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    Category Biology/Biotechnology

    Protein Anchors as a newly discovered Key Molecule in Cancer Spread and Epilepsy

    January 28, 2021, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Certain anchor proteins inhibit a key metabolic driver that plays an important role in cancer and developmental brain disorders. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the University of Innsbruck, together with a Europe-wide research network, discovered this molecular mechanism, which could open up new opportunities for personalized therapies for cancer and neuronal diseases. They published their results in the journal Cell.

    The signaling protein MTOR (Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin) is a sensor for nutrients such as amino acids and sugars. When sufficient nutrients are available, MTOR boosts metabolism and ensures that sufficient energy and cellular building blocks are available...

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    Biodegradable Displays for Sustainable Electronics

    January 28, 2021, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    2020_111_Kompostierbare Displays fuer nachhaltige Elektronik_72dpi
    Thanks to its flexibility and adhesion, the biodegradable display can be worn directly on the hand. (Photo: Manuel Pietsch, KIT)

    Researchers develop biodegradable printed display. In the next years, increasing use of electronic devices in consumables and new technologies for the internet of things will increase the amount of electronic scrap. To save resources and minimize waste volumes, an eco-friendlier production and more sustainable lifecycle will be needed. Scientists of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have now been the first to produce displays, whose biodegradability has been checked and certified by an independent office. The results are reported in the Journal of Materials Chemistry.

    “For the first time, we have demonstrated that it is possible to produce sustainabl...

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    Newly discovered subset of Brain Cells fight Inflammation with Instructions from the Gut

    January 28, 2021, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    This shows the outline of a head and a brain
    The researchers used refined gene- and protein-analysis tools to identify the novel astrocyte subset. Image is in the public domain

    Astrocytes are the most abundant type of cells within the central nervous system (CNS), but they remain poorly characterized. Researchers have long assumed that astrocytes’ primary function is to provide nutrients and support for the brain’s more closely scrutinized nerve cells; over the years, however, increasing evidence has shown that astrocytes can also actively promote neurodegeneration, inflammation, and neurological diseases...

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    First observation of the Early Link between Proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease

    January 27, 2021, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    State-of-the-art automatic brainstem segmentation methods were used to extract tau burden in its first aggregation site, that is, in the brainstem monoaminergic grey matter (bmGM). Beta-amyloid (Aβ) burden was extracted in the earliest cortical aggregation regions, i.e. in the bilateral medial superior frontal, inferior temporal, and fusiform areas.
    State-of-the-art automatic brainstem segmentation methods were used to extract tau burden in its first aggregation site, that is, in the brainstem monoaminergic grey matter (bmGM). Beta-amyloid (Aβ) burden was extracted in the earliest cortical aggregation regions, i.e. in the bilateral medial superior frontal, inferior temporal, and fusiform areas.

    Study conducted by researchers from the GIGA CRC In vivo Imaging laboratory at ULiège demonstrates, for the first time in humans, how the first deposits of tau proteins in the brainstem are associated with neurophysiological processes specific to the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease development.

    During the pre-clinical stages of Alzheimer’s disease, i.e...

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