Scientists identify a surprising new source of cancer stem cells
Whitehead Institute researchers have discovered that a differentiated cell type found in breast tissue can spontaneously convert to a stem-cell-like state, the first time such behavior has been...
View Article'Unnatural' chemical allows researchers to watch protein action in brain cells
Researchers at the Salk Institute have been able to genetically incorporate "unnatural" amino acids, such as those emitting green fluorescence, into neural stem cells, which then differentiate into...
View ArticleNovel treatment protects mice against malaria; approach may work in humans as...
Malaria is a major global health concern, and researchers are in need of new therapeutic approaches. To address this concern, a study published Oct. 26 in the online journal PLoS ONE reveals new...
View ArticleNew components of antiviral pathway discovered
Scientists studying how mammals detect microbes have discovered new components in a crucial pathway that allows immune cells to detect viral invaders. Their research not only deepens the understanding...
View ArticleResearchers identify unusual 'altruistic' stem cell behavior with possible...
When most groups of mammalian cells are faced with a shortage of nutrients or oxygen, the phrase "every man for himself" is more apt than "all for one, one for all." Unlike colonies of bacteria, which...
View ArticleEnzyme offers new therapeutic target for cancer drugs
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have uncovered a new signal transduction pathway specifically devoted to the regulation of alternative RNA splicing, a process...
View ArticleScientists uncover a novel cooperative effort to stop cancer spread
(Medical Xpress)—Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have uncovered a group of what have been considered relatively minor regulators in the body that band...
View ArticleResearchers find model system to study promising cancer drug
Researchers have found that the budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is an acceptable model system to study KP1019, an anti-cancer drug that uses ruthenium, a rare metal, a new study found....
View ArticleHow the brain folds to fit
During fetal development of the mammalian brain, the cerebral cortex undergoes a marked expansion in surface area in some species, which is accommodated by folding of the tissue in species with most...
View Article'Traffic' in our cells works both for and against us
A mechanism that permits essential substances to enter our cells while at the same time removing from them harmful components also has a "down side." This negative aspect prevents vital drugs, such as...
View ArticleResearchers discover endogenous antibiotic in the brain
Scientists from the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) of the University of Luxembourg have discovered that immune cells in the brain can produce a substance that prevents bacterial...
View ArticleBrain makes its own version of Valium, researchers find
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found that a naturally occurring protein secreted only in discrete areas of the mammalian brain may act as a Valium-like brake on certain...
View ArticleWhen DNA is out of place
When DNA that turns up in the wrong place in mammalian cells, the innate immune system reacts by secreting interferons. The structure and mode of action of the enzyme that mediates this response have...
View Article3-D map of blood vessels in cerebral cortex holds suprises
Blood vessels within a sensory area of the mammalian brain loop and connect in unexpected ways, a new map has revealed.
View ArticleScientists discover key signaling pathway that makes young neurons connect
Neuroscientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have filled in a significant gap in the scientific understanding of how neurons mature, pointing to a better understanding of some developmental...
View ArticleScientists identify gene that regulates stem cell death and skin regeneration
(Medical Xpress)—Stem cells, known for their ability to self-renew and differentiate into any kind of tissue, are considered by many scientists in the field to be immortal. But there are signs that...
View ArticleProblem-solving governs how we process sensory stimuli
Various areas of the brain process our sensory experiences. How the areas of the cerebral cortex communicate with each other and process sensory information has long puzzled neu-roscientists. Exploring...
View ArticleNew understanding of tiny RNA molecules could have far-ranging medical...
A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has identified a family of tiny RNA molecules that work as powerful regulators of the immune response in mammals. Mice who lack these...
View ArticleCells in the early embryo battle each other to death for becoming part of the...
Spanish researchers at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) have found that during the early stages of mammalian development, embryonic cells embark on a battle for survival....
View ArticleGenomic imprinting maintains a reserve pool of blood-forming stem cells in...
Hematopoietic stem cells—bone marrow-derived adult stem cells that give rise to the wide variety of specialized blood cells—come in two flavors: the reserve force sits quietly waiting to be called upon...
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