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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Researchers uncover secrets of 'miracle fruit'
(PhysOrg.com) -- Though not very well known in the United States, at least until the past few years, the miracle fruit is a cranberry like fruit that has the unique property of being able to make acidic or ...
Sep 27, 2011 |
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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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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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Discovery of taste receptors in the lungs could help people with asthma breathe easier
Taste receptors in the lungs? Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore have discovered that bitter taste receptors are not just located in the mouth but also in human lungs. ...
Medicine & Health / Medical research
Oct 24, 2010 |
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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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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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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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Humans, sharks share immune-system feature
A central element of the immune system has remained constant through more than 400 million years of evolution, according to new research at National Jewish Health. In the September 29, 2011, online version ...
Sep 30, 2011 |
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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 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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When it comes to speaking out, cells wait their turn
Cell communication is essential for the development of any organism. Scientists know that cells have the power to "talk" to one another, sending signals through their membranes in order to "discuss" what kind ...
Sep 06, 2011 |
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Study unlocks secrets of plague with stunning new imaging techniques
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed a super-resolution microscopy technique that is answering long-held questions about exactly how and why a cell's defenses fail against ...
Chemistry / Analytical Chemistry
May 16, 2011 |
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Gene therapy raises hope for a future AIDS cure
In a bold new approach ultimately aimed at trying to cure AIDS, scientists used genetic engineering in six patients to develop blood cells that are resistant to HIV, the virus that causes the disease.
Medicine & Health / HIV & AIDS
Feb 28, 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.
