For proteins, size does matter. The size of proteins is related to their function. Most of the really big proteins are found in muscles. Muscle cells are specialized for contraction and force generation, processes that rely on the precise organization and interaction of several large protein complexes.
Over the last 25 years, the survival statistics for cancer patients have improved. Changes in lifestyle (e.g. smoking), earlier detection and better therapies have all contributed. Here, we look at which cancers have the best, worst and most improved survival rates.
Understanding the way a drug interacts with our body, and the risks that this poses, is a critical part of drug development. In this article, we describe the basic aspects of ADME Tox, with specific examples.
These versatile cells, known for their multiple roles in engulfing and digesting cellular debris, pathogens, and attacking cancer cells as well as rebuilding damaged tissue, are at the center of a new wave of treatments. Companies around the world are exploiting the unique properties of macrophages to develop groundbreaking therapies for a wide range of diseases.
Cancer treatment has long been a battlefield of precision, targeting tumors with treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. However, a rare and fascinating phenomenon known as the abscopal effect has intrigued oncologists and researchers, offering a glimpse into the hidden power of the body to fight cancer beyond the direct line of treatment.
A research article published recently in Nature suggests that, at least in some cases, reducing the amount of protein in a diet can help tip the balance in favour of normal cells and suggests ways to modify macrophages to out-compete cancer cells.
In recent years, the field of synthetic biology has emerged as a revolutionary branch of science, blending engineering principles with biology to reshape the way we understand and interact with living organisms. This groundbreaking discipline combines the power of genetics, biochemistry, and computer science to design, construct, and optimize new biological systems. With its vast potential to address critical global challenges, synthetic biology has garnered immense attention from researchers, innovators, regulators and policymakers alike.
Pattern recognition is one of the mechanisms by which the immune system discriminates pathogens from self. Immune cells are not simply identifying common pathogenic patterns, but instead, respond to fragments of pathogens released during unsuccessful pathogenic adaptation activities.
As pathogens evolve, they develop ingenious survival strategies. Perhaps some of the most fascinating are the pathogens that have hit upon the strategy of taking up residence in the very cells tasked with their termination: phagocytic immune cells. This strategy also makes the task of clearing infections using drugs very challenging.
Preserving maternal RNA transmitted by an oocyte to its progeny is an essential aspect of oogenesis, yet not much is known about how this is achieved in mammalian species. In a recent issue of Science, researchers at the Max Planck Institute in Gottingen, Germany [Cheng et al. (2022)] uncovered the MARDO, a novel structure that may help answer this longstanding question.
