrowing livers this...Anti-wrinkle compound causes pathological reaction in skin cells
...ng of skin cell vacuoles called fibroblasts, which act as reservoirs and interface between the inside and the outside of the cell. In the hours following the application of DMAE, the researchers observed an important slowing down of cell divisionsometimes coming to a complete stop, the inhibition of ce...Ossur's Proprio Foot walks away with 2007 Medical Design Excellence Award
...ich instruct high-precision actuator technology to act and deliver optimal function. Expertise in real-time motion analysis for the foot was provided by Canadian company, Dynastream. The Medical Design Excellence Awards competition is organized and presented by Canon Communications LLC (Los Angeles...New OHSU senior care program gets $2.5M boost
...manager would work with her to create a care plan, act as a catalyst to ensure the plan is followed, and remain a point of contact for the care team, including specialists and the primary care physician. Information technology is used to store and update the care plan, remind the care manager and others ...New studies link the environment to Parkinson's disease
...to patients. The possibility that nicotine may act as a neuroprotective agent. "Our collaboration with Emory University and UCLA has allowed us to make great strives in identifying environmental factors involved in the development of Parkinson's disease," said Donato A. Di Monte, M.D., director of...New role for sugars: Research shows connections between sugar modifications in cells and cancer
...tein receptors on the cell surface. These proteins act as interpreters for cells, receiving messages from...g the sugars associated with the key proteins that act as receptors for hormones and growth factors. These are the same types of proteins that are targeted...The global carbon budget -- proper accounting means paying attention to inland waters
...ouths to the smallest upstream tributaries, do not act as neutral pipes they are active players in the carbon cycle despite their modest size." As global carbon budget models move from static boxes to dynamic flows, future models should take into account the myriad of ways that inland waters contribu...Alternative-fuels pioneer receives first-ever $100,000 Lemelson-MIT Award for Sustainability
...ically-active cell as compared to when the enzymes act independently of cells. Nature has solved many of the challenges associated with microbial cellulose utilization, which we are gradually discovering, said Lynd. Largely as a result of Lynds efforts, the potential of CBP has been increasingly recogn...Preventing cancer without killing cells
...ellular proliferation, p53-mediated senescence may act as an important tumour suppressor mechanism in aged cells.......e nucleus but chloroplasts and mitochondria, which act as cellular power plants, share some of the responsibility. Yet, chloroplasts and mitochondria contain thousands of imported proteins, which need to work hand in hand with the few that are encoded in the nucleus and others made locally. "Such an a...Gladstone scientists identify critical gene factor in heart development
...on and development. MicroRNAS, or miRNAs, seem to act as rheostats or "dimmer switches" to fine-tune levels of important proteins in cells. To learn how microRNAs do this, the team led by Dr. Srivastava, deleted the gene responsible for one microRNA in mice and examined the effects of its loss on heart ...MIT device draws cells close -- but not too close -- together
...rs. For the liver cells to survive and continue to act as liver cells, they don't have to keep touching these stromal cells, but they do need to stay close. The finding will allow Bhatia and Hui to examine more deeply which surface molecules trigger liver cell differentiation and which soluble molecul...Brain tissue reveals possible genetic trigger for schizophrenia
...for a protein. Instead, these tiny strands of RNA act by binding to matching pieces of the protein coding mRNA, thus preventing the translation of mRNA to protein. When a cell needs certain proteins, the microRNAs may disconnect, thus allowing protein expression to resume. Using postmortem prefronta...Stem cell therapy shows promise for rescuing deteriorating vision
... the best results we've ever got." How the cells act to preserve the deteriorating eye cells remains unknown, says Gamm. Like all cells, neural progenitor cells do many things and secrete many different types of chemicals that may influence the cells around them. "The idea was to test the cells as ..."Dual key" activation, in which two people must act in concert to launch a weapon, is often installed ...ow that the third type of interferon often doesn't act alone. The Weizmann Institute team, headed by Prof. Menachem Rubinstein of the Molecular Genetics De......osomes may be more than just seals. They appear to act as highly connected nodes of communication between the inside and outside of the cell, enabling the cell to adjust its activity according to the condition of the bone underneath."......ining molecule, such as DNA, the zinc and nitrogen act like magnets, securing a firm grip on the molecule. As the blades open and close, the guest molecules remain attached to the zinc porphyrin, and as a result, they are twisted back and forth, Kinbara says. In a recent study, the scientists demonst...UBC researchers find new superbug weapon for near-empty antibiotics arsenal
... host to trigger a protective response and doesn't act on bacteria directly. That means it's unlikely bacteria will become resistant to it." The team found that a peptide, or chain of amino acids, they have dubbed innate defense regulator peptide (IDR-1), can increase innate immunity without triggering...