Unpacking the smart way

How Incoming adenoviruses change their chromatin structure for efficient gene expression

05-Sep-2023 - Adenoviruses, known for their low pathogenicity and technological approachability, have become instrumental in many therapeutic applications, including as vaccination vector platform during the recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Central to their efficacy is the remarkably efficient delivery and ...

Useful “Fake” Peptides

Oligourea foldamers mimic peptides’ alpha-helices and effectively bind to drug targets

09-Dec-2020 - Some useful drugs consist of peptides acting on their protein targets. To make them more efficient and stable, scientists have found a way to replace crucial segments of the peptides with ureido units. These oligoureas, which are composed of urea-based units, fold into a structure similar to that ...

X-ray experiments reveal important mechanism behind parkinsonian disorders

Gene defect in hereditary forms of the neurological disorder results in manganese poisoning inside cells

21-Jan-2019 - A new X-ray study has revealed one of the key mechanisms behind certain familial-parkinsonian disorders. The study demonstrates in detail how poisoning with the metal manganese occurs inside a cell, leading to parkinsonian symptoms. It found that a specific genetic defect results in manganese ...

For a Better Contrast

Rare earth orthoferrite LnFeO3 nanoparticles for bioimaging

06-Sep-2018 - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as one of the most powerful clinical imaging tools because of its superb spatial resolution and soft tissue contrast, especially when using contrast agents. In the European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, scientists have presented a new kind of ...

New insights on how cocaine changes the brain

27-Nov-2015 - The burst of energy and hyperactivity that comes with a cocaine high is a rather accurate reflection of what's going on in the brain of its users. Through experiments conducted in rats exposed to cocaine, the researchers mapped out the network of circuits that cause wild firing of neurons that ...

Naturally occurring protein has a role in chronic pain

14-Jun-2012 - Researchers in France and Sweden have discovered how one of the body’s own proteins is involved in generating chronic pain in rats. The results, which also suggest therapeutic interventions to alleviate long-lasting pain, are reported in The EMBO Journal.“We are fortunate to have a wide range of ...