Klaus Hahn, PhD, the Ronald G. Thurman Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology at the UNC School of Medicine, will co-lead this Chan Zuckerberg Initiative project with colleagues at Duke University and North Carolina State University.
Tag: Protein
Biochemists discover what affects the development of autoimmune diseases
The biochemist of RUDN University and Institute of Biomedical Chemistry was the first to study how variants of the protein that controls T-lymphocytes affect the development of autoimmune diseases using the example of multiple sclerosis. This will help find new approaches to the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
The immune system’s moonlighters
Our immune system is remarkably powerful. It quickly assembles teams of cells to eliminate threats inside our bodies.
The immune system’s moonlighters
Our immune system is remarkably powerful. It quickly assembles teams of cells to eliminate threats inside our bodies.
Eating too much protein is bad for your arteries, and this amino acid is to blame
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers discovered a molecular mechanism by which excessive dietary protein could increase atherosclerosis risk.
Pancreatic cancer hijacks a brain-building protein
Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and the University of California, Davis have reached a new breakthrough in pancreatic cancer research—eight years in the making.
By growing animal cells in rice grains, scientists dish up hybrid food
From lab-grown chicken to cricket-derived protein, these innovative alternatives offer hope for a planet struggling with the environmental and ethical impacts of industrial agriculture.
A change in rigidity switches the function of protein condensates involved in sensing touch
A team of researchers describes in Nature Cell Biology the mechanism by which the MEC-2 protein condensates of the touch receptor neurons transition from fluid to solid-like states, switching their role in the transmission of mechanical forces. These findings pave the way for developing innovative therapies and treatments.
Doubling Down on Known Protein Families
Through a novel approach detailed in Nature, a massive computational analysis of microbiome datasets more than doubled the number of known protein families. This is the first time protein structures have been used to help characterize the vast array of microbial “dark matter.”
Protein key to placental heath could be target for reproductive conditions
Immune cells play a key role during pregnancy, adjusting immune system response in a way that enables the fetus to develop while also protecting the parent and fetus from outside assaults like viruses.
Researchers Report Protein Mutation Creates ‘Super’ T Cells with Potential to Fight Off Cancer and Infections
Using laboratory-grown cells from humans and genetically engineered mice, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have evidence that modifying a specific protein in immune white blood cells known as CD8+ T cells can make the cells more robust, potentially opening the door for better use of people’s own immune system T cells to fight cancer.
Protein p53 regulates learning, memory, sociability in mice
Researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology have established the protein p53 as critical for regulating sociability, repetitive behavior, and hippocampus-related learning and memory in mice, illuminating the relationship between the protein-coding gene TP53 and neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders.
Yogurt may be the next go-to garlic breath remedy
A new study conducted in a lab – with follow-up human breath tests being planned – showed that whole milk plain yogurt prevented almost all of the volatile compounds responsible for garlic’s pungent scent from escaping into the air.
Nutritional Content of Most Milk Alternatives Doesn’t Measure Up to Cow’s Milk
More people are drinking milk alternatives made from plant sources such as oats, soy, or almonds, but do plant-based products deliver the same nutrition as cow’s milk? Results from a new study suggest that most don’t.
2023 Warren Alpert Foundation Prize Honors Pioneer in Computational Biology
The 2023 Warren Alpert Foundation Prize has been awarded to scientist David J. Lipman for his visionary work in the conception, design, and implementation of computational tools, databases, and infrastructure that transformed the way biological information is analyzed and accessed freely and rapidly around the world.
New research finds mechanism that regulates PTSD in the female brain
From humans to plants to single-cell organisms, there’s a protein that rules them all. This protein does general housekeeping of the cells, regulating them through normal daily functions. Virginia Tech researchers found that one specific form of this ubiquitous protein has a different function in the female brains – it helps regulate events in the memory that cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Researchers identify a potential new therapeutic target in Parkinson’s disease
In a study published in Nature Communications, a team led by Krembil Brain Institute at UHN Senior Scientists, Drs. Lorraine Kalia and Suneil Kalia, and University of Toronto (U of T) Professor, Dr. Philip M. Kim, identified a protein-protein interaction that contributes to Parkinson’s disease. In the disease, a protein called α-synuclein (a-syn) accumulates in the brain and leads to cell death.
Stickiness may determine how influenza spreads
Influenza viruses have an enormous impact in the U.S., with an estimated 25 million illnesses and 18,000 deaths in the 2022-23 flu season alone. However, the majority of virus particles are not infectious or are only partially infectious. How, then, do they become such a contagious and deadly virus?
