Articles tagged with Contractility
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Researchers at the University of Tokyo developed a biohybrid hand that can move objects and mimic real-life forms, using multiple muscle tissue actuators created from lab-grown muscle tissue. The hand demonstrated its ability to perform complex gestures, including scissor motions, and showed signs of fatigue but recovered within an hour.
A team of researchers led by Dr. Ahmed discovered that two FDA-approved antibiotics can induce heart regeneration in mammals, showing promise for treating heart failure. The study found that the antibiotics improved cardiac output and reduced fibrotic scar tissue, suggesting a potential new therapy.
A team of researchers at the University of Houston has identified AKAP12 as a promising target for treating heart failure through precision pharmacology. Increased levels of AKAP12 in cardiac myocytes accelerate cardiac dysfunction, but inhibiting PDE8A can reverse this effect and improve contractility.
Cell contraction, not adhesion, drives human embryo compaction, a crucial step in normal development. Defective contractility prevents implantation and ART success.
S100A11 plays a specific role in the initiation of focal adhesion site disassembly, rather than the disassembly process itself. The protein is recruited to adhesion sites through a force-dependent mechanism involving non-muscle myosin II-driven stress fiber contraction and intracellular Ca2+ influx.
A new computational approach removes movement in heart cell and tissue images, allowing direct monitoring of electro-mechanical coupling. The algorithm mimics a drug's action, giving insight into heart diseases.
A new diagnostic method assesses electrical and mechanical activity in the heart during atrial fibrillation, providing personalized assessment of atrial remodeling. This can help predict disease progression and guide treatment.
Researchers found that a mutation in RPL3L, expressed only in heart and skeletal muscle, leads to impaired cardiac contractility by causing ribosomal collisions and protein folding abnormalities. The study aims to develop new treatments for cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation.
CARMN is a long noncoding RNA that regulates contractility in both blood vessels and the gastrointestinal tract. Without CARMN, mice cannot survive due to impaired GI tract contraction, leading to conditions like intestinal pseudo-obstruction.
Researchers at the University of Washington School Medicine have engineered stem cells that do not generate dangerous arrhythmias. These 'MEDUSA' cardiomyocytes can engraft in the heart, mature into adult cells and beat in sync with natural pacemaking without generating dangerous heart rates.
New research directly measures human muscle contractile properties, revealing that extrapolating animal data to humans based on size is inaccurate. The study finds that human muscle fiber-specific tension is 24% smaller than traditionally used in small mammals.
Researchers have identified two giant proteins and two Ca2+ binding proteins as the key components behind the ultrafast contraction of Spirostomum, a genus of single-celled protists. The study's findings provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanism of ultrafast cell contraction.
Researchers identified a link between skeletal muscle atrophy and the loss of two types of myosin. The study showed that mice lacking these proteins experienced severe muscle atrophy and died within four weeks, providing a potential animal model for treating human muscle-wasting disorders.
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have identified TBX20 as a vital regulator of direct human cardiac reprogramming. Adding TBX20 to existing cocktails improves contractility and mitochondrial function in reprogrammed heart muscle cells, suggesting a therapeutic potential for TBX20.
A new study found that bioelectrical impedance analysis can accurately assess knee muscle function, offering a non-invasive alternative to traditional methods. The findings suggest that thigh PhA is a better predictor of knee extensor strength than whole-body PhA.
A new study in The American Journal of Pathology found that inhibiting neuropilin 2 in smooth muscle can enhance contraction and motility of the distal colon. This could provide opportunities to regulate smooth muscle activity in patients with colonic disorders.
Researchers from Osaka University created patient-derived heart cells that exhibit reduced contractility and impaired desmosome assembly when carrying a mutation associated with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. Replacing the mutated gene restored normal function, suggesting a potential treatment approach for this disease.
Scientists at the National University of Singapore identified a novel mechanosensitive regulation of epithelial tube contraction using the C. elegans spermatheca as a model. The study revealed that SPV-1 protein maintains regular cycles of actomyosin contractility, which helps maintain tube integrity.
A study using cardiac MRI found that energy drink consumption increased peak strain and systolic strain rates in the left ventricle of the heart. The researchers advise caution for children and individuals with heart disease, highlighting the need for further studies on long-term effects.
A new study published in PLoS Biology found that cells change size and shape to form the heart's chambers, with blood flow and cardiac contractility influencing cell shape. The researchers propose a balance of internal and external forces necessary for optimal chamber curvature, potentially underlying some types of heart disease.