cell death Archives

Deeper insights into cell death and survival

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The intricate balance between cell death and survival is essential for normal development and for preventing diseases such as cancer and autoimmunity. Ronald Jemmerson at the University of Minnesota contributed to the seminal discovery that cytochrome c (Cyt c) plays a key role in the onset of apoptosis (programmed cell death). His laboratory also established that leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein-1 (LRG1) binds […]

Mutant protein in Siamese cats may be involved in neurodegenerative disorders

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Dr Niesman studies mutant tyrosinase in feline brain cells.

Siamese cats and humans share the same pathology when it comes to neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Dr Ingrid Niesman, based at San Diego State University, USA, believes it’s all down to a mutation in a protein called tyrosinase. The researcher wants to understand the impact of this malfunctioning protein, as well as use these cats as a basis […]

Uncovering critical cell death mechanisms for novel cardioprotective therapies

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Mitochondria are required to produce the vast amount of energy that is required for the cell to beat.

Cell death is part of a natural process by which old cells are replaced by new, but it can also result from disease or injury. There are still many aspects of this process which are not fully understood. The laboratory of Dr Jason Karch, Baylor College of Medicine, aims to increase comprehension of the mechanisms behind cell death. If these […]

Stentor coeruleus: Do these tiny cells have out-of-body experiences?

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Female patient has an out-of-body experience.

Occasionally, a person who recovers from a medical crisis reports an “out-of-body experience”. In unique research, Dr Benjamin Scherlag of the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, USA, is using a single-celled organism called Stentor coeruleus to re-create the events that occur during an out-of-body experience. Dr Scherlag has shown that these cells can be revived from an apparently dead state […]

Curiosity, cell death and caspases: One researcher’s journey to big discoveries

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All comic book superheroes have an intriguing ‘origins story’; and in the case of science superman Professor Vishva Dixit he has one too. Beginning in Kenya and ending in California, this is the story of a researcher who asked big questions of himself and the world, and went on to pioneer a field of research into cell death, caspases and apoptosis. […]