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Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Chris Morrison awarded up to $2 million NIH grant to study how the brain detects dietary protein restriction

Dr. Chris Morrison's research aims to understand how the brain detects changes in protein intake and adapts to dietary protein restriction. The study will focus on a specific population of neurons in the hindbrain that respond to FGF21, a hormone produced by the liver in response to protein restriction.

Pennington Biomedical researchers offer new perspective on how protein restriction may promote healthy aging and longevity

Pennington Biomedical researchers propose a new understanding of how protein restriction promotes healthy aging and extends lifespan by triggering a coordinated whole-body response. The response connects cellular nutrient sensing with hormones, brain function, and changes throughout the body, influencing healthy aging and longevity.

SourcePennington Biomedical Research Center·JournalCell Metabolism·TypeCommentary/editorial·DateSep 10, 2026

A new technique will speed up the design of drugs that target proteins involved in numerous diseases

A new technique has been developed to study interactions between drugs and ion channels, allowing for faster and more economical design of targeted therapies. The method has been tested on P2X7 receptors, which are therapeutic targets for depression, autism spectrum disorders, and certain types of cancer.

SourceUniversity of Seville·JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society·DateNov 14, 2025

Order from disordered proteins

A team of researchers developed a computational method that can design intrinsically disordered proteins with desired properties. The work uses automatic differentiation to optimize protein sequences and leverages molecular dynamics simulations for precision. This breakthrough has the potential to reveal new insights into diseases like...

SourceHarvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences·JournalNature Computational Science·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateOct 6, 2025

Poplar tree discovery could help shape the future of energy and biomaterials

A University of Missouri-led study has uncovered how poplar trees can naturally adjust a key part of their wood chemistry based on changes in their environment, supporting improved bioenergy production. The discovery sheds light on the role of lignin and its potential to create better biofuels and sustainable products.

SourceUniversity of Missouri-Columbia·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 18, 2025

circTP63-N suppresses the proliferation and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma via engaging with HSP90AB1 to modulate the YAP1/Hippo signaling pathway

A novel circular RNA, circTP63-N, generated by back-splicing exons 2–4 of the TP63 gene is significantly downregulated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tissues. Restoring its expression effectively inhibits NPC cell proliferation and metastasis via engagement with HSP90AB1 to modulate the YAP1/Hippo signaling pathway.

SourceScience China Press·JournalScience China Life Sciences·DateApr 3, 2025

Chinese scientists find structural variation that boosts grain number in sorghum

Researchers have uncovered two major genes responsible for sorghum's double-grain spikelet, leading to a significant increase in grain number and crop yield. The study found that the DG1 gene regulates floret meristem formation and differentiation, restoring fertility to the lower floret and resulting in the double-grain trait.

SourceChinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters·JournalNature Plants·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 11, 2025

Metallo-supramolecular complexes enantioselectively target monkeypox virus mRNA G-quadruplex and inhibit monkeypox virus replication by increasing the immune response

Researchers designed metallo-supramolecular complexes that selectively bind to MPXV mRNA G4, modulating A5L protein expression and immune response activation. These findings highlight the significance of G4s in viral immunodominant protein expression and offer potential avenues for developing antiviral therapeutics.

SourceScience China Press·JournalNational Science Review·DateJan 11, 2025

Burning cancer's bridges

Researchers discovered that aggressive breast cancer prompts nearby immune cells to build 'molecular bridges' between themselves, suppressing the immune response. An antibody treatment that blocks these bridges was shown to restore the immune system's ability to attack with force, inhibiting tumor growth in a mouse model.

SourceWeizmann Institute of Science·JournalCell Reports·DateDec 23, 2024

UC Davis researchers help decode the cause of aggressive breast cancer in women of color

Researchers at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a biomarker called TRIM37 associated with aggressive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) in Black women. This finding may help develop predictive biomarkers to improve TNBC diagnosis and prognosis, particularly for early-stage patients. TRIM37 overexpression is linked...

A user manual for yeast’s genetic switches

Kobe University researchers discovered three gene regulation design principles to improve yeast promoter performance, reducing leakiness and increasing productivity. The study's findings have potential applications in hospitals and can be used to produce multiple biologics with a single yeast strain.

SourceKobe University·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 19, 2024

What is metformin’s secret sauce?

A new Northwestern Medicine study reveals how metformin lowers glucose levels by targeting mitochondrial complex I in cells. The drug also improves COVID outcomes and reduces inflammation, suggesting that mitochondrial complex I inhibition may be a unifying mechanism behind its diverse effects.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalScience Advances·DateDec 18, 2024

New tool reveals how malaria sticks to red blood vessels

A new gene-editing tool enables precise study of variable proteins that allow malaria parasites to stick to red blood cells and evade the immune system. The study introduces a platform to explore how malaria causes disease and identifies new proteins involved in the cytoadhesion process.

SourceeLife·JournaleLife·DateNov 26, 2024

Genethon presents positive initial results from a phase 1/2/3 trial of its gene therapy (GNT0004) for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy at ASGCT Breakthroughs in Muscular Dystrophy in Chicago

Positive initial results from Genethon's gene therapy GNT0004 show stabilization of motor functions and improved dystrophin expression in patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The therapy is expected to be launched in pivotal trial phases in Europe and the US in Q2/2025.

Study shows that Rett syndrome in females is not just less severe, but different

Researchers found that female mouse models of Rett syndrome have a mosaic-like distribution of cells expressing wild-type and mutant MeCP2 protein, leading to dysregulated genes. The study also discovered an unusual disease progression, with females having more dysregulated genes at the pre-symptomatic stage than later on.

SourceUniversity of California - Davis Health·JournalCommunications Biology·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 17, 2024

Cracking the genomic code

New research from Sharon Torigoe at Lewis & Clark College confirms the importance of low-affinity binding sites for Klf4 gene enhancers in naive-state pluripotent stem cells. This discovery advances scientists' knowledge of gene expression mechanisms and has implications for regenerative medicine and understanding human disease.

SourceLewis & Clark College·JournalPLOS ONE·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 15, 2024

Revolutionizing industrial scale lactoferrin production with synthetic biological systems

Researchers developed innovative technologies to increase lactoferrin production using synthetic biological systems, overcoming limitations in separating and purifying LF from milk. The new methods have the potential to meet market demand for LF in food, pharma, and cosmetics industries.

SourceNanjing Agricultural University The Academy of Science·JournalBioDesign Research·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 25, 2024

Drug testing evolved

Researchers at Kyoto University have developed a human iPS cell-derived kidney organoid-based proximal tubule-on-chip that mimics in vivo renal physiology. This model exhibits enhanced expression and polarity of essential renal transporters, making it a powerful tool for assessing drug transport and nephrotoxicity.

SourceKyoto University·JournaliScience·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 18, 2024

Unlocking secrets of stomatal regulation: Phosphoactivation of SLAC1 in plant guard cells

Researchers from Chinese Academy of Sciences have provided mechanistic insights into the activation of SLAC1, a key anion channel involved in plant guard cell signaling. Phosphorylation of SLAC1 facilitates anion efflux, leading to membrane depolarization and stomatal closure.

SourceChinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 15, 2024