Birmingham scientists have shown that a sequence of just three amino acids may reduce the severity of psoriasis, when applied topically in an emollient cream. The researchers, whose study is published in Pharmacological Research, identified the smallest part of a peptide (small protein) called PEPITEM, which occurs naturally in the body and regulates inflammation. The … Read more
Lariocidin hits drug-resistant bacteria where others fail — by hijacking the ribosome at a new site, bypassing defences, and opening the door to a new generation of antibiotics. Lariocidin, a lasso-shaped peptide with promising antibiotic properties. (Graphic: Dmitrii Travin and Yury Polikanov). Research: A broad-spectrum lasso peptide antibiotic targeting the bacterial ribosome Researchers at McMaster University, … Read more
The pleasure we get from eating junk food—the dopamine rush—is often blamed as the cause of overeating and rising obesity rates in our society. But paradoxically, anecdotal evidence suggests that people with obesity may take less pleasure in eating than do individuals with normal weight. Brain scans of obese individuals show reduced activity in pleasure-related … Read more
During infections, the immune system needs to distinguish foreign antigens that are expressed by invading bacteria and viruses from self-antigens that are expressed by cells of the body. If not, the immune system can mistakenly attack its own cells, causing lasting damage to tissue and potential long-term disease. New research from the University of Chicago … Read more
Treatment shows potential to slow the progression of human degenerative eye diseases, including retinitis pigmentosa. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have developed eye drops that extend vision in animal models of a group of inherited diseases that lead to progressive vision loss in humans, known as retinitis pigmentosa. The eye drops contain … Read more
For the first time scientists have identified promising drug candidates that bind irreversibly with a notoriously “undruggable” cancer protein target, permanently blocking it. Transcription factors are proteins that act as ‘master switches’ of gene activity and play a key role in cancer development. Attempts over the years to design “small molecule” drugs that block them … Read more
A groundbreaking clinical trial shows how a personalized cancer vaccine primes the immune system to target kidney cancer, preventing recurrence and offering new hope for patients with high-risk disease. Study: A neoantigen vaccine generates antitumour immunity in renal cell carcinoma. Image Credit: crystal light / Shutterstock In a recent study published in the journal Nature, researchers demonstrated … Read more
A recent study has made significant strides in uncovering how the oral microbiome, particularly the bacterium Fusobacterium nucleatum, plays a crucial role in the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). By identifying key interactions between this common oral bacterium and host cells, the research has unveiled important metabolic pathways and mechanisms that may serve … Read more