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Displaying 171 of 2857 articles.

How one scientist's fascination with RNA changed medicine forever

Thomas Tuschl has devoted his career to making discoveries that bridge the gap between bench and business—and have resulted in entirely new classes of drugs.

Double trouble at chromosome ends

The end replication problem dictates that telomeres shrink unless telomerase intervenes. But the problem is actually twice as complicated, with telomerase providing only part of the solution.

Cutting-edge methods yield surprising insights into Huntington’s disease

New findings add depth to our understanding of neurodegeneration.

Keeping telomerase in check

Telomerase could run amok, deleteriously capping damaged DNA, were it not for a first responder to DNA damage.

Luciano Marraffini wins Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science

Marraffini is honored for his pioneering research on the study of CRISPR-Cas systems.

Innovative method identifies rare brain cell types for the first time

It also reduces the cost of a million single-cell transcriptomes from $10,000 to $700—and the time necessary down to about a day.

How the antioxidant glutathione keeps mitochondria healthy

“I believe this is going to be a very fruitful find. Every time people have studied nutrient sensing, we’ve learned a lot about biology, and many drugs have been developed as a result.”

New method tracks how brain cells age

The novel technique may offer panoramic view into the mechanisms of many diseases and the enigma of aging.

Kivanç Birsoy named a 2023 Blavatnik National Awards finalist

Birsoy is honored for groundbreaking research uncovering metabolic weaknesses of diseased cells, such as cancer, while shedding light on debilitating mitochondrial diseases and rare genetic disorders.

How the intestine replaces and repairs itself

A new study suggests that stem cells are able to integrate cues from their surroundings and coordinate their behavior across tissue through networks of vasculature in their close vicinity.

A third vaccine dose may increase protection from Omicron

The booster appears to galvanize memory B cells into producing potent and versatile antibodies that neutralize both the original virus and its many variants.

Titia de Lange elected to the Royal Society

She receives the honor for elucidating mechanisms of telomere protection and genome maintenance.

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Antibody therapy controls HIV for months in new clinical trial

Unlike conventional antiretroviral drugs, treatment with broadly neutralizing antibodies does not rely on vigilant daily dosing and could potentially reduce the body’s reservoir of latent viruses.

Kivanç Birsoy, expert on cancer cell metabolism, is promoted to associate professor 

Birsoy's groundbreaking research has highlighted key nutrients that cancer cells need to survive, while shedding light on debilitating mitochondrial diseases and rare genetic disorders.

New evidence that boosters may be crucial in protecting against Omicron

Researchers found that the antibodies present in people who have had COVID or taken two doses of mRNA vaccine are inadequate against Omicron. But their protective ability increases significantly after a booster dose.

How a fly's brain calculates its position in space

New research reveals how neurons in a fly's brain signal the direction in which the body is traveling. The cells appear to literally perform vector math in order to act as a biological compass.

Stem cell memories may drive wound repair—and chronic disease

Epidermal stem cells that hail from the hair follicle retain memories of their journey to the skin's surface. Those memories are a boon for wound repair, but may also contribute to chronic diseases and cancer.

Radiotherapy may explain why childhood cancer survivors often develop metabolic disease

Radiation therapy to treat childhood cancer may damage adipose tissue, causing diabetes and coronary heart disease decades later.

Scientists discover how mitochondria import antioxidants

The finding offers researchers a direct way to investigate oxidative stress and its damaging effects in aging, cancer and other diseases.

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Novel method for trapping HIV inside its host may give rise to new antivirals

Human cells can be coaxed into preventing certain enveloped viruses (including HIV, Ebola, and parainfluenza) from escaping their membranes in the lab, a finding that could lead to novel treatments for many viral diseases.

Linker histones tune the length and shape of chromosomes

A new study finds that proteins known as linker histones control the complex coiling process that determines whether DNA will wind into long and thin chromosomes, made up of many small loops, or short and thick chromosomes with fewer large loops.

Could future coronavirus variants fully dodge our immune system?

Studying dozens of naturally occurring and laboratory-selected mutations in SARS-CoV-2, researchers found that the virus will need to pull off a genetic feat to become fully resistant to antibodies.

Lonely flies, like many humans, eat more and sleep less

If COVID-19 lockdowns scrambled your sleep schedule and stretched your waistline, you're not alone. Fruit flies quarantined in test tubes sleep too little and eat too much after only one week of social isolation.

How cells draw on memories of past inflammation to respond to new threats

A new study uncovers a near-universal mechanism behind this phenomenon, known as inflammatory memory.

Paul Cohen, expert on fat, is promoted to associate professor

Cohen, a physician-scientist exploring obesity and metabolic disease, has conducted groundbreaking research on the complex inner workings of fat tissue.

Scientists capture the moving parts of the portal to the cell’s nucleus

The proteins of the nuclear pore complex flip-flop rapidly between two orientations as they let cargo through.

As COVID-19 vaccines emerge, the search for antiviral drugs continues

Scientists are digging through drug libraries of 430,000 compounds, in pursuit of an antiviral drug that can stop the novel coronavirus in its tracks.

Telomere shortening protects against cancer

Researchers have found the first evidence that telomere shortening is not just a sign of aging, but a key component of the body's cancer prevention system.

New atlas reveals the journey of human cells throughout development

The largest map of gene expression in over 4 million human cells charts the dynamic path to forming different organs.

How cells use mechanical tension sensors to interact with their environment

In a painstaking experiment, scientists suspended a single protein filament between two microscopic beads. Their results have shed light on an elusive process in which cells receive and respond to mechanical cues.
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