The mechanisms underlying skin renewal are still poorly understood. Interleukin-38 (IL-38), a protein involved in regulating inflammatory responses, could be a game changer. A team has observed it for the first time in the form of condensates in keratinocytes, the cells of the epidermis. The presence of IL-38 in these aggregates is enhanced close to the skin's surface exposed to atmospheric oxygen. This process could be linked to the initiation of programmed keratinocyte death, a natural process in the epidermis. This study could bring new perspectives for the study of human epidermis and the illnesses that affect it.
Read more …A new model to explore the epidermal renewal

When pain signals are passed along the nervous system, proteins called calcium channels play a key role. Researchers have now pinpointed the exact location of a specific calcium channel fine-tuning the strength of pain signals. This knowledge can be used to develop drugs for chronic pain that are more effective and have fewer side effects.
Read more …A new discovery about pain signaling may contribute to better treatment of chronic pain

Researchers have used machine learning and supercomputer simulations to investigate how tiny gold nanoparticles bind to blood proteins. The studies discovered that favorable nanoparticle-protein interactions can be predicted from machine learning models that are trained from atom-scale molecular dynamics simulations. The new methodology opens ways to simulate efficacy of gold nanoparticles as targeted drug delivery systems in precision nanomedicine.
Read more …Machine learning and supercomputer simulations help researchers to predict interactions between...

More Articles …