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Categories: Biology: Cell Biology, Chemistry: Organic Chemistry
Published New mechanism of action kills cancer cells



Conventional cancer drugs work by triggering apoptosis, that is programmed cell death, in tumor cells. However, tumor cells have the ability to develop strategies to escape apoptosis, rendering the drugs ineffective. A research team now describes a new mechanism of action that kills cancer cells through ferroptosis.
Published C-section antibiotics impact the infant microbiome far less than infant diet



Caesarean section recipients are usually given prophylactic antibiotics just before the procedure to prevent later infections at the surgical site. But there have been concerns about whether these antibiotics may have a negative impact on newborns and their microbiomes if the drugs travel through the umbilical cord and reach the baby before the cord is cut. Now, a study has confirmed that although these antibiotics can cause subtle changes to the infant microbiome, they are much less significant than the impact of how the babies are fed.
Published A ketogenic diet could improve the response to pancreatic cancer therapy



Scientists have discovered a way to get rid of pancreatic cancer in mice by putting them on a high fat, or ketogenic, diet and giving them cancer therapy.
Published Decoding the world's largest animal genome



Scientists have sequenced the largest genome of all animals, the lungfish genome. Their data help to explain how the fish-ancestors of today's land vertebrates were able to conquer land.
Published Researchers call for genetically diverse models to drive innovation in drug discovery



Researchers unveiled an approach to drug discovery that could revolutionize how we understand and treat diseases. Their commentary explains the limitations of studies using traditional mouse models and proposes using genetically diverse mice and mouse and human cells to better predict human responses to drugs and diseases.
Published Common equine painkiller disrupts assisted reproduction technique efficiency in mares



Researchers have discovered that phenylbutazone, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) commonly prescribed in horses, can affect the ability of a mare's egg cells -- called 'oocytes' -- to become viable embryos, which is a crucial step in assisted reproduction in horses.
Published Exciting advance in stem cell therapy



A new technique for mechanically manipulating stem cells could lead to new stem cell treatments, which have yet to fulfill their therapeutic potential.
Published Chemists synthesize plant-derived molecules that hold potential as pharmaceuticals



Chemists developed a way to synthesize complex molecules called oligocyclotryptamines, originally found in plants, which could hold potential as antibiotics, analgesics, or anticancer drugs.
Published Halogen bonding for selective electrochemical separation, path to sustainable chemical processing demonstrated



A team has reported the first demonstration of selective electrochemical separation driven by halogen bonding. This was achieved by engineering a polymer that modulates the charge density on a halogen atom when electricity is applied. The polymer then attracts only certain targets -- such as halides, oxyanions, and even organic molecules -- from organic solutions, a feature that has important implications for pharmaceuticals and chemical synthesis processes.
Published Significant link found between heme iron, found in red meat and other animal products, and type 2 diabetes risk



Higher intake of heme iron, the type found in red meat and other animal products -- as opposed to non-heme iron, found mostly in plant-based foods -- was associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) in a new study. While the link between heme iron and T2D has been reported previously, the study's findings more clearly establish and explain the link.
Published Pit-building venom mixers



Researchers show that the adaptation of antlions to their ecological niche has also changed their venom. They compared the venom system of antlion and closely related green lacewing larvae. Antlions produce a much more complex venom from three different venom glands than lacewing larvae do. All the venom proteins identified come from the insects themselves, not from symbiotic bacteria. Some of the toxins are new and appear to be unique to antlions. Waiting for their victims in pitfall traps in the sand, antlions can use their venom to immobilize larger prey. The venom therefore plays an important ecological role in adapting to their barren habitat.
Published Surprising insight into cancer comes from unique plant species that find different solutions to evolutionary challenges



A study has shown that different plant species tackle the same evolutionary hurdle in different ways, and the findings may give insight into aggressive forms of cancer.
Published Rewriting the evolutionary history of critical components of the nervous system



A new study has rewritten the conventionally understood evolutionary history of certain ion channels -- proteins critical for electrical signaling in the nervous system. The study shows that the Shaker family of ion channels were present in microscopic single cell organisms well before the common ancestor of all animals and thus before the origin of the nervous system.
Published Starvation and adhesion drive formation of keratinocyte patterns in skin



Cell-cell adhesion-induced patterning in keratinocytes can be explained by just starvation and strong adhesion researchers find.
Published Study reveals oleoyl-ACP-hydrolase underpins lethal respiratory viral disease



Respiratory infections can be severe, even deadly, in some individuals, but not in others. Scientists have gained new understanding of why this is the case by uncovering an early molecular driver that underpins fatal disease. Oleoyl-ACP-hydrolase (OLAH) is an enzyme involved in fatty acid metabolism. A study shows that OLAH drives severe disease outcomes.
Published Researchers ID body's 'quality control' regulator for protein folding



Anyone who's tried to neatly gather a fitted sheet can tell you: folding is hard. Get it wrong with your laundry and the result can be a crumpled, wrinkled mess of fabric, but when folding fails among the approximately 7,000 proteins with an origami-like complexity that regulate essential cellular functions, the result can lead to one of a multitude of serious diseases ranging from emphysema and cystic fibrosis to Alzheimer's disease. Fortunately, our bodies have a quality-control system that identifies misfolded proteins and marks them either for additional folding work or destruction, but how, exactly, this quality-control process functions is not entirely known. Researchers have now made a major leap forward in our understanding of how this quality-control system works by discovering the 'hot spot' where all the action takes place.
Published Pre-surgical antibody treatment might prevent heart transplant rejection



Anti-rejection regimens currently in use are broad immunosuppressive agents that make patients susceptible to infections. By using specific antibodies, it may be possible to just block the inflammation that leads to rejection but leave anti-microbial immunity intact.
Published Why carbon nanotubes fluoresce when they bind to certain molecules



Nanotubes can serve as biosensors. They change their fluorescence when they bind to certain molecules. Until now, it was unclear why. Researchers have gained new insights into the cause of the fluorescence.
Published Low magnesium levels increase disease risk



A new study has identified why a diet rich in magnesium is so important for our health, reducing the risk of DNA damage and chronic degenerative disorders.
Published How mortal filaments' self-assemble and maintain order: Align or die



A previously unknown mechanism of active matter self-organization essential for bacterial cell division follows the motto 'dying to align': Misaligned filaments 'die' spontaneously to form a ring structure at the center of the dividing cell. The work could find applications in developing synthetic self-healing materials.