In EMBO Molecular Medicine, IRB Barcelona scientists report a technique based on a combination of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing and patient-derived tumour organoids that allows the study of cell heterogeneity in human tumours.
The novel approach was used to examine the behaviour of colorectal cancer stem cells by tracing specific marker genes.
p38α is a protein involved in chronic inflammatory diseases and cancer, among other pathological conditions.
Published in the journal eLife, the study provides a deeper understanding of the structure of this protein, thereby paving the way for the development of more effective inhibitors.
These findings are the result of combining fundamental biological data using computational techniques.
Researchers at IDIBAPS and IRB Barcelona have described in Cancer Research, that the longer the time from the onset of the tumour to the development of metastasis is, the more aggressive this cancer becomes.
Researchers unveil a mechanism responsible for halting protein synthesis when cells are deprived of nutrients.
The cell regulates its growth by forming various assemblies of RNA polymerase I.
The study has implications for cancer research.
IDIBAPS and IRB Barcelona researchers show the effectiveness of a new strategy to achieved genetically modified viruses that infect only tumor cells, thus preserving healthy tissues.
It is an innovative approach that exploits the different expression profiles of certain proteins between tumor and healthy cells, thus allowing the virus to infect only the former.
These comprise a small group of passive stem cells—quiescent—that are activated when needed and have the capacity to produce any kind of intestinal cell.
Quiescent cells are relevant for tissue regeneration and for their participation in tumour development.
Researchers headed by IRB Barcelona combine genetic engineering, super-resolution microscopy and biocomputation to allow them to see in 3D the protein machinery inside living cells
Published in the journal Cell, the study unveils key functional features of an assembly of proteins that is vital for animals and plants.
With this new strategy in hand, it will be possible to study cellular protein machinery in health and in disease.
It is a disease of the liver caused by excessive fat deposits in liver cells.
It is now the most prevalent chronic liver disease in industrialised countries and is a major public health concern because it leads to serious liver conditions.
The international team achieved it by discovering the rules behind a type of protein structures that are essential for the interaction between proteins and small molecules
IRB Barcelona researcher, Enrique Marcos, is the first author of the study published today in Science
Researchers at IRB Barcelona identify a fundamental role of the JAK/STAT signalling pathway in the development and growth regulation of limbs in Drosophila.
Published in Nature Communications, the study paves the way to research into the function of this pathway in vertebrate development and its possible involvement in human congenital diseases.
