Ana Rodríguez, Author at Baylor College of Medicine Blog Network

Image of the Month: An activated human NK cell

October 2, 2017 Cancer, Gata2, immune system, myelodysplastic syndrome, NK cells, viral infections

NK or natural killer cells are members of the immune system critical for the control of viral infections and cancer. Research at the Emily

From The Labs

“Off-the-shelf” cells are safe and effective to treat viral infections

September 29, 2017 BK virus, bone marrow transplant, Epstein-Barr virus, HHV-6 virus, Immunotherapy, viral inection

A bone marrow transplant can be a life-saving treatment for patients with certain cancers and other serious illnesses that have not responded to conventional chemotherapies.

From The Labs

Patient-inspired research connects sugar metabolism and peroxisomes

September 28, 2017 lipid metabolism, peroxisomal biogenesis, Peroxisomal disease, peroxisomes, PEX genes, Rare Diseases, sugar metabolism, Zellweger disease

Peroxisomal biogenesis disorder is a condition that has been linked only to lipid metabolism. This line of thought has now changed as new research has

From The Labs

Why gut bacteria might be in a recipe for longer, healthier life

September 21, 2017 C. elegans, colanic acid. mitochondria, gut microbes, Longevity, microbiome

The scientific community is increasingly aware that an organism’s interactions with the millions of microbes in their bodies – the microbiome – can influence many

From The Labs

Studying the body builder effect leads to a novel pathway in cancer growth

September 19, 2017 anabolism, body builder effect, cancer growth, catabolism, melanoma, mTORC1, rare genetic diseases

The nutrient-activated kinase complex mTORC1, which has been known to be involved in an organism’s adaptation to food availability after starvation and physical exercise, has

From The Labs

Together, DAG1 and Yap ‘hit the brakes’ on heart cell proliferation

September 15, 2017 cardiomyocyte, DAG1, heart cell proliferation, heart disease, Hippo pathway, muscular dystrophy, YAP

Although both are known to play a role in cardiac function and previous work had hinted that they might interact with each other, it was

From The Labs

Image of the Month: What causes myotonic dystrophy, type1

September 5, 2017 alternative splicing, CELF1 and MBNL proteins, CTG repeat, CUGexp, DM1, DMPK gene, MEF2 transcription factor, muscular dystrophy, myotonic dystrophy, RNA splicing

Myotonic dystrophy, type 1 (DM1) is the second most common cause of muscular dystrophy and numerous other muscle disorders that affect tens of thousands of

From The Labs

A 12-hour biological clock coordinates essential bodily functions

August 31, 2017 12-hour biological clock, Biological clocks, circadian rhythm, circatidal rhythm, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, Research

It’s not a good idea to disturb the circadian rhythm on a regular basis. For instance, experimental evidence shows that night-shift workers who periodically change