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Human cells make use of a "shredder," the proteasome, to degrade proteins that are old, misfolded or no longer needed. If the system does not work, illnesses such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease may occur. Biochemist report finding a long-awaited receptor for ubiquitin on the proteasome which may have a key role in fighting tumors.

Researchers have discovered a new strategy for an immunization against certain forms of cancer. They have determined that immune cells react strongly to the modified proteins in tumor cells in which a DNA repair defect has occurred. It is estimated that this repair defect is present in some 15 percent of all tumors.

A new study into the potential health hazards of the revolutionary nano-sized particles known as 'buckyballs' predicts that the molecules are easily absorbed into animal cells, providing a possible explanation for how the molecules could be toxic to humans and other organisms. These curious soccer ball-shaped molecules can invade cell membranes, according to the new study of carbon-60 toxicity.

Stem cell researchers have identified a type of leukemia stem cell and uncovered the molecular and genetic mechanisms that cause a normal blood stem cells to become cancerous. The discovery may lead to new therapies that target these leukemia stem cells, attacking the disease at its very root and killing the early cells that give rise to the mature cancer cells.

Older adults with dementia who receive short-term courses of antipsychotic medications are more likely to be hospitalized or die than those who do not take the drugs, according to a new article.

Diabetes researchers have identified a potential target for the development of new therapies to treat hypertriglyceridemia, a lipid disorder commonly seen in people who are obese and diabetic.

Scientists have developed a new DNA-sequencing method that is much cheaper than those currently in use in laboratories. They hope that this new method will make it possible to map disease genes in large patient groups, which in turn can mean quicker breakthroughs for new treatments for a wide variety of diseases.

Scientists have created a tool for mopping up the clumps of mutant protein that drive neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease. Researchers engineered a virus to make an intracellular antibody or 'intrabody' against huntingtin, the protein whose mutant forms poison the brain cells of people with Huntington's. Injecting the virus into the brains of mice that make mutant huntingtin improves their ability to move their limbs, although it does not prolong their lives.

Researchers have developed a novel, computer-based strategy to study plasma lipoprotein profiles considered a major predictor of cardiovascular disease. Lipoproteins are the "container ships" in our blood that transport lipids (fats) such as cholesterol and triglycerides to various tissues; they differ largely in size and "cargo" composition. Abnormalities in the amount of certain lipoprotein fractions are considered a major risk factor for atherosclerosis and CVD.

Researchers have examined the inflammatory response induced by macrophages that may contribute to the development of gastritis during Helicobacter pylori infection in mice. H. pylori is the causative agent of human chronic gastritis, a condition that often leads to gastrointestinal ulcers and cancer.