The cell cycle is an intricate and coordinated process that is vital to sustain life. In higher eukaryotes, the cell cycle produces daughter cells identical to the mother cell to renew tissues in internal organs like the liver, skin and hair. The cell has checkpoints along the way to halt the cycle if something goes
Like many other bacterial infections that affect humans, pneumonia has acquired a significant amount of antibiotic resistance, rendering traditional means of treatment ineffective. Researchers have been trying to find new ways to fight pneumonia and other infections for better treatment of patients. Recently, researchers led by Dr. Qingming Hou of Boston Children’s Hospital and Dr.
Red blood cells must maintain a distinct dimpled shape as they travel through the body, returning to form even after pushing through narrow capillaries. Misshapen red blood cells are associated with disorders such as sickle cell anemia, and though red blood cells are well-studied, there are still unanswered questions about how healthy ones properly maintain
The skin is the largest organ of the human body with a primary function of providing a physical barrier to potentially harmful pathogens and toxic substances. Since the skin acts as an interface with the environment, it is, consequently, colonized with a diverse community of microbes. The types of microbes present are determined by the
Scientists have uncovered new details about human ribosome production, pinpointing more than 100 regulators from a variety of cellular pathways with unexpected control over ribosome creation. The research team, from Yale University, hopes these findings can lead to a better understanding of the connection between ribosomes and human diseases such as cancer. The study was
Scientists from the University of Utah Health are using animals’ unique traits to identify regions of the human genome that might affect our own health and disease. Their study was recently published in the journal Cell Reports. The research team focused on the noncoding region that compromises 98% of the mammalian genome, but whose role
Viruses such as Zika and dengue are transmitted by the mosquito Aedes aegypti. When the insect bites an infected human host for a blood meal, the virus initially infects the epithelium lining the insect’s midgut and then continues to replicate in multiple tissue types. Eventually the virus is found in the mosquito’s salivary glands and
Nanotechnology refers to matter between 1 and 100 nanometers, known as the nanoscale. A nanoparticle is 10-100nm in one dimension and is defined to behave as a single, whole entity. Nanoparticles are used in a variety of systems, including energy, textiles, cosmetics, sports and medicine. Scientists and engineers have been working with nanoparticles to improve
Antibiotic resistance is one of today’s largest threats to global health, with at least two million people becoming infected with drug-resistant bacteria and at least 23,000 people dying as a result in the United States alone. To help mitigate the problem, researchers worldwide have been working to develop new antibiotics. Now, scientists from the University
Mast cells are innate immune cells situated throughout the human body at the host-environment interface (lungs, gastrointestinal tract, skin, etc). Their location at these sites allows them to quickly respond to pathogens and regulate the immune response through the release of a variety of pre-formed and de novo synthesized mediators. Although mast cells act as