Programmed cell death (apoptosis) is essential to maintain homeostasis within living organisms and is controlled by a variety of intra- and extra-cellular signals. Activation of the death receptor CD95 (also known as Fas or Apo-1) by its physiological ligand, CD95…
Blog Archives
New Approach to Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis (CF) results from a genetic defect in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) that results in impaired transport of chloride and bicarbonate ions. Patients with CF have thickened mucus, accompanied by inflammation, which affects the lungs and…
Drug Discovery with Zebrafish
Scientists at Vanderbilt University have previously used zebrafish embryos to identify compounds that interfere with signalling pathways involved in early development – pathways that also play a role in many disease processes. One of these compounds, dorsomorphin, was shown to…
NO Good in Septic Shock
Septic shock, characterised by refractory hypotension and resulting end-organ dysfunction, is a major cause of death in intensive care units. Systemic inflammation leads to increased production of nitric oxide (NO), an important regulator of vascular tone, which was believed to…
Insulin Growth Factor Signalling in Alzheimer’s Disease
Although family history and lifestyle choices play a role, ageing is recognised to be the largest single risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. Progression of Alzheimer’s disease is not well understood but accumulation of toxic amyloid peptides in the brain is…
Mapping Phosphorylation in Cancer
Phosphorylation is a key mechanism for regulation of protein activity and the phosphorylation of tyrosine residues, in particular, is important in signalling pathways. Aberrant phosphorylation has been observed in many cancers and has driven the development of kinase inhibitors that…
Norepinephrine Boosts Memory in Down’s Syndrome Model
Down’s syndrome is a chromosomal disorder caused by the presence of all (trisomy 21) or part of an extra copy of chromosome 21. The consequences of the extra genetic material are very variable and the condition is associated with a…
Cysteine Modifications: Opposing Effects on Signalling
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is best known for its characteristic smell of rotten eggs and for its toxicity, which is caused mainly by inhibition of mitochondrial respiration resulting from blockade of cytochrome oxidase. More recently, H2S has been established as one…
New Drug Target for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive, debilitating disease characterised by increased resistance in pulmonary arteries, placing additional workload on the right ventricle of the heart. Untreated, the disease frequently results in right ventricular failure and death. Until the 1990s…
Still Signalling from Below the Surface
Compounds acting at G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) form the largest class of drug molecules but, although the biochemical steps involved in GPCR signalling are known in some detail, the location of these events in space and time in living cells…
