The MAF protein interacts with the estrogen receptor, alters its function, and promotes the spread of cancer. The KDM1A enzyme plays a fundamental role in the epigenetic remodelling that facilitates the function of pro-metastatic genes. The work carried out in Dr. Roger Gomis Lab at IRB Barcelona has been published in the journal Nature Cell Biology. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women, with more than 2 million new cases diagnosed each year. In cases where the tumour remains…

Physicists from the University of Luxembourg together with experts from Avant-garde Materials Simulation (AMS) and seven pharmaceutical companies have redefined the state-of-the-art in modeling and predicting the free energy of crystals. Their work, recently published in Nature, shows that crystal form stability under real-world temperature and humidity conditions can be reliably and affordably predicted through computer simulation. Physical properties (stability, solubility, etc.), critical to the performance of pharmaceutical and functional materials, are known to strongly depend on the solid-state form…

Liver cells age differently depending on where they are in the organ. Looking around us, we can see that people age at different rates. But what about inside? Do all cells age in the same way? And does the location of a cell in the organ make a difference to the ageing process? Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Cologne and CECAD Excellence Cluster for Ageing Research have now shown in the liver of mice…

… in Managing Diabetes and Obesity. The increasing amount of patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes benefit greatly from the recently developed GIPR:GLP-1R co-agonists. These novel compounds lead to substantial weight loss, offering a revolutionary approach to patients worldwide. Although the hormone glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) was already shown by Helmholtz Munich scientists to decrease body weight via the brain GIP receptor, the underlying neurons through which GIP acts in the brain remained unknown. Scientists led by Dr. Timo…

Researchers describes a hitherto unknown protein with anti-oxidizing properties secreted by Coxiella burnetii, a Gram-negative intracellular bacterium, pointing to possible treatments for auto-immune diseases and even cancer. Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil, partnering with colleagues in Australia, have identified a novel bacterial protein that can keep human cells healthy even when the cells have a heavy bacterial burden. The discovery could lead to new treatments for a wide array of diseases relating to mitochondrial dysfunction,…

Jennifer Oyler-Yaniv is using cancer as a model system to understand general principles of the immune system. The immune system is a crucial part of our survival, regularly fending off wide-ranging attacks on the body, both internal and external. Unsurprisingly, the elegant defense system that protects us from viruses, bacterial infections, cancer, and other threats is immensely complicated. Each time it mounts a response, it must quickly and carefully orchestrate communication across vast numbers of cells and molecules. Jennifer Oyler-Yaniv…

High-speed video reveals strategies hummingbirds use to transit apertures too small for their wingspan. Most birds that flit through dense, leafy forests have a strategy for maneuvering through tight windows in the vegetation — they bend their wings at the wrist or elbow and barrel through. But hummingbirds can’t bend their wing bones during flight, so how do they transit the gaps between leaves and tangled branches? A study published today in the Journal of Experimental Biology shows that hummingbirds…

New method reveals host-microbe interactions. Joint press release by the CAU and the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology: North German researchers are developing a method that reveals the chemical communication between microbes and their host. The fascinating world of bacteria that live as symbionts or parasites in animal hosts often remains a mystery to researchers. Kiel University (CAU) and the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen are contributing to solving this puzzle with their research into the…

UNITE4TB, the largest public-private collaboration in tuberculosis drug development, announces start of clinical trials. The TB challenge TB is a major threat to public health, being among the leading causes of death worldwide. In 2021, the disease claimed the lives of 1.6 million people, making it the second leading infectious killer after COVID-19.[1] Drug-resistant TB and long treatment regimens have increased the urgency for action and investment in TB research. For people affected by TB, the most important outcome is…

Under the ocean’s surface, marine organisms are constantly releasing invisible molecules. Some of the chemical clues reveal which creatures are nearby, while others could be used someday as medications. Now, researchers in ACS Central Science report a proof-of-concept device that “sniffs” seawater, trapping dissolved compounds for analyses. The team showed that the system could easily concentrate molecules that are present in underwater caves and holds promise for drug discovery in fragile ecosystems, including coral reefs. A drop of seawater is…

Nature has no shortage of patterns, from spots on leopards to stripes on zebras and hexagons on boxfish. But a full explanation for how these patterns form has remained elusive. Now engineers at the University of Colorado Boulder have shown that the same physical process that helps remove dirt from laundry could play a role in how tropical fish get their colorful stripes and spots. Their findings were published Nov. 8 in the journal Science Advances. “Many biological questions are…

Hodgkin’s lymphoma is one of the most common types of lymphoma in young adults. It is characterized by the presence of enlarged B lymphocytes, which are unusual in that they bear on their surface the identifying markers of many other immune cells – such as those found on phagocytes, dendritic cells, or T cells. Now, a team led by Stephan Mathas from the Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC) has explained how these changes take place in the cells and…

Pancreatic cancer is not just one disease, but that’s the way it is currently treated. New work from Tannishtha Reya’s lab could help pave the way for a change. Though most pancreatic cancers are classified as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) several other subtypes exist. “Everyone gets the same chemotherapy, even though some subtypes are dramatically less responsive to the treatment and even more lethal,” says Tannishtha Reya, Ph.D., the Herbert and Florence Irving Professor of Basic Cancer Science (in Physiology & Cellular Biophysics) at Columbia…

Low-cost error compensation for fabrication of high-precision microstructures. Two-photon polymerization 3D printing faces a critical challenge of correcting tilt and curvature errors. In today’s fast-paced technological landscape, the proverb “the bigger the better” was turned upside down and a race to make everything smaller has started. From miniature optical components to micro-scale medical devices, the quest for creating ever smaller yet more intricate structures has led to remarkable progress in a wide range of fields. An important manufacturing technique enabling…

Photosynthesis is one of the most important metabolic processes in nature: It is critical for plant growth and thus for the production of plant-based foods. In close cooperation with the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology (MPI-MP), a German-American research team headed by Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) has now investigated whether a specific metabolic pathway in photosynthesis that competes with carbon fixation has a protective function for plants. The results are also relevant for crop plant breeding, as…

… for Henry Ford Health patients with cancer. Patients at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital are among the first in the U.S with access to a new treatment system. Patients undergoing radiation therapy for certain types of cancer at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital are among the first in the country with access to a cutting-edge treatment system that increases accuracy and precision, enhances patient comfort, and minimizes side effects. This month, Henry Ford began offering treatment with the Varian…