Journal Club

Highlighting recently published papers selected by Academy members

Category Archives: Medical Sciences

Journal Club: Bioengineers build a tiny heart ventricle to better understand heart disease and treatment

Posted on August 3, 2018 by Amber Dance

Bioengineer Kit Parker wants to build replacement hearts for children born with heart defects. Although that goal remains a long way off, Parker recently took a step in that direction by assembling a 1:250 scale model of the human left … Continue reading →

Journal Club: Microglial protein trafficking could play a role in neurodegenerative disorders

Posted on July 16, 2018 by Jyoti Madhusoodanan

Neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or Parkinson’s are associated with a build-up of insoluble, toxic forms of proteins such as amyloid or tau in the brain. Normally, intracellular protein complexes known as retromers help with recycling and trafficking … Continue reading →

Journal Club: Timed treatment fends off hardening of arteries in mice

Posted on June 15, 2018 by Charlotte Schubert

Timing is everything—including, possibly, when treating cardiovascular disease. By administering a drug-like compound in mice at a certain point during the circadian cycle, researchers were able to slow atherosclerosis while minimizing side effects, according to a recent study in Cell … Continue reading →

Journal Club: Diagnosing disease with smartphone cameras

Posted on May 25, 2018 by Carolyn Beans

Bioengineers at the University of Washington have devised a way to use smartphone cameras for imaging diagnostics, paving the way to test for afflictions such as influenza and sexually transmitted infections without costly equipment. The technique, presented this month in Analytical … Continue reading →

Journal Club: New clues in the mystery of the mechanism of general anesthetics

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Jessica P. Johnson

Anesthetics have been used in surgery since the mid-1800s, but their exact mechanisms of action continue to be the subject of intense investigation. Past studies have suggested they block neurotransmitter receptors postsynaptically. Now a new study, published January 9 in … Continue reading →

Journal Club: Cellular context determines whether factor promotes or tamps down cancer

Posted on November 14, 2017 by Charlotte Schubert

Some cellular factors have an impressive multitude of roles. One prime example is LKB1 (Liver Kinase B1). It controls both cell metabolism and cell polarity, telling cells which end is which. It also appears to act as both a tumor … Continue reading →

Journal Club: Cooler temperatures might make some mosquitoes better dengue spreaders

Posted on October 20, 2017 by Amber Dance

Migrating mosquitoes that carry diseases from the tropics to cooler climes might be better at spreading disease in their new, cooler home, according to a recent study in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Researchers from Yale University in … Continue reading →

Journal Club: Twin study elucidates environmental, genetic contributions to mouth microbiome and oral health

Posted on September 23, 2017 by Helen Shen

Some of the mouth’s microbial communities may promote good health, while others contribute to cavities, gum disease, and possibly even heart disease. Now, scientists are learning more about how genetic and environmental factors influence the mouth’s microbial makeup, and how … Continue reading →

Journal Club: Mutation helps Zika virus evolve to more easily infect mosquitoes, spread infection

Posted on June 16, 2017 by Carolyn Beans

Scientists discovered the Zika virus over half a century ago. But it wasn’t until recent outbreaks in French Polynesia and South America that the mosquito-borne virus, now associated with Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults and microcephaly in newborn babies, reached epidemic … Continue reading →

Journal Club: Metal-based compound shows rare specificity in early tests of its cancer-fighting capabilities

Posted on June 6, 2017 by Charles Choi

Many drugs used to fight cancer are based on metals. But such organometallic agents are generally thought to have low specificity for potential targets in cells, raising concerns that they may inflict collateral damage on healthy cells. Now scientists have … Continue reading →

Categories: Biochemistry | Journal Club | Medical Sciences | Tagged cancer, microtubules, organometallic compound, plectin, proteomics, ruthenium, tumors | Leave a comment