Proteins

Could Alzheimer's disease one day be treated by flashes of light and clicks of sound? Scientists have now demonstrated how stimulating high-frequency brain waves in mice can clear out the amyloid protein clumps associated with Alzheimer's.Previous research has shown that stimulating high-frequency brain waves, called gamma waves, might improve the brain's ability to clear out waste – waste that can contribute to neurological diseases like Alzheimer's – but this study takes a closer look at the mechanism involved.In tests…

A new study highlights the role of misfolded tau proteins in the genesis and trajectory of Parkinson’s disease. Credit: Jason Drees/ASUNew research identifies tau protein as a key player in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease, challenging traditional views and suggesting new directions for treatment.Parkinson’s disease, the second most common type of progressive dementia after Alzheimer’s disease, affects nearly 1 million people in the U.S. and an estimated 10 million individuals worldwide. Each year, close to 90,000…

DeepGO-SE, an AI tool created by KAUST researchers, revolutionizes the prediction of unknown protein functions using logical entailment and advanced language models, showing significant potential for scientific research and biotechnological applications. Credit: SciTechDaily.comKAUST’s DeepGO-SE AI tool excels in predicting functions of unknown proteins, offering promising applications in biotechnology and research.A new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that draws logical inferences about the function of unknown proteins…

A protein transition can free up land to tap vast energy and negative emission potentials. Credit: One Earth/Rueda et al. Researchers report that replacing 50% of animal products with alternative proteins by 2050 could free up enough agricultural land to generate renewable energy equivalent in volume to today's coal-generated power while simultaneously removing substantial CO2 from the atmosphere. …

Researchers at City of Hope have identified a crucial interaction between two proteins that facilitate cancer cell growth, offering a new target for developing effective cancer treatments. Credit: SciTechDaily.comScientists identify treatment target that disrupts proteins’ interaction, offering hope for new therapeutic approach.Scientists at City of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, have discovered a new cellular mechanism that plays an important role in cancer…

A groundbreaking study by the University of Copenhagen has unveiled the properties of all 28,000 human disordered proteins, challenging traditional protein structure concepts and offering new insights into their role in diseases. Credit: SciTechDaily.comResearch reveals new insights into 28,000 human disordered proteins, altering our understanding of protein structures and functions.Protein molecules lie at the heart of biology. Our typical understanding of proteins states that each type of protein has a specific…

January 19, 20243 min readProteins involved in immunity, clotting and inflammation could help to unravel the complexity of long COVIDBy Miryam Naddaf & Nature magazineLong COVID is characterized by symptoms such as fatigue and brain fog, which can persist for months or years after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Researchers have developed a computational model that predicts how likely a person is to develop long COVID, based on an analysis of more than 6,500 proteins found in blood.In a study published on 18 January in Science,…

A study by CUNY ASRC researchers, using X-ray crystallography under different conditions, revealed various shapes of a disease-related protein, offering new avenues for drug development. Credit: SciTechDaily.comNew crystallography experiments using high pressure and heat to reveal how proteins change shape could advance the development of novel drugs.Proteins do the heavy lifting of performing biochemical functions in our bodies by binding to metabolites or other proteins to complete tasks. To do this successfully,…

By David Orenstein, The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory December 16, 2023Neurons in Drosophila fruit flies were studied by The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory to understand the diversity in neuronal communication. They found that a protein, complexin, plays a vital role in controlling neurotransmitter release. The study showed that RNA editing of complexin results in different versions of the protein, affecting how neurons communicate and grow synapses. Credit: SciTechDaily.comNeurons stochastically…

We've known since the 1980s that some proteins behave like pathogens if they aren't folded properly.These self-replicating molecular troublemakers called prions can cause brain tissue to deteriorate, as seen in Mad Cow disease and its human counterpart, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.Over the past few decades, some intriguing studies have suggested that something similar could be happening in dementia.The sticky clumps of amyloid beta protein found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease might behave like prions and…