Tag Archives:cell
Glycogen localisation of AMPK is a regulated process
AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a metabolic master kinase that plays a key role in maintaining energy homeostasis at cellular and whole body level. Recent evidence links AMPK activation to health benefits, such as increased longevity and
Bioengineered human pyloric sphincters with functional muscle and nerves
The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a hollow tube that primarily functions to mediate the digestion of the food that we eat into forms of energy and nutrients that the cells and our body can use. The appropriate
Fast electric characterization of biological cells using an old idea of Maxwell
In his treatise, James Clerk Maxwell (1873) did not only derive his famous equations but he also provided the mathematical description of the direct current (DC) resistance for dilute suspensions of shelled spherical objects. At his time,
How to spot a sick cell?
Mass spectrometry (MS) is a technique used to measure the mass of molecules. Chemists extensively use this method to confirm that they have made the right molecule by comparing the mass of the actual product with the
How fat is a cell?
Cells have characteristic sizes in different tissues from big cells like muscle cells to small cells like platelets. How is the size of a cell programmed? The answer is we don’t know. But we do know something
Microfluidic live-cell microarrays
In recent years, the development of new drugs and therapies has decelerated despite the application of combinatorial biochemistry and new therapeutic strategies, such as nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems. Although the numbers of newly developed compounds have steadily
Metformin is a potential remedy for the treatment of Gaucher disease
Glycosphingolipids (GSLs) are amphipathic compounds consisting of oligosaccharides and hydrophobic chain of ceramide. They are ubiquitously distributed in the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane and believed to be involved in a large number of cellular processes,
Plant flavonoids prevent cancer progression through suppression of new blood vessel formation
类黄酮是一种sub-family息肉henolic compounds. They are abundantly found in plants and known to have inhibitory properties in the initiation, promotion and progression of invasive cancers. Cancer progression is a complex process. It is mainly
Small-molecule RETRA is effective against a fatal childhood cancer
骨肿瘤尤文氏肉瘤是最之一aggressive cancers in childhood and adolescence. Before the era of chemotherapy, more than 90% of Ewing’s sarcoma patients succumbed to their disease. With the introduction of intensive
Silence the uncontrolled cancer cells’ growth by controlling cellular senescence
When toxic damage caused by environmental or internal stressors accumulates cells can either stop proliferation permanently ( cellular senescence ) or die. Cell death is a common goal of existing cancer therapies, yet cellular senescence is increasingly
Whole-cell computational models can predict how genes influence behavior
Since the early 1900’s, scientists have known that cells are composed of multiple components, including small molecules, DNA, RNA, and protein. Over the past fifty years, scientists have systematically measured these individual components and their interactions. Despite
A novel approach to identify primitive CD34+ stem cells
Stem cells are important for living organisms for many reasons, as they are capable of renewing themselves as well as to expand to repair and regenerate damaged tissues. Adult stem cells exist throughout the body after embryonic
Epstein–Barr virus in peripheral blood predicts response to rituximab therapy in rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease, characterized by chronic inflammation of the joints that may cause permanent cartilage and bone damage. The cause of RA is unknown. It is, however, believed that a combination of genes
Janus subcompartmentalized microreactors
When we are sick and have to take medicine, the first thing we do, is reading the package leaflet. We want to know the potential side effects of the drug. Sometimes the side effect of one drug
Nuclear membrane diversity
Although it is obvious that every tissue in our bodies is different, the vast majority of scientific research is done on a small number of cancer cell lines studying individual cells grown in dishes — for example
Lipofuscin, lipofuscin-like pigments and autofluorescence
This paper provides a syntethic overview on lipofuscin and lipofuscin-like substances, with particlar reference to their biological significance as well as to their cellular origin and pathophysiological role. Special emphasis is also placed on the mutual relationships between
From cell to society: a nutritional intervention to offset the age-related loss in lean tissue mass
Society is aware of obesity. Defined by the WHO, obesity is an abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. A 40y person with normal BMI will progress to obesity at 70y through an annual gain
Advanced green antibacterial materials made by mussel-inspired chemistry
Since ancient times, silver and its salts have universally been employed as antibacterial agents for the treatment of infections, burns and chronic wounds in curative and preventive health care, because of their extraordinary inhibitory and bactericidal properties
Mummification of cells: how dry is dry?
Human cells, the fundamental building blocks of tissues and organs, are often used to replace damaged body parts as well as for the production of certain medicines. However, the long term storage and transport of these cells
What is really driving our need for food, besides the pleasure of taste?
We all know that this need is related, in some way, with life sustainability, but just how, exactly? The task of converting food into energy –and back again into organic compounds– is carried out by our metabolism,
