Feature Channels: Cell Biology

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Nomination deadline: November 3, 2024

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A recent study has identified CaSLR1, a gene in pepper plants, as a key regulator of stem strength by controlling cell wall development. This discovery offers significant potential for agriculture, paving the way for breeding crops with enhanced resistance to lodging. Such improvements can lead to increased yield stability and reduced production costs, providing substantial benefits for farmers.

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Violent blows or jolts to the head can cause traumatic brain injury (TBI), and there are currently about five million people in the U.S. living with chronic neurodegeneration and related impairments due to TBI.

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Cancer cells appear to hijack a genetic pathway involved in DNA repair to drive malignancy and overcome treatment, a study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers shows. Their findings, published in Cell, explain how chromosomes in some tumors undergo massive rearrangements and could lead to new strategies to avoid cancer drug resistance.

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Age-related changes in the fibroblasts, cells that create the skin’s structure, contribute to the development of aggressive, treatment-resistant melanoma in males, according to research in mice by the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.

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In humans and fruit flies alike, rna editing prevents autoimmune responses and adjusts protein functions. However, in humans, most editing occurs in non-coding regions, with only a small fraction leading to changes in protein function. In contrast, in flies, the majority of rna editing events occur in sequences that directly produce proteins.

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The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights showcases the latest breakthroughs in cancer care, research and prevention. These advances are made possible through seamless collaboration between MD Anderson’s world-leading clinicians and scientists, bringing discoveries from the lab to the clinic and back.

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Scientists who have described in a new study the step-by-step details of a bacterial defense strategy see the mechanism as a promising platform for development of a new genome-editing method.

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Fibrosis, or the scaring of tissue, occurs in many diseases, and is a central component of systemic sclerosis. There are currently no treatments that can reverse fibrosis and the current treatment only has a  modest effect on the course of the disease. But research is finding new targets for potential treatments.

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University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, announced today the appointment of Elana J. Fertig, PhD, FAIMBE, as the new Director of the School’s Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS).

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A pioneering study has revealed the crucial role of cell wall components in tomato fruit ripening. By investigating the effects of altered SlP4H3 gene expression on arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs), researchers have illuminated the complex biochemical processes that control fruit maturation. This discovery could revolutionize agricultural practices, paving the way for tomato varieties with enhanced texture, nutritional value, and resilience to environmental challenges.

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Immune cells use two different routes to produce acetyl-CoA, an essential metabolite required to fight infection and cancer, reports a study led by Van Andel Institute scientists.

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Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys and the La Jolla Institute for Immunology have revealed a new secret regarding senescence, a cellular state similar to sleep that is more likely to affect aged cells.

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The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights showcases the latest breakthroughs in cancer care, research and prevention. These advances are made possible through seamless collaboration between MD Anderson’s world-leading clinicians and scientists, bringing discoveries from the lab to the clinic and back.

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Irvine, Calif., Aug. 20, 2024 — A team of researchers led by the University of California, Irvine has discovered that an antioxidant found in rosemary extract can reduce volitional intakes of cocaine by moderating the brain’s reward response, offering a new therapeutic target for treating addiction. The study, recently published online in the journal Neuron, describes team members’ focus on a region of the brain called the globus pallidus externus, which acts as a gatekeeper that regulates how we react to cocaine.

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An extensive family of proteins that gives human skin mechanical strength also appears to organize molecular signals that control skin cell activity, a study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers shows. Their findings, published in Developmental Cell, could lead to new ways to fight a host of skin diseases, including ulcers and skin cancer.

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Researchers from UC San Diego are working on a new treatment for Alzheimer's that targets tau - a type of protein in the brain that helps cells retain their stability and structure.

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Eight-member team from UChicago and Northwestern will launch the Cellular Adaptation Lab to study how fundamental cellular behaviors are linked to disease and responses to climate change.

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The AAI Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Bonnie N. Dittel, Ph.D. (AAI ’00), as the incoming editor-in-chief of ImmunoHorizons (IH).