Basic Science News at Duke School of Medicine

Scientists have identified a long‑sought enzyme that controls a fundamental chemical process critical for healthy bones and cartilage, according to a study accepted to Nature Chemical Biology. The study opens the door to drug development, suggesting that inhibiting MESH1 could help restore sulfation in patients with related diseases.

Researchers from Duke University and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center used ultra-high-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) microscopy to map volume changes throughout the brain in a carefully crafted collection of genetically engineered mouse models. The results provide new insight into the evolution of Alzheimer's disease and make it easier for scientists to test potential Alzheimer’s treatments in preclinical trials.

A newly published study from Duke Cancer Institute researchers sheds light on a long‑standing mystery in cancer biology and reveals a potential new path toward more targeted treatments for pancreatic and other solid tumors.

Viruses infect people every day. From the common cold to influenza, COVID, and more, viruses are part of life. Most of the time, some extra rest, facial tissues, and over-the-counter drugs get us back on our feet, but sometimes, as in the COVID-19 pandemic, viruses not only disrupt an individual’s life, but they can also cause high mortality rates and global shutdowns. 

Cell biologist Amy Gladfelter, PhD, has been intrigued by a fungus called Ashbya gossypii for 20 years. Made of branching strands, this mold consists of “giant” cells packed with multiple nuclei.

A short piece of DNA that changed rapidly in humans compared with other mammals appears to act like a volume knob for brain growth.

Researchers at Duke University School of Medicine, working in collaboration with scientists at University of California, San Francisco, and University of California, Berkeley, have developed a new approach that could expand the reach and accessibility of CAR-T cell therapy. The findings were published in Nature. 

Duke University School of Medicine scientists have discovered a hidden brain circuit that helps explain how we learn from experience.

Duke University School of Medicine researchers led by cancer biologist Zhao Zhang, PhD, have discovered the keys to survival for a circular form of DNA that drives many aggressive cancers.  

Researchers at Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill have uncovered a set of bacterial survival genes activated only inside TB’s hard‑to‑study granulomas, revealing new clues to how the pathogen endures our immune defenses.