Daily Archives: March 8, 2016
Another prince awakened Sleeping Beauty?
Tumor suppressor genes are one of the body’s defenses against uncontrolled growth of tumor cells. When these genes are ‘silenced,’ or prevented from doing their work, the abnormal cells grow unchecked, usually with fatal consequences to the
How cells crawl… that’s right, crawl
Within our bodies, every cell must crawl – some only a few millionths of an inch, while others, like nerve fibers, must make their way from the spinal cord to the tips of our toes. The ability
Recovery after brachial plexus surgery continues for longer than previously thought
Brachial plexus injuries (BPIs) are severely debilitating injuries in which the nerves exiting the spinal cord at the level of the cervical and upper thoracic spine are damaged. Because these nerves power the musculature of the upper
Protecting titanium implants from infection
Certain microorganisms are capable of growing in layers, forming biofilms on medical surfaces, like implants, heart valves, etc… Biofilm-associated infections on implants are responsible for 15-25 % of implant failures as biofilms are resistant to most of the
Eco-friendly and cost-efficient large-scale energy storage using seawater
Due to the steadily increasing worldwide demand for energy and the limited resources of fossil fuels such as crude oil, coal, and natural gas, renewable and green energy sources are gathering increasing attention by scientific researchers and
Chronic radiation proctitis: prevention better than cure?
Radiation therapy (RT) is common used in treatments for pelvic malignancies (prostate, urinary bladder, cervix, uterus, and anus). A feared complication of RT is called Chronic radiation proctitis (CRP). This is a relatively frequent late (3-6 months
Girls should know whether they experienced a first menstruation after birth
Within a few days of birth in approximately 5% of neonates a vaginal bleeding appears lasting 1-3 days. This Neonatal Menstrual-like Bleeding is described in the lay literature as an unusual, but physiological direct consequence of the
Curcumin, from Indian spice to a molecular model in drug discovery?
Nature has provided a large variety of molecules, with different degrees of complexity and therapeutic applications. Curcumin (Fig. 1) is an example of such molecules. Curcumin is a natural compound isolated from the rhizomes of the plant
The autonomous glycosylation of Giant, but sweet, viruses
The most of proteins carry sugars on them, which significantly modify their properties such as biological activity, solubility and resistance to protein-degrading enzymes. The sugars on proteins drive several fundamental biological mechanisms, such as hormones response, immune
