Oncology & Cancer

New antibody harbors great potential for fighting blood cancer

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children. This form of blood cancer, which also occurs in adults, is caused by malignantly degenerated precursor cells of certain white blood cells (B-cell precursors ...

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.

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