In a study published today in Science, UT Southwestern and Rockefeller University researchers used advanced microscopes to determine at atomic resolution the structure of a molecular complex implicated in birth defects and several cancers. The Hedgehog signaling pathway, which transmits information to embryonic cells, is crucial to human health. Insufficient signaling during development leads to birth defects,…
Scientists Unravel DNA Code Behind Rare Neurologic Disease
Cryo-EM Structures of the Nicotine Receptor May Lead to New Therapies for Nicotine Addiction
Wearable Fitness Monitors Useful in Cancer Treatment
Wearable fitness trackers, such as Fitbits, that measure steps taken per day may be a useful tool to evaluate and help treat cancer patients, researchers at UT Southwestern’s Simmons Cancer Center have shown. A pilot study of older cancer patients found that they were willing to wear physical activity monitors (PAMs) for 10 weeks or…
Gene Therapy May Help Brain Heal From Stroke, Other Injuries
Precision Editing of Gut Bacteria: Potential Way to Treat Colitis
CLOCK Gene May Hold Answers to Human Brain Evolution
Scientists have long sought to unravel the molecular mysteries that make the human brain special: What processes drove its evolution through the millennia? Which genes are critical to cognitive development? A new study provides insight on the matter by demonstrating that a gene controlling our biological clocks also plays a vital role in regulating human-specific…
Genetic Targets to Chemo-Resistant Breast Cancer Identified
Scientists Find Skin Cells at the Root of Balding, Gray Hair
Five Tests Better Predict Heart Disease Risk
Blood Test Unlocks New Frontier in Treating Depression
Study Finds No Benefit, but Possible Harm, From Drug Used to Prevent Preterm Births
Researchers Discover Potential New Target for Glioblastoma
Researchers Uncover Mechanism for Cancer-Killing Properties of Pepper Plant
UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists have uncovered the chemical process behind anti-cancer properties of a spicy Indian pepper plant called the long pepper, whose suspected medicinal properties date back thousands of years. The secret lies in a chemical called Piperlongumine (PL), which has shown activity against many cancers including prostate, breast, lung, colon, lymphoma, leukemia,…
New Research Verifies TASINs as Viable Target for Colon Cancer Therapies
Scientists Find Lethal Vulnerability in Treatment-Resistant Lung Cancer
Synthetic Nanoparticles Differentiate Cancer Cells from Healthy Cells
Researchers with the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center successfully developed a synthetic polymer that can transport a drug into lung cancer cells without going inside of normal lung cells. Since conventional chemo drugs indiscriminately kill all rapidly dividing cells to halt the growth of cancer, these selective nanoparticles could decrease side effects by reducing…
Method Detects Telomere Length for Research into Cancer, Aging
UT Southwestern Medical Center cell biologists have identified a new method for determining the length of telomeres, the endcaps of chromosomes, which can influence cancer progression and aging. In broad terms, telomeres help determine whether a cell reproduces accurately. As the cell divides, these endcaps degrade, causing the cell to age – and it is…