Monthly Archives: May 2016
Clinical studies ask: “Are less expensive ‘biosimilar’ drugs as effective and safe as current drugs?”
Several debilitating diseases caused by disorders in a patient’s immune system – often called ‘immune-mediated diseases’ – have become easier to treat in the last two decades following the discovery of drugs called ‘biologics’. Biologics act on
The variegated world of poly-ubiquitin chains
Proteins share with living beings the events of birth, life and death. They are ‘born’ when information contained in the DNA is translated into an amino acid chain and live their life in their natural environments (i.e.
Neurons share the same destiny irrespective of their location: A closer look at PP-MS pathogenesis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system, caused by the reaction of immune cells against myelin, a membrane that surrounds the axons of nerve cells. MS is characterized by the presence of inflammatory
The application of biosensors for meat quality analysis
To meet the demands of growing meat consumption in recent years, animal farming tended to increase meatiness. The rise of meatiness was not in concordance with the improvement of the meat quality. The quality of meat is
Inflammatory bowel disease: one, two, or a thousand diseases
The so-called Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (Ulcerative Colitis –UC- and Crohn’s Disease –CD-, comprised under the umbrella acronym IBD) often come about with the accompaniment of variegated pathologic conditions that are mostly inflammatory in nature. Among them, the
Is VPS35 critical to prevent Parkinson’s disease?
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a severely debilitating motor disorder characterized by loss of dopaminergic neurons and increase of α-synuclein in a brain region known as the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Although much progress has been made
How fast do proteins break apart with light?
Proteins are microscopic machines that perform diverse functions in nature from transporting materials, to carrying out chemical reactions in the cell, to transmitting signals throughout the body. To do these tasks, the long protein chains must wrap
How actinomycin binds to DNA and exerts its mechanism of action
In this remarkably simple and profound article — recently appearing in the March issue of the Journal of Structural and Functional Genomics — Henry M. Sobell describes his theory for the existence of “premeltons” in DNA —
Polyamine transport increases drug resistance in the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi
The parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas disease, an illness affecting millions of people in America. The only drugs approved against Chagas disease are nifurtimox and benznidazole, which were discovered almost half a century
Cochlear implantation in children with auditory neuropathy
Hearing loss is one of the most common disorder that can affect newborns, with a rate of one affected child on every 1000 births. A normal speech development is desired for these patients and can be reached
FDG-PET/CT is accurate in diagnosing breast cancer recurrence
A woman with a substantial risk of breast cancer recurrence experiences worry and anxiety, and a correct diagnosis is relevant in order to make well-founded decision on treatment strategy. It is then crucial to provide accurate diagnostic
Design of supplements and nutraceuticals enriched in resveratrol: a promising natural compound
Resveratrol is a polyphenol compound found in grapes, red wine, berry fruits and nuts. Given the favorable prophylactic and therapeutic effects of resveratrol, nanocarriers have been developed for enhancing its bioavailability for further application as supplements or
Effects of hypoxia/reoxygenation in the antioxidant system of crabs
Variations in the concentration of dissolved oxygen in water naturally induce hypoxia/reoxygenation cycles in various regions of aquatic environments of freshwater (rivers and lakes) and marine (coastal areas). However, in recent decades, human activities that discharge domestic
Light-controlled muscle-powered walking biological robots
For centuries, engineers have built with traditional materials, such as woods or metals, which can’t dynamically respond to changes in their environment. Intuitively, we know that biological materials can do things synthetic materials cannot. For example, our
Building nanocomposite materials for sensing applications
Construction of nanoscale devices is a crucial step toward the application of nanotechnology in a variety of fields. Although construction by addition of individual building blocks might appear impossible without using nanomachines, it can actually be carried
Clues for innovative therapies targeting the c-ring of the F1FO-ATP synthase
Increasing evidence points out that the ATP synthase/hydrolase, also known as F1FO-complex, can be the key enzymatic switch between cell life and death. So, the enzyme complex, which bears the task of building most cellular ATP, the
Deer show a gender difference in the neural regulation of appetite by the brain
Brain chemicals , called neuropeptides , regulate seasonal changes in reproductive function and appetite. We took brains from red deer males and females at two contrasting seasons of the year and examined specific regions of the hypothalamus
Focal salvage for radiorecurrent prostate cancer
Patients primarily treated with radiotherapy for prostate cancer can get a recurrence. The tumour then regrows. Often this is a localised process and the tumour has not spread to other parts of the body. Therefore, these patients
Introducing legume-based ingredients in the niche food market
Legumes are widely promoted for their health benefits, as they are packed with protein, fibre and rich in vitamins and minerals. At the recommended amount, consumption of legumes lowers the risk of developing heart disease, cancers and
22q11.2 deletion syndrome diagnosed in a young patient presenting with Parkinson disease
Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS), also called DiGeorge syndrome, is a fairly common genetic syndrome. In most cases, the diagnosis is made at birth or early in childhood as the most common features of the syndrome –
