Spaceflight: Microgravity analog culture profoundly affects microbial infection process in 3-D human tissue models
Infectious microbes have evolved sophisticated means to invade host cells, outwit the body’s defenses and cause disease. While researchers have tried to puzzle out the complicated interactions between microorganisms and the host cells they infect, one facet of the disease process has often been overlooked — the physical forces that impact host-pathogen interactions and disease […]
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection: Symptoms & Treatment
Things to know about cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection Picture of owl eye inclusion bodies in kidney cells of an individual with cytomegalovirus infection; SOURCE: CDC/Dr. Haraszti CMV is a common virus in the same family as herpesvirus, and it can infect anyone. CMV spreads by direct contact with body fluids, such as saliva, blood, urine, semen, […]
Scientist uncovers clues to aging in mitochondria: Understanding how the process starts can point to new directions in aging research
Many age-related diseases share a common feature: the mitochondria of cells begin to malfunction. While the cause is not known, Buck Institute scientists have discovered a new mechanism of how mitochondria start to go wrong, which opens new doors for researchers to explore how to begin to fix the problem. “Now that we have this […]
Novel biomaterial prevents rejection of transplants for type 1 diabetes: Clinical trial is planned based on results from preclinical study.
In type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune response attacks the pancreas’s insulin-producing beta cells, leading to marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Lifelong daily insulin treatments are standard for patients, but replacing lost beta cells through transplants of islets, a group of cells in the pancreas, represents an attractive option. This strategy requires that patients take […]
Flip-flop genome
Our DNA acts like a blueprint for the cellular machinery that lets cells, organs, and whole organisms function. Mutations in the DNA can result in genetic diseases. Such genetic variation can include point mutations at a single site, as well as deletions, duplications, and inversions. The term ‘inversion’ describes a piece of DNA flipping its […]
New knowledge on lymphoid cell maturity could lead to more effective IBD therapies
A research group at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has analysed how certain immune cells known as innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) develop into mature cells that play a part in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The findings could pave the way for more effective treatments against IBD, a disease that causes considerable suffering and that is linked […]
Decoy particles trick coronavirus as it evolves: Emerging therapeutics could overcome drug-resistant variants
They might look like cells and act like cells. But a new potential COVID-19 treatment is actually a cleverly disguised trickster, which attracts viruses and binds them, rendering them inactive. As the ever-evolving SARS-CoV-2 virus begins to evade once promising treatments, such as monoclonal antibody therapies, researchers have become more interested in these “decoy” nanoparticles. […]
Immune cells produce chemical messenger that prevents heart disease–related inflammation
The immune system’s white blood cells, which are produced in the bone marrow, mostly help to defend against bacteria and injury, but sometimes they can turn against the body — for example, in cardiovascular disease, their inflammatory aggression can harm arteries and the heart. New research in Nature Immunology that was led by investigators at […]
Study shows how bioactive substance inhibits important receptor: Results raise hope for new drugs against cancer and brain diseases
The A2A receptor regulates how vigorously the innate immune system attacks diseased cells. Researchers at the University of Bonn have now been able to show for the first time how an important inhibitor binds to the receptor. In the future, the results will facilitate the targeted search for molecules that give the innate immune system […]
Researchers map human sensory neurons, pursue chronic pain cure
An investigation into how human nerve cells differ from animal cells has provided researchers from The University of Texas at Dallas’ Center for Advanced Pain Studies (CAPS) with important clues in the pursuit of more effective treatments for chronic pain. Dr. Ted Price BS’97, Ashbel Smith Professor of neuroscience in the School of Behavioral and […]