All news from Bio-Chemistry

Initial Folding Mechanism of Membrane Proteins Uncovered

An international team coordinated by the Interdisciplinary Research Structure in Biotechnology and Biomedicine (ERI BioTecMed) of the University of Valencia has proved how the folding of membrane proteins begins before they are inserted into biological membranes, a fact that has been central to the biochemical research for decades. The study, published in the Nature Communications journal, has been coordinated by Ismael Mingarro, professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the academic institution.

Impaired Glial Cell Maturation Associated with Huntington's Disease

The brain's support cells, the so-called glial cells, play a main role in the development of the genetic brain disorder Huntington's disease, for which there is currently no treatment. In a new study, an international group of researchers from the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen, among others, has now mapped important, hitherto unknown mechanisms in glial cells in a brain suffering from Huntington's disease. The new research results have been published in the prestigious journal Cell Stem Cell.

CDC Head: Flu Has Arrived for the Holidays

The flu has ramped up in time for Christmas, the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Just last week, the CDC said the flu season was off to a slow start, but all that changed a couple of days ago when the number of reported cases rose to the point where the flu season is officially underway, said CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield.

Role of Stem Cell-Derived Neurons in Seizures and Cognitive Function

About 3.4 million Americans, or 1.2 percent of the population, have active epilepsy. Although the majority respond to medication, between 20 and 40 percent of patients with epilepsy continue to have seizures even after trying multiple anti-seizure drugs. Even when the drugs do work, people may develop cognitive and memory problems and depression, likely from the combination of the underlying seizure disorder and the drugs to treat it. The study is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Antibiotic Overuse Is For Common Urology Procedure

A new study suggests that antibiotics are being overused in up to 60 percent of patients undergoing common urological procedures. The study, led by Daniel Livorsi, MD, University of Iowa assistant professor of internal medicine, shows that the high rates of overuse were mostly due to extended use of antibiotics following the procedure.