Thrombin is a serine protease, an enzyme that, in humans, is encoded by the F2 gene[1]. Prothrombin (coagulation factor II) is proteolytically cleaved to form thrombin in the clotting process. Thrombin in turn acts as a serine protease that converts soluble fibrinogen into insoluble strands of fibrin, as well as catalyzing many other coagulation-related reactions.…
Author: Ian Nicholson
CDK5 Inhibition Halts Growth Of Glioblastoma
By inhibiting an enzyme called CDK5, Northwestern Medicine researchers were able to halt the growth of glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. The discovery of this enzyme’s regulatory influence on glioblastoma may pave the way for a much needed improvement on current therapy options, said Subhas Mukherjee, Ph.D., research assistant professor of Pathology and…
Celiac Disease and Food Allergies
Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People with celiac disease are unable to tolerate a protein called gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten is found mainly in foods, but may also be found in products which are used…
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Marking The Differences In Motoneurons
The world’s attention was focused on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) recently with the death of Stephen Hawking. The famous physicist had a rare form of slowly progressing ALS that resulted in a gradual loss of motor function. Perhaps the experience of the disease is best conveyed by Hawking himself: “I have lived with the prospect…
CancerSEEK Blood Test Screens For Eight Types Of Cancer
A single blood test that screens for eight common cancer types and helps identify the location of the cancer has been developed by researchers at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. The test, called CancerSEEK, is a unique noninvasive, multi-analyte test that simultaneously evaluates levels of eight cancer proteins and the presence of cancer gene mutations…
Brain Pericytes Negotiate Vascular Territories With Adjacent Pericytes
A little-understood type of cell on the brain’s blood vessels, known as pericytes, grow into the empty space left when neighboring pericytes die, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina report. Such growth is a form of neuroplasticity that has the potential to be harnessed in the fight against age-related vascular disorders, such as…
Is ADHD A Collection Of Different Neurobiological Pathways?
People with different types of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have impairments in unique brain systems, indicating that there may not be a one-size-fits-all explanation for the cause of the disorder, a new brain imaging study suggests. Based on performance on behavioural tests, adolescents with ADHD fit into one of three subgroups, where each group demonstrated distinct…
Human Umbilical Cord Blood Rejuvenates Old Mice’s Impaired Learning
Umbilical cord blood from human newborns boosts the brain function and cognitive performance of old mice, a new study shows. The findings could lead to new treatments for age-associated declines in mental ability. Researchers identified a protein, abundant in human cord blood but decreasingly so with advancing age, that has the same effect when injected…
Deadly Drug Resistant Fungal Infection Outbreak Causing Concern In U.S.
A highly drug-resistant deadly fungal infection, first warned against by U.S. health officials last summer, has been cropping up in hospitals around the country. Over 30 patients have been diagnosed with the emerging pathogen Candida auris since that time, with 28 of the 35 documented U.S. cases located in New York state., according to the CDC.…