Researchers ID Protein as Mitochondrial Homeostasis Regulator
Article title: A20 binding and inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)-1 (ABIN-1)—a novel modulator of mitochondrial autophagy Authors: Rosetta Merline, Heiko Rödig, Jinyang Zeng-Brouwers, Chiara Poluzzi, Georg Tascher, Jonas Michaelis, Jaime Lopez-Mosqueda, Andrew Rhiner, Lisa Sophie Huber, Valentina Diehl,…
Pioneering approach advances study of CTCF protein in transcription biology
Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital used the auxin-inducible degron 2 system on CTCF, bringing the novel approach to bear on a fundamental protein.
Chula Medicine Reveals Innovative Detection of Latent Dementia A 10-Year Awareness May delay Alzheimer’s Onset in Elderly
Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases Health Science Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University has researched a blood test for markers of Alzheimer’s that can give a 10-year warning, so people can be prepared to slow down the development of dementia in old age.
UCSF Researchers Uncover New Pathway for Molecular Cancer Drug Therapies
In a study published December 8, 2022 in Science, UCSF researchers Kevin Lou, an MD-PhD student, Luke Gilbert, PhD, and Kevan Shokat, PhD, reveal the discovery of a cellular uptake pathway important for larger molecules. These large and complex molecules bind in unconventional ways to their targets, are efficiently taken up by target cells, and can be harnessed to create new drugs for the treatment of cancer and other diseases.
Researchers ID a Protein that Could Help Stop Cancerous Tumor Development
Article title: Decorin evokes reversible mitochondrial depolarization in carcinoma and vascular endothelial cells Authors: Thomas Neill, Christopher Xie, Renato V. Iozzo From the authors: “In conclusion, we have delineated a molecular axis focused on delivering prodepolarization signals to the mitochondrial…
How environmental changes affect the shapes of RNA in living cells
The impact of environmental conditions on the dynamic structures of RNAs in living cells has been revealed by innovative technology developed by researchers at the John Innes Centre.
Researchers identify protein connected to aging and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Findings provide the foundation for future therapeutic strategies by promoting repair of the pulmonary vascular system.
Study Finds Higher Protein Intake Improves Diet Quality When Trying to Lose Weight
New study concludes that boosting protein intake while dieting improves the quality of what we eat and may slow loss of lean body mass.
UTSW scientists identify protein key to inhibiting flu virus
A collaborative study from UT Southwestern scientists has identified a new function for a protein called TAO2 that appears to be key to inhibiting replication of the influenza virus, which sickens millions of individuals worldwide each year and kills hundreds of thousands. The findings were published in PNAS.
Rutgers Researchers Publish Paper Examining the Structure of Proteins Linked to Diseases
Rutgers researcher, Grace Brannigan, has co-authored a study published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) that centers around the connection between gene mutations in protein sequences and diseases.
Blood Protein Levels and Birth Control Pills May Increase Blood Clot Risk in Female Astronauts
Article title: Albumin, oral contraceptives and venous thromboembolism risk in astronauts Authors: Sara R. Zwart, Serena M. Auñón-Chancellor, Martina Heer, M. Mark Melin, Scott M. Smith From the authors: “We report here evidence of an association between oral contraceptive use…
Higher wheat yields and protein content on the horizon
A team of international researchers has discovered a way to produce higher quality wheat. The scientists from the University of Adelaide and the UK’s John Innes Centre have identified a genetic driver that improves yield traits in wheat, which unexpectedly can also lead to increasing protein content by up to 25 per cent.
The cycle of light: Analyzing how cellular proteins in leaves change through day, night
Because next-generation biofuels will depend on the growth and hardiness of woody feedstocks, scientists have sought to better understand how leaf cells quickly respond to environmental cues such as light, temperature and water. Scientists at the Center for Bioenergy Innovation, or CBI, have studied rapid molecular changes in leaves from poplar trees during normal daily cycles of daylight and darkness. Until now, the effect of these modifications at the cellular protein level was not well understood, partly because of the technical limitations of the analytical tools available.
AF2Complex: Researchers Leverage Deep Learning to Predict Physical Interactions of Protein Complexes
Proteins are the molecular machinery that makes life possible, and researchers have long been interested in a key trait of protein function: their three-dimensional structure. A new study by Georgia Tech and Oak Ridge National Laboratory details a computational tool able to predict the structure protein complexes – and lends new insights into the biomolecular mechanisms of their function.
University of Washington and Microsoft researchers develop ‘nanopore-tal’ that enables cells to talk to computers
University of Washington and Microsoft researchers have introduced a new class of reporter proteins that can be directly read by a commercially available nanopore sensing device.
Retinoblastoma resource: Researchers create more accurate research model
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists have created a model of the rare pediatric eye cancer that more closely mimics the biology of patient tumors.
Pinpointing where single-stranded transcripts converted into double-stranded RNAs
St. Jude scientist Vibhor Mishra, Ph.D., is homing in on the location where important processes in gene regulation occur, and where single-stranded transcripts are converted into double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs).
