Four University of Michigan research teams have made the bracket of 64 teams for STAT Madness, a virtual tournament of science. They were picked for their groundbreaking work on brain cancer, heart transplant, dementia care and deadly fungal infections published in 2023.
Tag: Basic Science
UT Southwestern study shows glucagon is key for kidney health
Glucagon, a hormone best known for promoting blood sugar production in the liver, also appears to play a key role in maintaining kidney health. When UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers removed receptors for this hormone from mouse kidneys, the animals developed symptoms akin to chronic kidney disease (CKD).
How Does the Brain Make Decisions?
Mouse study provides insights into communication between neurons during decision-making
In Memoriam: Jonathan W. Uhr, M.D., renowned immunologist and longtime Chair of Microbiology
Jonathan W. Uhr, M.D., Professor Emeritus of Immunology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, who discovered how antibodies are made and developed a technique that led to the early detection of cancer cells, died Feb. 15. He was 96. Dr. Uhr was a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
UT Southwestern collaborates with Pfizer to develop improved RNA delivery technologies
UT Southwestern Medical Center is partnering with Pfizer Inc. to develop RNA-enhanced delivery technologies for genetic medicine therapies through the Dallas-based medical center’s Program in Genetic Drug Engineering.
UT Southwestern molecular geneticist wins Hill Prize from TAMEST
Russell DeBose-Boyd, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Genetics at UT Southwestern Medical Center, has been awarded the Hill Prize in Biological Sciences from the Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology (TAMEST) in recognition of his long-standing research into a key mechanism necessary for cholesterol control.
Device keeps brain alive, functioning separate from body
Researchers led by a team at UT Southwestern Medical Center have developed a device that can isolate blood flow to the brain, keeping the organ alive and functioning independent from the rest of the body for several hours.
Study reveals how estrogen exerts its anti-diabetic effects
The quintessential female sex hormone estrogen stimulates cells that line blood vessels to deliver insulin to muscles, lowering blood sugar and protecting against Type 2 diabetes, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report. The findings, published in Nature Communications, could eventually lead to new therapies for Type 2 diabetes, a disease that affects hundreds of millions of people around the globe and continues to grow more prevalent.
UTSW researcher receives NIH Director’s New Innovator Award
Ravikanth Maddipati, M.D., Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and in Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern, has been awarded $1.5 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support research investigating positional heterogeneity in cancer, or how tumors in the same organ can behave differently based on where they form.
Two UT Southwestern researchers awarded HHMI Hanna H. Gray Fellowships
Two postdoctoral researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center are among 25 early-career scientists nationwide selected as Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Hanna H. Gray Fellows for 2023.
UT Southwestern biochemist Zhijian ‘James’ Chen to receive prestigious Horwitz Prize
Zhijian “James” Chen, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Biology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, has been awarded the 2023 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize in recognition of his groundbreaking work on innate immunity.
UTSW researchers identify driver of inflammatory bowel disease
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered an intracellular mechanism that converts protective intestinal cells into disease-driving pathogenic cells, a finding that could lead to improved treatments for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Intestinal bacteria release molecular ‘brake’ on weight gain
Bacteria that live in the intestines inhibit a molecule that limits the amount of fat absorbed, increasing weight gain in mice fed a high-sugar, high-fat diet, researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center report. The findings, published in Science, could eventually lead to new ways to combat obesity, diabetes, and malnutrition – health problems that plague hundreds of millions worldwide.
How bacteria surf cargo through the cell
The University of Michigan researchers found some bacteria ship cellular cargo by “surfing” along proteins called ParA/MinD ATPases
Endocrine Society honors endocrinology field’s leaders with 2024 Laureate Awards
The Endocrine Society today announced it has chosen 14 leading endocrinologists as winners of its prestigious 2024 Laureate Awards, the top honors in the field.
Study identifies characteristics specific to human brains
Researchers led by a team at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified cellular and molecular features of the brain that set modern humans apart from their closest primate relatives and ancient human ancestors. The findings, published in Nature, offer new insights into human brain evolution.
Research pinpoints inflammation source behind atherosclerosis
Scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center Dallas have discovered in mice how high cholesterol causes blood vessels to become inflamed, a necessary prerequisite for atherosclerosis – the “hardening of the arteries” responsible for most heart attacks and strokes. The findings, published in Nature Communications, could lead to new interventions to protect against cardiovascular diseases (CVD), the leading cause of death globally.
Gene that regulates immune activity in the retina identified
UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified a gene called Lipe that appears to be pivotal to retinal health, with mutations spurring immune activation and retinal degeneration. This is important because the retina is responsible for detecting the light that is transformed into vision. The findings, published in Communications Biology, provide clues about the mechanisms behind a variety of disorders affecting the retina, including macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
CRI’s Sean Morrison elected to European Molecular Biology Organization
Stem cell biologist Sean J. Morrison, Ph.D., Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and founding Director and Professor of the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI), has been elected by his peers as an associate member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).
