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.

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.

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.

Researchers Show How Mutations in DNA Packaging Machines Cause Cancer

DALLAS – Sept. 7, 2020 – Like wrenches made of Legos, SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes tighten or loosen DNA in our cells to control how genes are turned on and made into proteins. When assembled correctly, these complexes play a crucial role in the development of normal tissues, and when broken, they can lead to the development of cancer. These complexes are commonly disrupted by mutations in the genes that encode them – but how this leads to cancer is poorly understood.

Story Tips From Johns Hopkins Experts on COVID-19

It seems there will never be enough “thank you’s” for the incredible doctors, nurses, technicians and support staff members who are working around the clock to help patients with the dangerous coronavirus disease. Their dedication, determination and spirit enable Johns Hopkins to deliver the promise of medicine.

Seeing Corneal Degeneration in A New Light

DALLAS – June 17, 2020 – The molecular changes that lead to Fuchs’ endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) occur decades before the disease causes blurry vision and other noticeable symptoms in patients, new research by UT Southwestern scientists shows. This insight into this earliest stage of FECD may eventually lead to new ways of screening for and treating the common condition, which affects an estimated 4 percent of U.S. adults over the age of 40.

UCLA Health’s Dr. Clara Lajonchere elected Chair of the California Precision Medicine Advisory Council

Dr. Clara Lajonchere, deputy director of the Institute for Precision Health at UCLA Health, has been elected chair of the new California Precision Medicine Advisory Council.

Penn Study Paves Way for New Vaccines to Protect Infants Against Infections

A new Penn Medicine study puts researchers within closer reach of vaccines that can protect infants against infections by overcoming a mother’s antibodies, which are known to shut down immune defenses initiated by conventional vaccines. That hurdle largely explains why vaccinations for infectious diseases like influenza and measles not given until six to 12 months of age. Findings from the preclinical study were published online today in Science Translational Medicine.

Guarding against a devastating tropical disease

Schistosomiasis is one of the most devastating tropical diseases in the world, second only to malaria in its prevalence. The only treatment currently used is extremely limited in its effectiveness and in who it can help. The Newmark Lab wants to develop something that protects people from being infected in the first place.