New synthetic molecules treat autoimmune disease in mice
A team of Weizmann Institute scientists has turned the tables on an autoimmune disease. In such diseases, including Crohn's and rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's...
View ArticleHow cells brace themselves for starvation
Cells that repress their "bad time" pumps when a nutrient is abundant were much more efficient at preparing for starvation and at recovering afterward than the cells that had been genetically...
View ArticleMother nature to the rescue
(Medical Xpress) -- Natural molecules that protect the body against disease are finding their way into the treatment of advanced cancer. Prof. Michel Revel of the Department of Molecular Genetics has...
View ArticleOutwitting a brainy gene
(Medical Xpress) -- The very first in the series of mutations causing colon cancer occurs in the beta-catenin gene; this gene is abnormally activated in about 90 percent of colorectal cancer patients,...
View ArticleUsing light and chlorophyll to destroy tumors
A team of Weizmann Institute of Science researchers is developing an innovative photodynamic approach to destroying tumors. The technique, developed by Prof. Avigdor Scherz of the Department of Plant...
View ArticleWhy chemotherapy fails: Scientists show why leukemia often returns
The fight against cancer is not won in a single battle: Long after a cancer has been beaten into remission, it can return. The reason for this is under debate, and much is unclear. New research led by...
View ArticleLosing money, emotions and evolution
Financial loss can lead to irrational behavior. Now, research by Weizmann Institute scientists reveals that the effects of loss go even deeper: Loss can compromise our early perception and interfere...
View ArticleCancer: Kill the messenger
A small molecule developed at the Weizmann Institute prevents a cancer-causing message from entering the cell nucleus.
View ArticleContrary to belief, crucial protein for peripheral nerve repair is...
Several years ago, Prof. Michael Fainzilber and his group in the Biological Chemistry Department made a surprising discovery: Proteins thought to exist only near the cell nucleus could also be found in...
View ArticleLesson in sleep learning: Associations formed in brains of sleeping...
Is sleep learning possible? A new Weizmann Institute study appearing today in Nature Neuroscience has found that if certain odors are presented after tones during sleep, people will start sniffing when...
View ArticleUncovering the genome's regulatory code
Since the sequencing of the human genome in 2001, all our genes – around 20,000 in total – have been identified. But much is still unknown – for instance where and when each is active. Next to each...
View ArticleMathematical model may lead to safer chemotherapy
Cancer chemotherapy can be a life-saver, but it is fraught with severe side effects, among them an increased risk of infection. Until now, the major criterion for assessing this risk has been the blood...
View ArticleImmune cells make flexible choices
Our immune system must be tremendously complex to respond to the unending assault of viruses, bacteria and cancerous cells. One of the mechanisms used by the immune system to cope with the huge variety...
View ArticleInsights into rare immune cells that keep blood stem cells in a youthful...
Hiding deep inside the bone marrow are special cells. They wait patiently for the hour of need, at which point these blood forming stem cells can proliferate and differentiate into billions of mature...
View ArticleLearning a new sense: Scientists observe as humans learn to sense like a rat,...
A Weizmann Institute experiment in which volunteers learned to sense objects' locations using just "rat whiskers" may help improve aids for the blind.
View ArticleSame signaling enzymes can trigger two different processes in the cell
Stroke, heart attacks and numerous other common disorders result in a massive destruction of cells and tissues called necrosis. It's a violent event: As each cell dies, its membrane ruptures, releasing...
View ArticleResearchers give a double punch to triple-negative breast cancer
(Medical Xpress)—Breast cancer can be curable if it's caught soon enough—unless it is the "triple negative" type more likely to target young, black or Hispanic women.
View ArticlePast brain activation revealed in scans
(Medical Xpress)—What if experts could dig into the brain, like archaeologists, and uncover the history of past experiences? This ability might reveal what makes each of us a unique individual, and it...
View ArticleGene decoding obeys road traffic rules
One of life's most basic processes—transcription of the genetic code—resembles road traffic, including traffic jams, accidents and a police force that controls the flow of vehicles. This surprising...
View ArticleLeukemia cells are addicted to a healthy gene
What keeps leukemia cells alive almost forever, able to continue dividing endlessly and aggressively? New research at the Weizmann Institute suggests that, in around a quarter of all leukemias, the...
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