The powerhouse of the cell could be a “potent target” for therapies to mitigate or correct heart failure, according to a new study by a team of researchers based in Japan. In a study in mice and a cell line of human heart cells, they found that the molecular marker that typically signals cellular damage may actually play a protective role in the heart, especially during a heart failure.

A recent study by researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo reveals the pivotal role of tristetraprolin (TTP), an RNA-binding protein, in regulating inflammatory responses in basophils, immune cells central to allergic reactions. The research shows that TTP controls the stability of mRNAs for inflammatory molecules, preventing their overproduction. Using TTP-deficient mice, the team found heightened allergic inflammation, suggesting TTP as a promising therapeutic target for treating allergic and inflammatory diseases.

Groundbreaking cerium oxide-based thermal switches achieve remarkable performance, transforming heat flow control with sustainable and efficient technology.

A joint research group team led by Sayuri Tsukahara and Tetsuji Kakutani of the University of Tokyo has clarified a mechanism of how retrotransposons, genetic elements that can “jump around” chromosomes and are known drivers of evolution, preferentially insert in the centromere. The findings were published in the journal Nature.