Ribonucleases are enzymes that catalyze the degradation of RNA. Levels of RNase activity are controlled in vivo by a ribonuclease inhibitor (RI), which binds strongly to an RNase to completely inhibit...
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The extensive use of neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors to treat influenza virus infections by reducing viral sialidase activity requires close monitoring for resistant variants. However, cultured cells do...
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Under physiological conditions, bone tissue regeneration involves a complex interplay of multiple biologically active molecules and stem cells. The molecules are often presented sequentially in cascad...
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The normal growth and development of tissue requires a complex interplay of multiple signals from multiple genes in well-defined locations, leading to the controlled differentiation of precursor cells...
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Ebola virus, a negative strand RNA virus in the family Filoviridae, is among the most lethal human pathogens. Efforts to develop treatments for Ebola infections have been hampered by a lack of effecti...
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Dendritic cells play an important role in the process of initiating immune response. They are present in small quantities in tissues, such as skin and lung, that are in contact with the external envir...
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More than 11,000 American women were diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2008. Treatment of this disease, which consists of surgical, chemotherapeutic and radiation therapies, costs an estimated $1.7 bi...
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Collagen, the most abundant protein in vertebrates, provides structure for tissues and plays a key role in wound healing. In connective tissue, individual collagen molecules are wound together in tigh...
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Prostate cancer is the second most common form of cancer among North American men. Current therapies for prostate cancer involve either removing the entire gland or treating it with radiation; however...
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Approximately one-third of the world’s population is infected with the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB).  Five to 10 percent of non-immunocompr...
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The kidney filters toxins and excess nutrients from the blood. It also synthesizes the active form of vitamin D3. In patients with chronic kidney disease, levels of active vitamin D3 decline, leading ...
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As the incidence of antibiotic resistance among bacteria continues to rise, the discovery of new antibacterial compounds has become increasingly critical to fighting infectious disease. According to t...
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Influenza viruses cause morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the United States, influenza is responsible for approximately 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths each year. Two classes of antiv...
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Collagen is the most abundant protein in vertebrates. It serves as the fundamental structural protein for vertebrate tissues and is critically important in wound healing. Many diseases, including arth...
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No effective therapy currently exists for the most common and severe form of muscular dystrophy disease, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). This disease, which is characterized by the weakening of vol...
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