Disease mechanisms and treatments

Exploring the link between lipids and longevity
Meng Wang will present her work on metabolism and aging at the ASBMB Annual Meeting, March 7-10, just outside of Washington, D.C.

The science of staying strong
Muscles power every movement, but they also tell the story of aging itself. Scientists are uncovering how strength fades, why some species resist it and what lifestyle and molecular clues could help preserve muscle health for life.

Building the blueprint to block HIV
Wesley Sundquist will present his work on the HIV capsid and revolutionary drug, Lenacapavir, at the ASBMB Annual Meeting, March 7–10, in Maryland.

Gut microbes hijack cancer pathway in high-fat diets
Researchers at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research found that a high-fat diet increases ammonia-producing bacteria in the gut microbiome of mice, which in turn disrupts TGF-β signaling and promotes colorectal cancer.

Cholesterol as a novel biomarker for Fragile X syndrome
Researchers in Quebec identified lower levels of a brain cholesterol metabolite, 24-hydroxycholesterol, in patients with fragile X syndrome, a finding that could provide a simple blood-based biomarker for understanding and managing the condition.

How Alixorexton could transform narcolepsy treatment
A new investigational drug, alixorexton, targets the brain’s orexin system to restore wakefulness in people with narcolepsy type 1. Alkermes chemist Brian Raymer shares how molecular modeling turned a lab idea into a promising phase 3 therapy.

Phosphatases and pupils: A dual legacy
Yale professor Anton Bennett explores how protein tyrosine phosphatases shape disease, while building a legacy of mentorship that expands opportunity and fuels discovery in biochemistry and molecular biology.

Proteomics reveals protein shifts in diabetic eye disease
Using proteomics, researchers identified protein changes in eye fluid that mark diabetic retinopathy progression and may serve as biomarkers for vision-threatening complications. Read more about this recent MCP paper.

Protein modifications drive lung cancer resistance
New assay enriches protein modifications in a single process, enabling detection of key changes in drug-resistant lung cancer cells that may guide future therapies.