€1 Million Prize for Plastics-to-Protein Research Awarded to Steve Techtmann, Ting Lu
Steve Techtmann has won the 2021 Future Insight Prize — awarded to innovative research in health, nutrition and energy — for his food generator concept.
Putting Functional Proteins in Their Place
Using DNA, scientists organized bioactive proteins in desired 2-D and 3-D ordered arrays—promising for structural biology, biomedicine, and more.
Protein rewires metabolism to block cancer cell death, may allow cancer spread
One specific protein may be a master regulator for changing how cancer cells consume nutrients from their environments, preventing cell death and increasing the likelihood the cancer could spread, a study from the University of Notre Dame has shown.
Putting A Protein Into Overdrive to Heal Spinal Cord Injuries
Using genetic engineering, researchers at UT Southwestern and Indiana University have reprogrammed scar-forming cells in mouse spinal cords to create new nerve cells, spurring recovery after spinal cord injury. The findings, published online today in Cell Stem Cell, could offer hope for the hundreds of thousands of people worldwide who suffer a spinal cord injury each year.
Nuclear War Could Trigger Big El Niño and Decrease Seafood
A nuclear war could trigger an unprecedented El Niño-like warming episode in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, slashing algal populations by 40 percent and likely lowering the fish catch, according to a Rutgers-led study. The research, published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, shows that turning to the oceans for food if land-based farming fails after a nuclear war is unlikely to be a successful strategy – at least in the equatorial Pacific.
Missing Protein Helps Small Cell Lung Cancer Evade Immune Defenses
DALLAS – Jan. 25, 2021 – Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells are missing a surface protein that triggers an immune response, allowing them to hide from one of the body’s key cancer defenses, a new study led by UT Southwestern researchers suggests. The findings, reported online today in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, could lead to new treatments for SCLC, which has no effective therapies.
Researchers use lasers and molecular tethers to create perfectly patterned platforms for tissue engineering
University of Washington researchers developed a technique to modify naturally occurring biological polymers with protein-based biochemical messages to affect cell behavior. Their approach uses near-infrared lasers to trigger chemical adhesion of proteins to scaffolds made from biological polymers like collagen.
UCI engineers reveal molecular secrets of cephalopod powers
Irvine, Calif., Dec. 17, 2020 — Reflectins, the unique structural proteins that give squids and octopuses the ability to change colors and blend in with their surroundings, are thought to have great potential for innovations in areas as diverse as electronics, optics and medicine. Scientists and inventors have been stymied in their attempts to fully utilize the powers of these biomolecules due to their atypical chemical composition and high sensitivity to subtle environmental changes.
A simple rule drives the evolution of useless complexity
A new study at the University of Chicago has shown that elaborate protein structures accumulate over deep time even when they serve no purpose, because a universal biochemical property and the genetic code force natural selection to preserve them.
Research News Tip Sheet: Story Ideas From Johns Hopkins Medicine
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johns Hopkins Medicine Media Relations is focused on disseminating current, accurate and useful information to the public via the media. As part of that effort, we are distributing our “COVID-19 Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins” every other Tuesday.
Sodium-potassium-chloride Cotransporter Abnormalities Found to Cause Multiorgan Dysfunction
New research published in the journal Function identifies NKCC1, the protein responsible for moving sodium, potassium and chloride into cells, to be a cause of disease and dysfunction throughout the body. NKCC1 is encoded by the gene SLC12A2. Human and…
Marine Fisheries Will Not Offset Farm Losses after Nuclear War
After a nuclear war, wild-catch marine fisheries will not offset the loss of food grown on land, especially if widespread overfishing continues, according to a Rutgers co-authored study. But effective pre-war fisheries management would greatly boost the oceans’ potential contribution of protein and nutrients during a global food emergency, according to the study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study for the first time explored the effects of nuclear war on wild-catch marine fisheries.
Large-scale cancer proteomics study profiles protein changes in response to drug treatments
Through large-scale profiling of protein changes in response to drug treatments in cancer cell lines, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have generated a valuable resource to aid in predicting drug sensitivity, to understand therapeutic resistance mechanisms and to identify optimal combination treatment strategies.
Progress Toward Antiviral Treatments for COVID-19
COVID-19 is caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, which is structurally similar to the viruses that cause SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. In The Journal of Chemical Physics, scientists report molecular-level investigations of these viruses, providing a possible pathway to antiviral drugs to fight the diseases. They looked at a viral protein that plays a role in the virus’s ability to replicate and in defeating the host’s immune system, making it an attractive target for potential drug treatments.
Inflammatory Protein Found to Protect against Metabolic, Gut Changes in Mice
Article title: Lipocalin 2 deficiency-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis evokes metabolic syndrome in aged mice Authors: Vishal Singh, Sarah Galla, Rachel M. Golonka, Andrew D. Patterson, Benoit Chassaing, Bina Joe, Matam Vijay-Kumar From the authors: “Overall, the current study demonstrates that…