Health-Med

2020-04-07

Shank2 Binds to aPKC and Controls Tight Junction Formation with Rap1 Signaling during Establishment of Epithelial Cell Polarity

Epithelial cells establish apicobasal polarity by forming tight junctions (TJs) at the apical-lateral boundary, which play fundamental roles in physiological functions. An evolutionarily conserved atypical protein kinase C (aPKC)-partitioning defective (PAR) complex functions as a platform for TJ assembly during cell polarity establishment.
2020-03-27

Research team led by YCU professor successfully develops a rapid diagnostic test for COVID-19 that can detect antiviral antibodies in patient serum

A research group led by Professor Akihide Ryo of Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine’s Department of Microbiology has successfully developed Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and a rapid immunochromatographic test which can specifically detect the IgG SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.
2020-03-09

Visualization of AMPA receptors in living human brain with positron emission tomography

Although aberrations in the number and function of glutamate AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid) receptors are thought to underlie neuropsychiatric disorders, no methods are currently available for visualizing AMPA receptors in the living human brain. Here we developed a positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for AMPA receptors. A derivative of 4-[2-(phenylsulfonylamino)ethylthio]-2,6-difluoro-phenoxyacetamide radiolabeled with 11C ([11C]K-2) showed specific binding to AMPA receptors.
2020-02-13

Loss of p53 drives neuron reprogramming in head and neck cancer

The solid tumour microenvironment includes nerve fibres that arise from the peripheral nervous system. Recent work indicates that newly formed adrenergic nerve fibres promote tumour growth, but the origin of these nerves and the mechanism of their inception are unknown. Here, by comparing the transcriptomes of cancer-associated trigeminal sensory neurons with those of endogenous neurons in mouse models of oral cancer, we identified an adrenergic differentiation signature.