Tag: mechanisms

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a rare chronic inflammatory disease of the bile ducts and is difficult to treat, since its causes have not yet been adequately researched. Using RNA sequencing, an international research consortium led by Michael Trauner, Head of MedUni Vienna’s Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (Department of Medicine III), has now identified

While investigating the underlying causes of a rare skin disorder, a researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) discovered a previously unknown mechanism in the kidneys that is important for regulating levels of magnesium and calcium in the blood. The discovery, described in the journal Cell Reports, highlights the role of a previously little-studied gene called

A research team led by Michael Fox, a professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, has identified the type of brain cell that produces collagen 19, a protein that is crucial for the formation of inhibitory circuits in the brain. The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, depicts a previously unknown molecular

Keratinocyte skin cells are common targets of the beta subtype of human papilloma virus. This usually harmless infection causes skin disease in people with rare gene mutations.[/caption] You’re probably infected with one or more subtypes of the human papilloma virus—and, as alarming as that may sound, odds are you will never show any symptoms. The

Scientists in Dresden, Germany, have been successful in mimicking mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease in a novel, stem cell-based model system that reproduces features of human brain tissue. This experimental tool can be used to study mechanisms of pathology and help to find new therapeutic approaches, the researchers say. Their results, published in the journal Developmental

Proteins commonly known as BRCA—short for BReast CAncer susceptibility gene- serve a critical role in cellular DNA repair, but when mutated they allow genetic errors to replicate, facilitating cancer development. If the BRCA repair system is disabled in cancer cells, the cells simply turn to backup repair mechanisms and adapt to alternative repair pathways, a

According to a report by the World Health Organization, close to 1 in 10 people in the world are affected by anxiety and/or depression. Alarmingly, the amount has nearly doubled, from 416 million to 615 million, between 1990 and 2013. Since adequate treatments are still lacking for many patients, the scientists at the Max Planck

Differences between signed and spoken languages are significant, yet the underlying neural processes we use to create complex expressions are quite similar for both, a team of researchers has found. “This research shows for the first time that despite obvious physical differences in how signed and spoken languages are produced and comprehended, the neural timing