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Science News Archive November 2016 - Page 7


Page 7 of 38

Glycocluster design could lead to targeted drug delivery

Researchers developed glycocluster-based diagnostic tools with better selectivity and precision than current tracers. Heterogeneous glycoclusters exhibited special properties, such as rapid transport to the intestine for excretion or selective accumulation in the liver.

SourceRIKEN·JournalAdvanced Science·DateNov 27, 2016

Scientists step closer to halting spread of lung cancer

Researchers at the University of York and Texas have identified a protein, PAQR11, in the Golgi apparatus that receives a signal from Zeb1, triggering the transport of membrane sacks and altering the cancer cell's perimeter. This process allows cancer cells to detach from their fixed position and travel to other parts of the body.

SourceUniversity of York·JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation·DateNov 25, 2016

VIB scientists develop diagnostic tool for familial Mediterranean fever

Researchers at VIB and Ghent University have developed a diagnostic tool for Familial Mediterranean Fever, which can accurately diagnose the disease and prevent kidney failure. The tool detects changes in the body's immune reaction to pyrin, a protein mutated in FMF, and has been validated in 13 patients.

SourceVIB (the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology)·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateNov 24, 2016

Major ALS research funding announced

Researchers at McGill University's Montreal Neurological Institute will study motor neurons and astrocytes created from people with different forms of ALS via stem cell technology. The project aims to develop a potential screening mechanism for therapeutics and create new zebrafish models of the disease.

Bringing silicon to life

Researchers at Caltech use directed evolution to persuade bacteria to create silicon-carbon bonds, which are found in pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals, and computer screens. The new process has the potential to be more environmentally friendly and less expensive than current methods.