Certain types of light have proven to be an effective, minimally invasive treatment for cancers located on or near the skin when combined with a light-activated drug. But deep-seated cancers, surrounded by tissue, blood and bone, have been beyond the reach of light’s therapeutic effects. To bring light’s benefits to these harder-to-access cancers, engineers and scientists at the University of Notre Dame have devised a wireless LED device that can be implanted. This device, when combined with a light-sensitive dye,…

Every living cell transcribes DNA into RNA. This process begins when an enzyme called RNA polymerase (RNAP) clamps onto DNA. Within a few hundred milliseconds, the DNA double helix unwinds to form a node known as the transcription bubble, so that one exposed DNA strand can be copied into a complementary RNA strand. How RNAP accomplishes this feat is largely unknown. A snapshot of RNAP in the act of opening that bubble would provide a wealth of information, but the…

New findings open up possibilities for sustainable color technologies. An international team of researchers of the Cluster of Excellence ‘Balance of the Microverse’ at the University of Jena has investigated the mechanism that makes some types of bacteria reflect light without using pigments. The researchers were interested in the genes responsible and discovered important ecological connections. These findings were published in the current issue of the renowned journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The iridescent colors known…

Is it possible to create a new class of materials from very different substances using the “one-pot synthesis” approach? Chemists at the University of Konstanz explain how they enable the synthesis of such novel materials. People have long dreamt of developing materials to circumvent the challenges of daily life. Ideally, one could capitalize on a combination of the features of different materials, profiting from their advantages while avoiding the disadvantages. In chemistry, this concept has been applied to hybrid materials,…

…could help capture carbon directly from smokestacks. Electrochemical catalyst for converting CO2 to valuable products can stand up to an impurity that poisons current versions. A newly designed catalyst created by University of Toronto Engineering researchers efficiently converts captured carbon into valuable products — even in the presence of a contaminant that degrades the performance of current versions. The discovery is an important step toward more economically favourable techniques for carbon capture and storage that could be added on to existing…

Cancer is insidious. Throughout tumor progression, the disease hijacks otherwise healthy biological processes—like the body’s immune response—to grow and spread. When tumors elevate levels of an immune system molecule called Interleukin-6 (IL-6), it can cause severe brain dysfunction. In about 50%-80% of cancer patients, this leads to a lethal wasting disease called cachexia. “It’s a very severe syndrome,” says Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Professor Bo Li. Left: Hyperactive neurons (pink) in the AP before treatment with antibodies (top) and CRISPR…

… a key gene in the progression and treatment of lung adenocarcinoma, has been discovered. The alteration of RNF144B especially affects the progression of lung adenocarcinoma tumours. According to the study, this gene’s low expression is related to a worse prognosis and greater resistance to conventional chemotherapy treatment. Research led by the Cancer Biology Laboratory of the Department of Medicine and Life Sciences (MELIS) at Pompeu Fabra University, in collaboration with the Center for Genomic Regulation and the Murcian Institute…

Researchers at Tel Aviv University relied on principles of origami, the Japanese art of paperfolding, to develop an original and innovative solution for a problem that has been troubling researchers worldwide: positioning sensors inside 3D-bioprinted tissue models. Instead of bioprinting tissue over the sensors (found to be impracticable) they design and produce an origami-inspired structure that folds around the fabricated tissue, allowing the insertion of sensors into precisely pre-defined locations. The study was a joint effort of researchers from several…

What causes pulmonary hypertension. The blood pressure inside the lungs is typically much lower than in the rest of the body. Pulmonary hypertension occurs when the blood vessels within the lungs contract and the smooth muscle layer surrounding these vessels thickens. The disease puts constant stress on the right heart, as it needs considerably more strength to pump the blood through the lungs. As a result, the heart becomes enlarged and may eventually fail due to overload. “The causes of…

Interaction of monocytes and platelets decoded. Monocytes, a special type of white blood cell, secrete cytokines as inflammatory messengers that are crucial for an appropriate immune response. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn have now discovered that platelets, also known as thrombocytes, communicate with monocytes and increase their inflammatory capacity. By understanding the platelet-monocyte interaction, they hope to improve the treatment of immune disorders and associated diseases. The results of the study have now…

… may facilitate infection, transmission in mammals. H5N1 virus did not efficiently transmit via respiratory route to ferrets. A series of experiments with highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI H5N1) viruses circulating in infected U.S. dairy cattle found that viruses derived from lactating dairy cattle induced severe disease in mice and ferrets when administered via intranasal inoculation. The virus from the H5N1-infected cows bound to both avian (bird) and human-type cellular receptors, but, importantly, did not transmit efficiently among ferrets…

New compound supercharges naloxone… Every great superhero needs a sidekick. Now, scientists may have found a drug-busting partner for naloxone. Naloxone is an opioid antidote that has saved tens of thousands of lives by rapidly reversing opioid overdoses in more than 90% of cases in which it is used. But its powers are temporary, lasting only 30 to 90 minutes. The rise of potent, long-acting opioids such as fentanyl means that someone brought back from the brink can still overdose…

Researchers at the University of Bonn have isolated a DNA molecule that is suitable for combating allergic contact dermatitis in mice. What is known as an aptamer binds to certain immune system messenger substances, rendering them ineffective. This even works if the active ingredient is applied to the skin in the form of an ointment. The working groups involved hope that aptamer creams such as this could also be suitable for treating other skin conditions. The results have now been…

How to improve transcription factors. Transcription factors regulate gene expression by binding specific sequences on DNA, which is an essential step to produce messenger RNAs from protein-coding genes. Denes Hnisz’s lab, in collaboration with Martin Vingron’s lab at the MPIMG, has discovered that human transcription factors don’t typically use their full potential to help transcribe mRNA. Instead, important protein regions within transcription factors encode chemical features that generate submaximal transcriptional activity. The findings, published in Nature Cell Biology, suggest simple…

Scientists create 1 nm-sized metal-based catalysts for efficient and environmentally friendly chemical reactions. A new catalyst may well catalyze a shift to greener chemistry. Chemists from Yokohama National University have successfully developed innovative catalysts containing two noble metals that demonstrate remarkable efficiency in ester-producing chemical reactions and utilize oxygen as the sole oxidant, making the process much more environmentally friendly and sustainable. Their results were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society on June 6. Cross-Dehydrogenative Coupling (CDC)…

… and paves way for rare metal-free applications. A research team led by Osaka University discovered that the new organic molecule thienyl diketone shows high-efficiency phosphorescence. It achieved phosphorescence that is more than ten times faster than traditional materials, allowing the team to elucidate this mechanism. Phosphorescence is a valuable optical function used in applications such as organic EL displays (OLEDs) and cancer diagnostics. Until now, achieving high-efficiency phosphorescence without using rare metals such as iridium and platinum has been…