Molecular & Structural Biology

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Researchers map cells in the early human placenta to shed light on pregnancy complications

To treat and prevent pregnancy-related disorders, researchers must understand not only what can go wrong, but when. Complications, such as preeclampsia and pre-term birth, often occur in the second or third trimester, and most research to date has focused on those later stages of pregnancy. But the biological events that lead to these problems could start much earlier.

28 Nov 2018

Early-life stress in mice hinders neuron development, causing attention problems

Women are roughly twice as likely as men to develop depression, anxiety and other stress-related problems, including difficulty with attention, and new research from Brown University neuroscientists sheds light on the biological reasons why.

28 Nov 2018

Novel methodology for characterizing neurons could lead to better understanding of brain disease

It takes a lot of cells to make a human brain. The organ houses not only an enormous quantity of neurons (tens of billions), but also an impressive diversity of neuron types. In recent years, scientists have been developing inventories of these cell classes--information that will be essential for understanding how the brain works.

28 Nov 2018

Research reveals how a small molecule helps remove excess cholesterol

Scientists have determined the structure of the activated form of an enzyme that helps to return excess cholesterol to the liver, a study in eLife reports.

27 Nov 2018

Using Pre-Clinical Imaging to Detect Cancer

In this interview, Émilie Beaulieu Ouellet, Application Scientist for life science imaging at Photon Etc talks to New-Medical about their range of preclinical infrared imagers and how they can allow cancer detection.

From Photon etc. 27 Nov 2018

Discovery could be used to prevent viral infection and autoimmunity

Researchers have discovered that chemical changes to mRNA regulate the production of interferon beta, and hope to exploit this in new treatments.

27 Nov 2018

Scientists discover important hallmark of aging in neuronal cells

MIT researchers have discovered that free radicals cause a build-up of short RNA snippets which could contribute to neuronal ageing and cognitive decline.

27 Nov 2018

Scientists report novel combination transport system in E. coli

A general concept in biology is that cells use two different systems to transport substances across their membrane: selective pores, which allow passive transport driven by a concentration gradient, and active transport complexes, which use energy to transport substances against a gradient.

27 Nov 2018

Microglia show distinct responses under inflammatory conditions

The NorLux Neuro-Oncology Laboratory at LIH's Department of Oncology conducts research on brain diseases, with a special emphasis on glioma biology, drug resistance and systems approaches.

26 Nov 2018

Researchers attempt to create world's first genetically edited babies

The researchers have used CRISPR to edit the genes of IVF embryos in a controversial attempt to create offspring that are resistant to disease.

26 Nov 2018

Bone marrow-derived fibroblasts shown to promote breast cancer growth

A new study has revealed that breast cancer cells recruit bone marrow-derived fibroblasts to enhance their growth.

23 Nov 2018

Scientists transform protein interaction studies

A team of leading academics has significantly advanced a method for studying the interactions of proteins, which will transform research in this area.

23 Nov 2018

Researchers discover new mitochondrial mechanism

Researchers at the University of Freiburg have discovered a mechanism within cells that enables proteins to be delivered into the mitochondria.

22 Nov 2018

Researchers provide new insights into regulation of important intracellular messenger molecule

The team of prof. Joris Messens at the VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology has provided new insights into the regulation of an important intracellular messenger molecule, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), whose dysregulation has been linked to the development of several diseases, including cancer.

22 Nov 2018

UVA researchers make unexpected discovery about irreplaceable nerve cells

Meticulous new research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine has changed a well-accepted scientific belief about neurons, the vital nerve cells that allow us to experience the world and record those experiences as memories in our brains.

22 Nov 2018

Discovery of new gene could lead to better understanding of human susceptibility to chemicals

The discovery of a new gene in zebrafish could lead to a better understanding of how exposure to chemicals leads to disease in humans, according to a new Oregon State University study.

22 Nov 2018

Scientists uncover genomic keys to successful evolution of vertebrates

One of the most important results of this work consists of understanding how the genomic duplications that occurred in the origin of the vertebrates contributed to diversifying gene function.

22 Nov 2018

Sugar supplement shown to slow tumor growth and enhance chemotherapy

Mannose, a type of sugar, has been shown to slow tumor growth and enhance chemotherapy in mouse models of certain cancers.

21 Nov 2018

Starved ticks try harder to find hosts

Ticks are hardy little brutes that can go as long as a year without a meal. Now scientists at the University of Cincinnati say the hungrier ticks are, the harder they try to find you or other hosts. The findings could have implications for the spread of tick-borne disease such as Lyme or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

21 Nov 2018

Study explores how the moving brain processes visual information

What we see is not only determined by what is really there, but also depends on whether we are paying attention, whether we are moving, excited or interested.

21 Nov 2018