Curated News: National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

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The human body is essentially made up of trillions of living cells.

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Researchers at Wayne State University recently received a nearly $1.97 million grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health for the T34 program, Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC).

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A University of Kentucky College of Medicine professor has been awarded a $1.9 million NIH grant for his research on the body’s immune response to sepsis, which could potentially help to improve therapies for the common disease.

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In a new Cell Reports study, researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology demonstrate how Ebola virus has found a different way to get things done. The virus encodes only eight proteins but requires dozens of functions in its lifecycle. The new study shows how one of Ebola virus’s key proteins, VP40, uses molecular triggers in the human cell to transform itself into different tools for different jobs.

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In a series of experiments that began with amoebas — single-celled organisms that extend podlike appendages to move around — Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists say they have identified a genetic pathway that could be activated to help sweep out mucus from the lungs of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease a widespread lung ailment.

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Viruses churn out genetic material in parts of the cell where it's not supposed to be. Cancer cells do too. A new study shows that a tumor-suppressor enzyme called DAPK3 is an essential component of a multi-protein system that senses misplaced genetic material in tumor cells, and slows tumor growth by activating the fierce-sounding STING pathway.

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A new study from the University of California, Irvine shows that compounds in both green and black tea relax blood vessels by activating ion channel proteins in the blood vessel wall. The discovery helps explain the antihypertensive properties of tea and could lead to the design of new blood pressure-lowering medications.

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According to the World Health Organization, one in six worldwide deaths are attributed to cancer, but not due to initial malignant tumors. They were caused by the spread of cancer cells to surrounding tissues, which consist largely of collagen. That was the focus of a recent study by Stanford University and Purdue University researchers.

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Researchers identified spinal cord neurons responsible for an itchy sensation after an epidural morphine injection and found a drug that may fix the problem without reducing morphine’s pain-killing effects.

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What happens when different strains of bacteria are present in the same system? Do they co-exist? Do the strongest survive? In a microbial game of rock-paper-scissors, researchers at the University of California San Diego’s BioCircuits Institute uncovered a surprising answer.

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The NIH is establishing a national service center at the SLAC and Stanford where biomedical researchers can learn how to prepare extremely thin specimens that are frozen into a glassy state for cryogenic electron tomography (cryo-ET), a powerful tool for directly visualizing cellular components in 3D.

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Inside human cells, proteins and RNA can cluster together to form spherical droplets that play vital roles in cellular processes as well as in certain human diseases. A $2 million grant will allow biophysicist Priya Banerjee's team at UB to explore the molecular details of protein-RNA condensates.

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Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and University of Missouri developed a new microgel drug delivery method that could extend the effectiveness of pancreatic islet transplantations — from several years to possibly the entire lifespan of a recipient.

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Parkinson’s is a neurological disorder that progressively attacks motor functions, leading to lasting damage in movement and coordination. Researchers studying the primary causes of the disease have focused on mutations of the protein known as leucine-rich repeat kinase 2, or LRRK2.

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It can be hard to dispute the common adage ‘survival of the fittest’. After all, “most of the genes in the genome are there because they’re doing something good,” says Sarah Zanders, PhD, assistant investigator at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research. But, she says, “others are just there because they’ve figured out a way to be there.”

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The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has won an almost $1.27 million five-year grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) to develop and execute a program that will support scientists from diverse backgrounds as they prepare for and launch their careers as independent faculty members.

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A new study by researchers at the University of Kentucky identifies a novel function of the enzyme spermine synthase to facilitate colorectal cancer growth.

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Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have developed a new computational algorithm that has, for the first time, identified a spectrum of mutations in the noncoding portion of the human genome across five major pediatric cancers. The study, which was published today in Science Advances, used the algorithm to analyze more than 500 pediatric cancer patients’ mutations and gene expression profiles to develop a comprehensive list of potentially cancer-causing mutations.

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In a groundbreaking new study, researchers at the University of Minnesota have 3D printed a functioning centimeter-scale human heart pump in the lab. The discovery could have major implications for studying heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States killing more than 600,000 people a year.

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A compound commonly found in pickled capers has been shown to activate proteins required for normal human brain and heart activity, and may even lead to future therapies for the treatment of epilepsy and abnormal heart rhythms.

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Jianjun Sun, Ph.D., associate professor in UTEP’s Department of Biological Sciences, led the research on Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Sun’s lab has been investigating the mechanisms of Mtb pathogenesis for more than 10 years at UTEP with a specific focus on EsxA, which is a virulence factor essential for Mtb virulence and a preferred target for developing novel anti-TB drugs and vaccines.

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A Cornell-led collaboration is flipping the switch on traditional synthetic chemistry by using electricity to drive a new chemical reaction that previously stumped chemists who rely on conventional methods.

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Compounds that plants, fungi, bacteria, and animals produce can sometimes help people as well. In fact, many medicines, molecules used in research, and other useful compounds originated in nature. Learn more about recent discoveries in the fascinating field of natural products research.

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Scientists first discovered helium burning on the surface of the sun, but today liquid helium plays an essential role in supercooling scientific equipment. Unfortunately, our complex history with the element has led to a recent shortage that threatens some types of scientific research.

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Biologists studying bacterial communities have discovered that these simple organisms feature a robust memory capacity. Using light, they were able to encode memory patterns and visualize cells with memory. The discovery reveals parallels between low-level organisms and sophisticated neurons.

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More than 35 million Americans take statin drugs daily to lower their blood cholesterol levels. Now, in experiments with human cells in the laboratory, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have added to growing evidence that the ubiquitous drug may kill cancer cells and have uncovered clues to how they do it.

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An analysis of publicly available data on infections from the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, that causes the respiratory illness COVID-19 yielded an estimate of 5.1 days for the median disease incubation period, according to a new study led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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New study reveals potential for developing novel antibody-based antitoxins against botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), including the most commonly used, yet most toxic one, Botox.

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Most medicines work by binding to and blocking the effect of disease-causing molecules. Now to accelerate the identification of potential new medicines, bioengineers have created a computer model that mimics the way molecules bind.