Noboro Mizushima, M.D., Ph.D., awarded inaugural Beth Levine, M.D. Prize in Autophagy Research from UT Southwestern
Japanese biochemist and molecular biologist Noboru Mizushima, M.D., Ph.D., has been named the inaugural recipient of the Beth Levine, M.D. Prize in Autophagy Research from UT Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. Mizushima is an internationally recognized scientist who has made significant strides in unraveling the complex processes of mammalian autophagy, a fundamental cellular mechanism responsible for maintaining cellular health and functionality.
UT Southwestern researchers discover mechanism responsible for genome rearrangements
The goal of every dividing cell is to accurately segregate its genome into two genetically identical daughter cells. However, this process often goes awry and may be responsible for a new class of chromosomal abnormalities found in cancers and congenital disorders, UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists report in a new study. The discovery, published in Nature, sheds light on how cancer cells rapidly evolve genomic changes that fuel their proliferation.
UTSW researchers generate cattle blastoids in lab to aid farm animal reproduction
UT Southwestern Medical Center stem cell and developmental biologists and colleagues have developed a method to produce bovine blastoids, a crucial step in replicating embryo formation in the lab that could lead to the development of new reproductive technologies for cattle breeding.
UT Southwestern Physiology Chair, molecular geneticist elected to prestigious National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences elected two more UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists in the fields of molecular genetics and physiology into its membership, one of the highest honors for American scientists. Russell DeBose-Boyd, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Genetics, and Duojia Pan, Ph.D., Chair of Physiology and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, were elected by their peers in recognition of the importance of their scientific discoveries.
Male, female knee cartilage disparities may explain differences in rates of degeneration
Researchers have long known there are sex disparities when it comes to the prevalence and severity of knee osteoarthritis, a disease that causes cartilage degeneration. Now, investigations underway at UT Southwestern Medical Center point to biological differences in the knee cartilage of male and female animals that could explain substantial variances in rates of osteoarthritis between the sexes and may eventually lead to tailored treatments that take these into account.
UT Southwestern researchers discover critical protein for common bone growth disorder
A team led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers has discovered a protein that appears to be pivotal for traumatic heterotopic ossification (HO), a condition in which bone forms in muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues after traumatic injury or surgery. The findings, published in Science Advances, could yield new ways to prevent this common complication, the researchers say.
UT Southwestern Medical Center announces the Beth Levine, M.D. Prize in Autophagy Research
UT Southwestern Medical Center has established the Beth Levine, M.D. Prize in Autophagy Research, an annual award and lecture for exceptional scientists who have made significant contributions to the field of autophagy.
Healthy gut bacteria can help fight cancer in other parts of the body, UTSW researchers find
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered how healthy bacteria can escape the intestine, travel to lymph nodes and cancerous tumors elsewhere in the body, and boost the effectiveness of certain immunotherapy drugs. The findings, published in Science Immunology, shed light on why antibiotics can weaken the effect of immunotherapies and could lead to new cancer treatments.
UT Southwestern scientists discover agent that reverses effects of intoxication
A shot of a liver-produced hormone called FGF21 sobered up mice that had passed out from alcohol, allowing them to regain consciousness and coordination much faster than those that didn’t receive this treatment, UT Southwestern researchers report in a new study. The findings, published in Cell Metabolism, could lead to effective treatments for acute alcohol intoxication, which is responsible for about 1 million emergency room visits in the U.S. each year.
Response to hormone therapy predicts radiation resistance in ER+ breast cancer
How estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer responds to hormone therapy may hold keys to understanding how it will respond to radiation therapy, and an experimental drug that increases the effectiveness of hormone therapy also overcomes radiation resistance in breast cancer, a study by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers shows.
UT Southwestern study: Cell membrane ‘blebs’ could hold new targets for anti-cancer drugs
Cell membrane protrusions called blebs that typically signify the end of life for healthy cells do the opposite for melanoma cells, activating processes in these cells that help them to survive and spread, a UT Southwestern study suggests.
How a Record-Breaking Copper Catalyst Converts CO2 Into Liquid Fuels
Since the 1970s, scientists have known that copper has a special ability to transform carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals and fuels. But for many years, scientists have struggled to understand how this common metal works as an electrocatalyst, a mechanism that uses energy from electrons to chemically transform molecules into different products.
Potential genetic regulators of the heartbeat identified by UT Southwestern researchers
UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have mapped gene control elements in specialized cardiac cells responsible for coordinating heartbeats. The findings of the genome exploration study, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, provide insight into how heartbeats are regulated and could impact diagnosis and risk prediction for a variety of common arrhythmias.
