News

• 3D-printing with silk to treat knee injuries

  

  Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG) and West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences, Kolkata, have 3D printed knee meniscus with a new silk-based bio-ink that can be customised to the kneecap dimensions of the patient. This innovative approach paves the way to treating knee injuries in a patient-specific manner and minimising repetitions of invasive surgical procedures.

  Posted on Apr 19, 2024 in Health & Medicine, Biotechnology, Cell Biology & Research

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• How does malaria-causing parasite infect human red blood cells?

  

  Researchers based at the National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi, and Yenepoya University, Mangalore, have uncovered the crucial role of Protein kinase 2 (PfPK2) in malarial parasite development and invasion of host red blood cells, offering insights for potential therapeutic strategies. Depleting PfPK2 resulted in reduced invasion of host erythrocytes by the parasite and impaired its maturation in the host maturation, highlighting it as a promising target for new malaria drugs.
  

  Posted on Mar 01, 2024 in Health & Medicine, Cell Biology, Immunology & Research

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• Structures provide the answer for the complement system

  

  In a recent collaborative study published in Cell, researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India, and other institutes have uncovered the molecular basis of complement receptor activation, crucial in immune response. The research team identified a synthetic peptide, EP141, derived from the C3a anaphylatoxin, which selectively binds to the C3aR receptor, offering therapeutic potential by directing biased immune signalling.

  Posted on Jan 29, 2024 in Health & Medicine, Cell Biology, Immunology & Research

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• A defence protein brings hope in fighting Parkinson’s

  

  In a recent study, researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Jodhpur, identified the unique anti-amyloid and chaperone-like activity of a host defence protein, β₂-microglobulin, which prevents ⍺-synuclein aggregation. Their research has the potential for developing diagnostic and therapeutic measures for neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease.

  Posted on Jan 22, 2024 in Health & Medicine, Cell Biology, Genetics & Research

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• The main access route to the cellular fat depots gets unveiled

  

  Researchers from CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India, and the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris, France, recently discovered ARL8B (ADP-ribosyltransferase (Arf)-like 8), a small GTPase acting as the initial mediator of lysosome-dependent lipid degradation in human macrophages. The findings suggest implications for conditions involving lipid accumulation, such as fatty liver disease and atherosclerosis, expanding research interests in this field.

  Posted on Dec 29, 2023 in Health & Medicine, Cell Biology, Genetics & Research

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• Cordycepin emerges as a potential therapeutic agent for cadmium-induced toxicity

  

  A team of researchers at the SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, identified a natural compound, cordycepin, to be protective against cadmium-induced toxicity in zebrafish. They found that cordycepin alleviates the gut inflammation, tissue damage, and developmental deficits caused by cadmium exposure in zebrafish. This work holds therapeutic potential for cordycepin in treating cadmium-induced toxicity.

  Posted on Oct 13, 2023 in Health & Medicine, Cell Biology & Research

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• A candid approach for probing a not-so-candid fungus

  

  Candida infections, caused by pathogenic fungi, pose a significant threat, especially to vulnerable individuals. Researchers from Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, have developed a gelatin-based platform that closely mimics human skin, aiding in the study of Candida biofilm formation and potentially speeding up drug development to combat these infections.

  Posted on Oct 06, 2023 in Health & Medicine, Biotechnology, Microbiology & Research

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