News tagged with cell receptor
Castor oil: Action mechanism of one of the oldest drugs known to man elucidated
Castor oil is known primarily as an effective laxative; however, it was also used in ancient times with pregnant women to induce labour. Only now have scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung ...
May 21, 2012 |
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Researchers discover novel approach to stimulate immune cells
Researchers at Rutgers University have uncovered a new way to stimulate activity of immune cell opiate receptors, leading to efficient tumor cell clearance.
May 11, 2012 |
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Study resolves debate on human cell shut-down process
Researchers at the University of Liverpool have resolved the debate over the mechanisms involved in the shut-down process during cell division in the body.
Apr 12, 2012 |
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Navigating the neurochemical space by computer-aided molecular design
Pharmaceutical scientists from VU University Amsterdam and colleagues from the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna have gained new insights into the molecular basis of the GABAA receptors, ...
Apr 06, 2012 |
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Red wine, fruit compound could help block fat cell formation
(PhysOrg.com) -- A compound found in red wine, grapes and other fruits, and similar in structure to resveratrol, is able to block cellular processes that allow fat cells to develop, opening a door to a potential ...
Apr 04, 2012 |
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Researchers present a shiny new tool for imaging biomolecules
At the heart of the immune system that protects our bodies from disease and foreign invaders is a vast and complex communications network involving millions of cells, sending and receiving chemical signals ...
Mar 23, 2012 |
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A unique on-off switch for hormone production
Weizmann scientists have revealed a new kind of on-off switch in the brain for regulating the production of a main biochemical signal from the brain that stimulates cortisol release in the body.
Feb 23, 2012 |
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Honeycomb structure responsible for bacteria's extraordinary sense
(PhysOrg.com) -- Cornell researchers have peered into the complex molecular network of receptors that give one-celled organisms like bacteria the ability to sense their environment and respond to chemical ...
Feb 20, 2012 |
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DNA nanorobot triggers targeted therapeutic responses
Researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University have developed a robotic device made from DNA that could potentially seek out specific cell targets within a complex ...
Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine
Feb 16, 2012 |
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Nanoparticles may enhance cancer therapy
A mixture of current drugs and carbon nanoparticles shows potential to enhance treatment for head-and-neck cancers, especially when combined with radiation therapy, according to new research by Rice University ...
Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine
Feb 16, 2012 |
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Immunoproteasome crystal structure determined
Like a shredder, the immunoproteasome cuts down proteins into peptides that are subsequently presented on the cellular surface. The immune system can distinguish between self and nonself peptides and selectively ...
Feb 16, 2012 |
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Researchers find gene critical to sense of smell in fruit fly
(Medical Xpress) -- Fruit flies don't have noses, but a huge part of their brains is dedicated to processing smells. Flies probably rely on the sense of smell more than any other sense for essential activities ...
Jan 19, 2012 |
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Chemists unlock potential target for drug development
A receptor found on blood platelets whose importance as a potential pharmaceutical target has long been questioned may in fact be fruitful in drug testing, according to new research from Michigan State University ...
Chemistry / Analytical Chemistry
Jan 19, 2012 |
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Light now in sight: Control of a 'blind' neuroreceptor with an optical switch
When nerve cells communicate with one another, specialized receptor molecules on their surfaces play a central role in relaying signals between them. A collaborative venture involving teams of chemists based at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat ...
Jan 10, 2012 |
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Researchers use light to measure cancer cells' response to treatment
Many cancer therapies target specific proteins that proliferate on the outside of some cancer cells, but the therapies are imperfect and the cancer does not always respond. Since it is beneficial for doctors to know as soon ...
Dec 20, 2011 |
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Receptor (biochemistry)
In biochemistry, a receptor is a protein molecule, embedded in either the plasma membrane or cytoplasm of a cell, to which a mobile signaling (or "signal") molecule may attach. A molecule which binds to a receptor is called a "ligand," and may be a peptide (such as a neurotransmitter), a hormone, a pharmaceutical drug, or a toxin, and when such binding occurs, the receptor undergoes a conformational change which ordinarily initiates a cellular response. However, some ligands merely block receptors without inducing any response (e.g. antagonists). Ligand-induced changes in receptors result in physiological changes which constitute the biological activity of the ligands.
For more information about Receptor (biochemistry), read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
