http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. New research published today in the Biochemical Journal describes the discovery of a new cancer target. http://phys.org/news281270812.html Chemistry Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:51:07 EST news281270812 (Phys.org)—The nucleic acid RNA is an essential part of the critical process by which the cells in our bodies manufacture proteins. But noncoding RNAs also exist whose sequences, while not converted into proteins, play important roles in many biological processes. http://phys.org/news272707935.html Biology Wed, 21 Nov 2012 09:00:03 EST news272707935 Cancer, diabetes, and excess body weight have one thing in common: they alter cellular metabolism. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg and the Medical University of Vienna together with an international research team have jointly resolved a new molecular circuit controlling cellular metabolism. The previously unknown signalling pathway, acting downstream of the hedgehog protein enables muscle cells and brown fat cells to absorb sugars without relying on insulin. Substances that selectively activate the signalling pathway could thus be utilized in the treatment of diabetes and obesity. With their results, the researchers are also able to explain why various new anti-cancer agents have induced mysterious pronounced side effects in the clinics. http://phys.org/news269244862.html Biology Fri, 12 Oct 2012 07:14:31 EST news269244862 (Phys.org)—Over the last decade, metabolomics has emerged as the newest of the "omic" sciences (following genomics and proteomics) to provide comprehensive biochemical information about cellular metabolism. This new field has revealed that many of the chemicals involved in or produced through metabolism are currently unknown, but may play vital and previously unappreciated roles in human health and disease. http://phys.org/news266514300.html Biology Mon, 10 Sep 2012 16:45:23 EST news266514300 Using a model organism isolated from a uranium seep of the Columbia River, scientists recently quantified how extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in subsurface environments can be used to immobilize heavy metal and radionuclide contaminants such as uranium [U(VI)]. http://phys.org/news226247762.html Space & Earth Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:40:27 EST news226247762 At first glance, a diagram of the complex network of genes that regulate cellular metabolism might seem hopelessly complex, and efforts to control such a system futile. http://phys.org/news224401146.html Technology Thu, 12 May 2011 06:39:22 EST news224401146 Measuring oxidative stress may help doctors predict the risk of developing atrial fibrillation, the most common heart beat irregularity. Research from Emory University School of Medicine has identified a connection between oxidative stress and enlargement of the heart's left atrium, which leads to atrial fibrillation. http://phys.org/news221153283.html Medicine & Health Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:20:03 EST news221153283 At-home, daily application of light therapy via light-emitting diodes (LEDs) placed on the forehead and scalp led to improvements in cognitive function and post-traumatic stress disorder in patients with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to a groundbreaking study published in Photomedicine and Laser Surgery. http://phys.org/news219583810.html Medicine & Health Thu, 17 Mar 2011 12:40:05 EST news219583810 (PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at Duke Cancer Institute have discovered that genetic mutations found in brain tumors can alter tumor metabolism. This work could help lead to new designs for anti-cancer drugs based on the unique properties of these tumors. http://phys.org/news215704514.html Medicine & Health Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:00:01 EST news215704514 It is widely known that weight gain is due to an imbalance between food intake and energy expenditure, and that exercise is vital for maintaining a healthy weight by burning calories as a result of muscular activity. http://phys.org/news205058673.html Medicine & Health Thu, 30 Sep 2010 09:44:54 EST news205058673 A specific type of fat present in cell membranes also serves as a cellular pH sensor, a team of University of British Columbia researchers has discovered. http://phys.org/news202048960.html Biology Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:00:23 EST news202048960 It is not unusual to hear people blame their metabolism after gaining a few pounds. But changes in metabolism - the process that shapes how our bodies turn food into energy -- can have much more sinister effects than making it hard to fit into your favorite jeans. http://phys.org/news185725485.html Medicine & Health Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:26:01 EST news185725485 ATM, a protein that reacts to DNA damage by ordering repairs or the suicide of the defective cell, plays a similar, previously unknown role in response to oxidative damage outside of the nucleus, researchers report this week in the online version of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. http://phys.org/news185710174.html Medicine & Health Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:09:52 EST news185710174 In order to preserve our DNA, cells have developed an intricate system for monitoring and repairing DNA damage. Yet precisely how the initial damage signal is converted into a repair response remains unclear. Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have now solved a crucial piece of the complex puzzle. http://phys.org/news180847999.html Medicine & Health Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:50:01 EST news180847999 Alzheimer's disease is caused by the build-up of a brain peptide called amyloid-beta. That's why eliminating the protein has been the focus of almost all drug research pursuing a cure for the devastating neurodegenerative condition. http://phys.org/news178201602.html Medicine & Health Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:20:02 EST news178201602 (PhysOrg.com) -- The NPC is the only way in or out of a cell's nucleus. It plays a key role in cellular metabolism and signaling, and any malfunction in these pores can have lethal consequences. Now new research reveals further insights into the design of this evolutionarily ancient and little-understood transport machinery. The findings suggest that the nuclear pore complex takes on different formations to carry out its function. http://phys.org/news173428123.html Biology Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:20:01 EST news173428123