Category Health/Medical

Schematic illustration of the developed cancer targeting agent — 123B9 in this study. The compound (right panel) has a scorpion-like shape with two arms grabbing EphA2-expressing cancer cells, and a tail (brown) constituted by a cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agent (paclitaxel used in this work). The agent would recognize the surface of cancer cells rich in EphA2 (labeled in red in the left panel which shows cancer cells) and deliver the cytotoxic agent. Credit: Pellecchia lab, UC Riverside.

A research team at the University of California, Riverside has discovered a way for chemotherapy drug paclitaxel to target migrating, or circulating, cancer cells, which are responsible for the development of tumor metastases...

Transglutaminase 2 (TG2) is reversibly regulated by the protein cofactors thioredoxin and ERp57 via an allosteric disulfide redox switch.

New research identifies an enzyme that turns off transglutaminase 2, potentially paving the way for new treatments for celiac disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects by some estimates nearly 1 in 100 people. Celiac disease symptoms are triggered by gluten, a protein found in wheat and related plants, but gluten doesn’t act alone to cause the digestive symptoms that patients suffer. Rather, gluten induces an overactive immune response when it’s modified by the enzyme transglutaminase 2, or TG2, in the small intestine. New research published in the Feb...

. Global arginine bioavailability ratio is decreased in patients with major depressive disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders, 2018; 229: 145 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.12.030

People suffering from major depressive disorder, MDD, have reduced arginine levels, a new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows. Arginine is an amino acid which the body uses to produce, e.g., nitric oxide. Nitric oxide, in turn, is a nervous system and immune defence mediator, and it also plays a role in vascular regulation. The global arginine bioavailability ratio, GABR, is an indicator of the body’s arginine levels, and the ratio has previously been used to measure the body’s capacity to produce nitric oxide...

Spare parts from small parts: Novel Scaffolds to grow Muscle

Australian biomedical engineers have successfully produced a 3D material that mimics nature to transform cells into muscle. The researchers have for the first time incorporated the natural processes of embryonic development to build a material that can more naturally communicate with stem cells for effective tissue repair. The breakthrough offers hope to people suffering from injuries where their muscles cannot repair themselves due to trauma or disease, and our rapidly aging population.

Led by Dr Richard Williams from RMIT University, in Melbourne Australia, the researchers have combined lab-made peptides with natural proteins and polymers to create a 3D “hydrogel scaffold...