Author Archives: Tigran Dadalyan
Genetics and dietary stress explain low calcium absorption
It is well understood that osteoporosis is influenced by a variety of environmental factors such as age, nutrition, and race. Calcium absorption is one of these important factors and low levels of calcium absorption have been associated
Going my way? A tale of enzyme recruitment and activation
Protein synthesis is an energetically costly cellular process, in part due to the metabolic requirements of ribosome assembly and gene-specific messenger RNA (mRNA) production. Consequently, biosynthetic flux through the protein translation pathway is tightly regulated while translational
Specific danger signals associate with non-infection-related COPD exacerbations
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a progressive and chronic lung disease, leading to difficulties with breathing for the patients. This is caused by the destruction of the lung sacs (alveoli), called emphysema and by inflammation of
Catalytic carbon-carbon bond formation
A chemical reaction is the transformation of one or more reagents into one or more products that takes place at a characteristic rate depending on the energy needed to activate the process. A catalyst is a substance
ATF3-dependent cross-talk between cardiomyocytes and macrophages promotes cardiac maladaptive remodeling
Cardiovascular diseases are disorders of the heart and blood vessels which are leading to heart failure. Cardiovascular diseases correspond to 30% of all deaths in the world. The molecular processes that undergone from a healthy heart to
Reversibility of FXTAS
Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome or FXTAS is a relatively unknown neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive development of tremor, ataxia, parkinsonism, and psychiatric problems. The cause of the disease is a so-called premutation in the FMR1 gene, located
Lutetium-177 radioisotope targeted therapy for treatment of cancer and other diseases
By their nature, radioactive isotopes are unstable and can change to more stable forms by radioactive decay and emission of different types of radiation. This emitted radiation is useful for cancer treatment which includes placement of “sealed”
Cerium fluoride nanoparticles protect cells against oxidative stress
Nano-biomaterials engineering is one of today’s most promising areas of materials science. In very recent years, nanocrystalline cerium oxide (nanoceria) has been shown to possess enormous biological activity, which originates from its ability to scavenge the reactive
A factor that regulates the expression of HIV genes
Proteins are the machinery of life. Nearly everything in a cell is manufactured by, regulated by or composed of proteins, which are encoded in genes. When a cell needs a particular protein, the DNA encoding the protein
Evolution of diverse and bizarre stag beetle weapons
Stag beetles evolved an impressive diversity of weapons because the shape and size of the armature hardly influence the cost of flying. Computer simulations of flying stag beetles have shown that the energy cost is solely determined
Back to the future – looking at COPD with new eyes
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a broad term for diffuse lung disease caused by chronic inflammation of the airways. Patients with COPD become increasingly short of breath and often start to feel as if they are
Hemoglobin diseases and their identification
Red blood cells use hemoglobin to carry oxygen from the lungs to the body and to carry carbon dioxide from the body back to the lungs in order to keep all cells alive. Hemoglobin is a big
Guanine-nucleotide exchange factor that promotes loss of polygonal cell shape
Actin cytoskeleton dynamics determines cell shape and movement. Fibroblasts or epithelial cells, for instance, adhere and spread onto planar surfaces adopting an elongated polygonal shape. Underneath the cytoplasmic membrane, local activation of small GTPase enzymes of the
Novel recombinant JEV vaccine
Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is a viral disease, which infects humans and animals. The disease is caused by a mosquito-borne flavivirus named Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV). The disease is endemic in Asian countries but with rapid globalization and
Bibliometric analysis of scientific output on influenza in Mexico, 2000-2012
During the spring of 2009, H1N1 influenza became the first pandemic of the 21st century. In the last years, bibliometrics studies have proliferated seeking to provide data on world research. There are no bibliometric studies in Mexico
Combining a range of different imaging techniques to better understand the roles metals play in biology
Microscopes in various forms have helped identify disease-causing bacteria, miniaturize microprocessors and engineer superior metal alloys. However, in biology some things remain very difficult to see even at the highest levels of magnification. Metal ions (e.g. calcium,
Improvement of critically sized bone fracture healing by using conductive tissue engineering scaffolds
Bone is the second most prevalent transplant tissue after blood. Healing the critically sized bone defects caused by tumor or trauma are among the major challenges for orthopedic surgeons. Although, allografts and autografts are commonly used for
AMPK, an energy consumption supervisor, regulates hedgehog and may be a cancer therapeutic target
A cell can be thought of as a factory with many machines controlling different processes. Cell growth is the process by which a cell divides and multiplies. It is a highly energy-consuming process. Therefore, supervisors are needed
How to get the lowest production of sewage sludge by using ozone
Wastewater needs treatment before discharge into rivers or lakes or to the sea, to avoid pollution of these water bodies and prevent waterborne diseases. Biological processes are usually the core of wastewater treatment plants. In these processes,
