News & HighlightsNews
Research shows when stem cell descendants lose their versatility
Stem cells are the incomparably versatile progenitors of every cell in our body. Some maintain this remarkable plasticity throughout the life of an animal, prepared to respond as needed to repair an injury, for instance. Others differentiate into specialized cells, regenerating tissue or facilita...
Scientists identify protein that drives survival of gastrointestinal tumors
Scientists identify protein that drives survival of gastrointestinal tumors For patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors, or GISTs, the blockbuster cancer drug Gleevec has been a reason to hope. Since the drug’s introduction, survival rates have climbed dramatically and recurrence has fal...
Studies describe key role for a protein in cell division
Just before a cell divides into two — the basic act of reproducing life — the cellular environment must be exquisitely prepared. The exact timing and localization of the vast array of molecules and processes involved in duplicating chromosomes and separating the offspring from the parent is one ...
Therapy for fearsome brain disease could target blood
The aggregated proteins strewn about a deranged brain are the hallmark of one of the most feared and common neurodegenerative disorders on the planet: Alzheimer’s disease. But while these irregular, gunky proteins, called amyloid-β, are believed to contribute to the deterioration of memory and co...
Paleovirology expanded: New virus fragments found in animal genomes
Understanding the evolution of a virus can help beat it. This is immediately true in the fight against the ever-changing influenza bug, and potentially so in ongoing battles against Ebola and dengue fever, too. New research now points the way to a fossil record of viruses that have surprisingly i...
New class of ‘dancing’ dendritic cells derived from blood monocytes
Dendritic cells, known to be the prime movers of the body’s immune response, are still notoriously difficult to study in humans. Samples, which come primarily from bone marrow or lymphoid tissue, are simply too difficult to obtain. But new research at Rockefeller University has shown scientists a...
‘Reaper’ protein strikes at mitochondria to kill cells
Our cells live ever on the verge of suicide, requiring the close attention of a team of molecules to prevent the cells from pulling the trigger. This self-destructive tendency can be a very good thing, as when dangerous precancerous cells are permitted to kill themselves, but it can also go horri...
New faculty member wants to know how flies make decisions
Fruit flies are not known for their sense of direction. Even among animals with tiny brains, they are particularly prone to sudden, sharp changes of direction and circuitous navigation. But their abrupt movements are not accidental. Understanding how they decide when to veer right or left is imp...
Gene identified that prevents stem cells from turning cancerous
Stem cells, the prodigious precursors of all the tissues in our body, can make almost anything, given the right circumstances. Including, unfortunately, cancer. Now research from Rockefeller University shows that having too many stem cells, or stem cells that live for too long, can increase the o...
Research on killer HIV antibodies provides promising new ideas for vaccine design
Rockefeller researchers have made two fundamental new discoveries about the immune defenses of a rare group of HIV patients whose bodies can naturally keep the virus at bay. By detailing the molecular workings of so-called broadly neutralizing anti-HIV antibodies, the researchers hope their work...
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