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Lethal combination: Drug cocktail turns off the “juice” to cancer cells

The widely used anti-diabetes drug metformin not only reduces blood sugar but also has an anti-cancer effect. However, the metformin dose commonly used in the treatment of diabetes is too low to inhibit cancer growth. The…


Like a zipper – How cells form new blood vessels

The blood vessels form a widely ramified supply system that passes through our body from head to toe. They serve as pathways for blood cells and transport oxygen as well as nutrients into each individual organ. In the…


Blood vessel formation: how the vascular cells respond to blood pressure

Throughout our body there is a dense, widely ramified network of blood vessels. It is estimated to be about 150,000 kilometers in length. The vessels supply all cells, even those in most far away regions of the body with…


Inner “clockwork” sets the time for cell division in bacteria

The ability of pathogens to multiply in the host is crucial for the spread of infections. The speed of bacterial division greatly depends on the environmental conditions. Under unfavorable conditions, such as nutrient…


Genetic engineering in research: same same, but different

The cell envelope is covered with a wide variety of receptor proteins. They are the sensors to the environment, perceive signals such as the availability of nutrients and transmit this information to the inside of the cell.…


Multiple treatments to slow age-related muscle wasting

We now live longer than at any point in human history, but to enjoy those extra years, we need to remain healthy, mobile and independent. With age, however, our muscles inevitably lose mass and strength. This age-related…


New method: Small cell organelles make it big

Although cells are separated from the outside world by a membrane, they can still sense well what is happening around them. They capture hormones and nutrients such as sugar, iron or cholesterol and bring them packed in…


Bacterial nanosized speargun works like a power drill

Millions of tiny microbes on leaves, stones or our skin jostle for space. And almost everywhere they have to compete for resources and nutrients. In the course of evolution, some bacteria have therefore developed a weapon to…


Balzan Prize for Prof. Michael N. Hall from the Biozentrum

Michael N. Hall receives the Balzan Prize for his groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate cell growth and ageing. Michael Hall discovered two proteins, TOR1 and TOR2, which…


New insights into blood vessel formation

Blood vessels run throughout the entire body, delivering nutrients and oxygen through the circulating blood. During vessel formation, cells first form local lumens, which then fuse to form a continuous tubular network. The…