Biochemistry

RSS

Study suggests GILZ protein as a promising anti-hepatic fibrosis drug target

Scientists from Russia and Italy studied a new axis of the pathway that prevents the development of liver fibrosis. The role of GILZ protein in curbing the disease progression was shown in a study using mice models and confirmed by clinical data.

5 May 2021

Study investigates how Brd4 influences diet-induced obesity

A new study, published in JCI Insight, looks at how Brd4, a regulator of the innate immune response, influences diet-induced obesity.

4 May 2021

Increasing sodium and calcium levels in the bloodstream helps prevent deadly arrhythmias

Blood may seem like a simple fluid, but its chemistry is complex. When too much potassium, for instance, accumulates in the bloodstream, patients may experience deadly irregular heart rhythms.

4 May 2021

Too much salt affects the functioning of phagocytes

For many of us, adding salt to a meal is a perfectly normal thing to do. We don't really think about it. But actually, we should. As well as raising our blood pressure, too much salt can severely disrupt the energy balance in immune cells and stop them from working properly.

30 Apr 2021

New technology enables faster and more accurate tracing of COVID-19 and other viruses

Jeremy Edwards, director of the Computational Genomics and Technology (CGaT) Laboratory at The University of New Mexico, and his colleagues at Centrillion Technologies in Palo Alto, Calif. and West Virginia University, have developed a chip that provides a simpler and more rapid method of genome sequencing for viruses like COVID-19.

30 Apr 2021

Researchers review materials used to design biosensors for SARS-CoV-2 detection

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is still causing a dramatic loss of human lives worldwide, constituting an unprecedented challenge for society, public health, and economy, to overcome. Currently, SARS-CoV-2 can be diagnosed in two different ways: i) antigen tests (point-of-care, POC) and ii) molecular tests (nucleic acid, RNA, or PCR-polymerase chain reaction).

30 Apr 2021

New genetically encoded sensor helps detect drugs of abuse

A genetically encoded sensor to detect hallucinogenic compounds has been developed by researchers at the University of California, Davis. Named psychLight, the sensor could be used in discovering new treatments for mental illness, in neuroscience research and to detect drugs of abuse. The work is published April 28 in the journal Cell.

29 Apr 2021

Using light-activated 3D printing to manufacture self-healing hydrogels with complex architectures

The scientific community is focusing its research into the multiple applications of Hydrogels, polymeric materials which contains a large amount of water, that have the potential to reproduce the features of biological tissues.

29 Apr 2021

New method could be used to develop more effective treatments for cancer, metabolic disorders

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have developed a new method that makes it possible to control human hormones and metabolism.

28 Apr 2021

Two compounds can cause musty, moldy scents in cocoa

Chocolate is a beloved treat, but sometimes the cocoa beans that go into bars and other sweets have unpleasant flavors or scents, making the final products taste bad.

28 Apr 2021

New compound could alleviate neurological symptoms of CHARGE syndrome

CHARGE syndrome is a rare genetic disorder affecting about 1 in 10,000 newborns. It can lead to neurological and behavioural disorders for which no treatment is currently available.

28 Apr 2021

New technique to hyperpolarize and purify fumarate for MRI

A promising new concept published by an interdisciplinary research team in "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" (PNAS) paves the way for major advances in the field of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Their new technique could significantly simplify hyperpolarized MRI, which developed around 20 years ago for observing metabolic processes in the body.

28 Apr 2021

Researchers suggest new approach to build a 'nanopore' biosensor for detecting specific molecules

Researchers have spent more than three decades developing and studying miniature biosensors that can identify single molecules. In five to 10 years, when such devices may become a staple in doctors' offices, they could detect molecular markers for cancer and other diseases and assess the effectiveness of drug treatment to fight those illnesses.

28 Apr 2021

Researchers use natural polymer coatings to improve bone-implant integration

Traffic accidents, tumor resections, and congenital diseases can cause significant trauma, which can lead to large bone deformations and/or bone loss. Although bone has some capacity to regenerate, large bone defects cannot be healed without major medical procedures.

27 Apr 2021

Researchers design "nanotraps" to capture and destroy SARS-CoV-2 viruses

Researchers at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago have designed a completely novel potential treatment for COVID-19: nanoparticles that capture SARS-CoV-2 viruses within the body and then use the body's own immune system to destroy it.

27 Apr 2021

Cholestenone could be a new antibacterial drug against H. pylori

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a gram-negative pathogen that has infected half of the world's population is a Group I carcinogen according to the WHO. H. pylori resides in the gastric mucosa causing gastritis, ulcers, gastric cancers and malignant lymphoma of the stomach.

27 Apr 2021

Research opens up the possibility of dietary therapy for cancer

A research group at the RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR) has discovered molecular events that determine whether cancer cells live or die. With this knowledge, they found that reduced consumption of a specific protein building block prevents the growth of cells that become cancerous.

27 Apr 2021