Basic Science News at Duke School of Medicine

Cells inside our bodies divide constantly for growth and repair, but it’s a carefully controlled business. Mistakes can lead to diseases like cancer.  Researchers from Duke University School of Medicine have developed a sensor that reveals how cells maintain stability during this process. The sensor measures forces on motor proteins — tiny engines that help separate and organize chromosomes inside a structure called the spindle. 

 Discovery at Duke School of Medicine suggests a new way to tackle the root cause of nerve pain by helping cells share energy.      

Lung model will mimic real breathing to study how co-infections can turn routine flu into life-threatening disease .

Study shows a deadly fungus gets a two-week head start on the brain’s defenders. It points to a new strategy for boosting the immune system to fight Cryptococcus.

A new Nature Medicine paper highlights how 40 years of HIV research reshaped far more than the fight against one virus. What began as an urgent global health response helped fuel breakthroughs that now power treatments for cancer, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and even COVID-19 — thanks to sustained U.S. investment and collaboration across universities, industry, and government.

Duke research reveals that a decades-old breast cancer vaccine may have unlocked a powerful immune memory response, now supercharged by a new antibody.

Researchers at Duke University School of Medicine have identified two enzymes that can produce a key ingredient in antibiotics, antivirals, and cancer drugs without the use of toxic chemicals.

A three-step study — lab experiments with zebrafish, computer simulation, and robotic testing — reveal how closely the brain and body work together to guide movement based on what we see.

A study in Nature Cell Biology has uncovered a surprising role for what was once considered “junk DNA,” showing that it helps stem cells sense their surroundings and decide what kind of cells to become during early development.

Suzanne Barbour, PhD, professor of cell biology has received the Sustained Leadership Award from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.