UT Southwestern researchers discover gene regulation mechanism
UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have discovered a method cells use to turn genes on and off that involves portions of proteins whose function has long been a mystery. The findings, reported in Cell, could lead to new ways of controlling gene regulation and may one day lead to new treatments for a broad array of diseases.
UT Southwestern biochemist, molecular biologist to receive HHMI Emerging Pathogens awards
Two of UT Southwestern’s Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers in biochemistry and molecular biology will lead separate teams as part of HHMI’s Emerging Pathogens Initiative (EPI) targeting infectious diseases that pose a threat to human health.
Gene editing halts damage in mice after heart attacks in UT Southwestern study
Editing a gene that prompts a cascade of damage after a heart attack appeared to reverse this inevitable course in mice, leaving their hearts remarkably unharmed, a new study by UT Southwestern scientists showed. The findings, published in Science, could lead to a new strategy for protecting patients from the consequences of heart disease.
UTSW Pharmacologist James Collins receives 2023 TAMEST Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award
James Collins III, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pharmacology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, will receive the 2023 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Biological Sciences from The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (TAMEST) for broadening understanding of schistosomiasis.
Cooling brain tumor cells could make headway in glioblastoma, UTSW researcher finds
Cooling brain tumor cells to stop them from dividing without killing healthy cells extended the survival of glioblastoma (GBM) animal models dramatically in a study led by a UT Southwestern resident. The findings, published in Science Advances, could lead to new treatments for this aggressive and deadly cancer.
Preventing “identity theft” in prostate cancer cells re-sensitizes them to therapy
UTSW study suggests combination therapy might help prostate cancer patients overcome resistance to current treatments
MD Anderson celebrates World Cancer Research Day
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center again supports World Cancer Research Day, Sept. 24, and its goals to highlight the importance of cancer research, to promote scientific collaboration and to reduce the global burden of cancer through improved prevention, early detection, treatment and survivorship strategies.
Protein Parts Must Indeed Wiggle and Jiggle to Work Right, New Research Suggests
Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists report they have probed the atomic structure of proteins to add to evidence that the wobbles, shakes and quivers of proteins play a critical role in their ability to function. The findings of the research may help scientists design new drugs that can modify or disrupt the intricate “dances” of proteins to alter their functions.
Internationally renowned cancer researcher joins cancer center’s leadership team
UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center has a new chief science officer and associate director for basic science. Xiao-Jing Wang comes from the University of Colorado Anshutz Medical Campus where she focused on skin as well as head and neck cancers
Tufts University Researchers Discover New Function Performed by Nearly Half of Brain Cells
Researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine have discovered a previously unknown function performed by a type of cell that comprises nearly half of all cells in the brain.
The scientists say this discovery in mice of a new function by cells known as astrocytes opens a whole new direction for neuroscience research that might one day lead to treatments for many disorders ranging from epilepsy to Alzheimer’s to traumatic brain injury.
Unlocking genetic clues behind aortic aneurysm
After examining nearly the entire human genome for genetic changes that increase risk of aneurysm, researchers discovered a new change in the genetic code of a transcription factor.
Department of Energy and The Kavli Foundation Announce Communicating the Future: Engaging the Public in Basic Science conference
To advance effective public communication of basic science, the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science and The Kavli Foundation’s Science Public Engagement Partnership (SciPEP) will host a virtual conference on why and how scientists and science communicators connect with the broader public around discovery science.
Endocrine Society names new Editors-in-Chief of Endocrine Reviews, Journal of the Endocrine Society
The Endocrine Society appointed two new Editors-in-Chief of its prestigious journals. Ashley Grossman M.D., F.R.C.P., of Barts and the London School of Medicine in London, U.K., has been named the next Editor-in-Chief of Endocrine Reviews, and Zeynep Madak-Erdogan, Ph.D., of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Urbana, Ill., has been named as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Endocrine Society (JES).
Journalists: Be our guest at the 2021 Virtual ACSM Research Conference
Gain story ideas and learn about cutting-edge science at ACSM’s comprehensive sports medicine and exercise science conference that covers the science, practice, public health and policy aspects of sports medicine, exercise science and physical activity.
Successful DNA replication in cyanobacteria depends on the circadian clock
A new study from the University of Chicago has found that the photosynthetic bacterium Synechococcus elongatus uses a circadian clock to precisely time DNA replication, and that interrupting this circadian rhythm prevents replication from completing and leaves chromosomes unfinished overnight.
Attacking Aortic Aneurysms Before They Grow
New basic science research shows what happens to the development of abdominal aortic aneurysms when you inhibit JMJD3 through both genetics and pharmacology.
Study Illuminates the Molecular Details of Lung Development
Findings should empower the search for better treatments for lung diseases
Amino Acid Connected to NAFLD Could Provide Treatment Clues
Basic science research explores the effects of impaired glycine metabolism in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease – and how to potentially use glycine-based treatment to help people with NAFLD.