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Sensory hair cells regenerated, hearing restored in mammal ear

Hearing loss is a significant public health problem affecting close to 50 million people in the United States alone. Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common form and is caused by the loss of sensory ...

Neuroscience created Jan 09, 2013 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (39) | comments 16 | with audio podcast

Green tea and red wine extracts interrupt Alzheimer's disease pathway in cells

Natural chemicals found in green tea and red wine may disrupt a key step of the Alzheimer's disease pathway, according to new research from the University of Leeds.

Alzheimer's disease & dementia created Feb 05, 2013 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (11) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

New flu drug stops virus in its tracks

A new class of influenza drug has been shown effective against drug-resistant strains of the flu virus, according to a study led by University of British Columbia researchers.

Medical research created Feb 21, 2013 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (11) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Making cancer less cancerous: Blocking a single gene renders tumors less aggressive

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have identified a gene that, when repressed in tumor cells, puts a halt to cell growth and a range of processes needed for tumors to enlarge and spread to distant sites. The researchers hope that ...

Cancer created May 02, 2013 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (10) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

BPA's real threat may be after it has metabolized

Bisphenol A or BPA is a synthetic chemical widely used in the making of plastic products ranging from bottles and food can linings to toys and water supply lines. When these plastics degrade, BPA is released ...

Health created Oct 04, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (9) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

BPA substitute could spell trouble: Experiments show bisphenol S also disrupts hormone activity

A few years ago, manufacturers of water bottles, food containers, and baby products had a big problem. A key ingredient of the plastics they used to make their merchandise, an organic compound called bisphenol A, had been ...

Health created Jan 22, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (9) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Researchers unravel molecular roots of Down syndrome

Sanford-Burnham researchers discover that the extra chromosome inherited in Down syndrome impairs learning and memory because it leads to low levels of SNX27 protein in the brain.

Medical research created Mar 24, 2013 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (9) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Drug fights hard-to-treat depression by targeting brain receptors in a new way

A first-of-its-kind antidepressant drug discovered by a Northwestern University professor and now tested on adults who have failed other antidepressant therapies has been shown to alleviate symptoms within hours, have good ...

Medical research created Dec 07, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (8) | comments 4 | with audio podcast

Engineered T cells kill tumors but spare normal tissue in an animal model

The need to distinguish between normal cells and tumor cells is a feature that has been long sought for most types of cancer drugs. Tumor antigens, unique proteins on the surface of a tumor, are potential targets for a normal ...

Cancer created Apr 07, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (7) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Scientists make insulin-producing cells self-replicate

(Medical Xpress)—Scientists have discovered a hormone that causes the body's insulin-producing factories, beta cells, to churn out more of themselves. Having enough insulin is critical to regulating the amount of sugar ...

Medical research created Apr 29, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (7) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Gene discovery reveals importance of eating your greens

(Medical Xpress)—Eating your greens may be even more important that previously thought, with the discovery that an immune cell population essential for intestinal health could be controlled by leafy greens ...

Immunology created Mar 04, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (6) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Research suggests a new strategy to prevent or halt periodontal disease

Periodontitis, a form of chronic gum disease that affects nearly half of the U.S. adult population, results when the bacterial community in the mouth becomes unbalanced, leading to inflammation and eventually bone loss. In ...

Medical research created Dec 07, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (6) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Is a better sleeping pill on the way?

(HealthDay)—A new class of sleep medications appears to help people fall asleep without causing grogginess the next day, researchers say.

Medical research created Apr 03, 2013 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (6) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Effects of stress on brain cells offer clues to new anti-depressant drugs

Research from King's College London reveals the detailed mechanism behind how stress hormones reduce the number of new brain cells - a process considered to be linked to depression. The researchers identified a key protein ...

Neuroscience created May 06, 2013 | popularity 3.9 / 5 (7) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Study identifies a potential cause of Parkinson's disease

Deciphering what causes the brain cell degeneration of Parkinson's disease has remained a perplexing challenge for scientists. But a team led by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has pinpointed ...

Parkinson's & Movement disorders created Nov 19, 2012 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (6) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Receptor (biochemistry)

In biochemistry, a receptor is a protein molecule, embedded in either the plasma membrane or cytoplasm of a cell, to which a mobile signaling (or "signal") molecule may attach. A molecule which binds to a receptor is called a "ligand," and may be a peptide (such as a neurotransmitter), a hormone, a pharmaceutical drug, or a toxin, and when such binding occurs, the receptor undergoes a conformational change which ordinarily initiates a cellular response. However, some ligands merely block receptors without inducing any response (e.g. antagonists). Ligand-induced changes in receptors result in physiological changes which constitute the biological activity of the ligands.

For more information about Receptor (biochemistry), read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

Related topics: cells , protein , brain , molecules , nerve cells