In light of the study showing that bacteria with a particular form of the protein DnaK can interfere with a cell’s response to DNA damage and the ability to repair such damage, I have been thinking about what kinds of cancers may have a bacterial cause or contribution. The one that the researchers studied to … Read more
In a study of infection by bacteria of the mycoplasma family, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have discovered that the bacterial protein DnaK triggers a cascade of events that can cause infected cells and nearby uninfected cells to become cancerous. DnaK is a prokaryotic stress-induced protein (Figure 1) that is a … Read more
Cellular and whole-body metabolism changes with age. An emerging idea is that preventing these metabolic changes may reduce negative effects of aging or at least delay them. Indeed, this idea is popular enough that companies are developing and selling dietary supplements intended to boost “healthy” metabolism. Many are intended to boost the amount of a … Read more