Journal Club

Highlighting recently published papers selected by Academy members

Category Archives: Medical Sciences

PREVIEW Inner Workings: Molecular biologists offer “wartime service” in the effort to test for COVID-19

Posted on April 2, 2020 by Amy McDermott

*Editor’s Note: We’re providing a preview of this content due to the urgent and rapidly unfolding events surrounding the novel coronavirus pandemic. An updated version will appear in PNAS in the coming weeks. As COVID-19 spreads, communities across the United … Continue reading →

Mouse gut bacteria cure rotavirus infection, pointing to treatment for humans

Posted on October 25, 2019 by Natasha Gilbert

Despite available vaccines, over 200,000 children die annually from severe diarrhea cause by rotavirus, which infects intestinal cells. A recently published study, facilitated by a research team’s lucky break, suggests bacteria in the mouse gut microbiome could actually help prevent … Continue reading →

Hydrogel uses biology and light to release proteins on demand, advancing hopes for synthetic tissues

Posted on October 18, 2019 by Amy McDermott

A wiggly cylinder of protein, hydrogel, and human cells, about the size of a wristwatch battery, could one day serve as a building block for synthetic tissues. The implications could be big for biological research and even organ transplants, according … Continue reading →

Categories: Engineering | Journal Club | Medical Sciences | Tagged bioengineering, hydrogel, organ transplant, regenerative medicine, synthetic chemistry, tissue engineering | Leave a comment

New insights into how influenza evades human immunity

Posted on September 14, 2019 by Natasha Gilbert

Some viruses can only infect people once—measles for example. But other viruses, notably influenza, are capable of infecting repeatedly. Scientists have long puzzled over how the flu virus evades human immunity. Recent work in eLife clarifies exactly how the virus … Continue reading →

New protein structure reveals hotspot for cystic fibrosis drug binding

Posted on June 29, 2019 by Amber Dance

The newly revealed structure of a cystic fibrosis drug, captured in tandem with its target channel protein, could help scientists design better medications for the condition. Cystic fibrosis results from mutations in the gene for the cystic fibrosis transmembrane … Continue reading →

Categories: Biophysics and Computational Biology | Cell Biology | Journal Club | Medical Sciences | Tagged cell membrane, chloride channel, corrector, cryoelectron microscopy, cystic fibrosis, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, ion channel, ivacaftor, potentiator | Leave a comment

Journal Club: In big advance for lab-grown organs, 3-D printing better replicates tissue complexity

Posted on May 10, 2019 by Amy McDermott

The lung is a feathery web of blood vessels and air sacs that branch closely together, but never touch. They’re nestled near enough that oxygen can diffuse into the bloodstream, but far enough that blood and air flow through separate … Continue reading →

Categories: Engineering | Journal Club | Medical Sciences | Tagged 3-D printing, bioengineering, lung, photoabsorber, regenerative medicine, stereolithography, tissue engineering | Leave a comment

Journal Club: Newly discovered ion channel gene promises disease insights

Posted on May 3, 2019 by Amy McDermott

The molecular identity and precise function of a commonly expressed cell-membrane chloride channel has long been a mystery. A recent study in Science uncovers the gene responsible for the channel, potentially shedding light on its role in the body. Researchers … Continue reading →

Journal Club: Tumors create an acidic environment that helps them invade surrounding tissues

Posted on March 29, 2019 by Jessica P. Johnson

Cancer cells tend to turn their extracellular environment acidic, thus helping these rogue cells thrive while creating a hostile environment for normal ones. Acidosis promotes tumor growth, metastasis and drug resistance, while helping tumor cells evade the immune system. But … Continue reading →

Journal Club: Ion channel puts the squeeze on blood vessels, affecting blood pressure

Posted on December 15, 2018 by Charlotte Schubert

Blood pressure is exquisitely regulated to respond to our physiological state. Stress raises blood pressure. Simply stand up, and the arteries constrict to maintain pressure. New findings in mice show how a protein called PKD2 helps regulate blood pressure by … Continue reading →

Journal Club: Being less infectious pays off for lung pathogen

Posted on October 21, 2018 by Jyoti Madhusoodanan

The human body is home to millions of commensal microbes, some of which—given the right circumstances—can cause disease. One such microbe, known as nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi), infects the lungs of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition that … Continue reading →