The haploid human genome contains approximately 3,000,000,000 base pairs of DNA packaged into 23 chromosomes. Most cells in the body, except for eggs and sperm, are diploid, with 23 pairs of chromosomes. That makes a total of 6,000,000,000 base pairs of DNA per cell that, if they were to be put in a straight line […]
Biomedicine • Chemistry • Condensed matter • DIPC Photochemistry
Metal complexes are typically regarded as catalysts that convert organic substrates into more valuable compounds; however, to date, catalytic transformations of metal complexes are practically unknown and represent a complete new way of thinking in catalysis. Their development can expand the scope of bioorthogonal chemical reactions to inorganic substances and metal-based prodrugs, fostering the creation […]
Estrogens are steroid hormones affecting several organs including mammary glands. More precisely, these glands exert their action by means of estrogens through the e strogen receptor (ER), a transcription factor belonging to the family of nuclear receptors. So far, two types of ERs have been identified: alpha and beta. ER-beta is expressed in all mammary […]
During the Cold War the competition between both sides, Russia and the United States of America, caused a quick development of military and spacial technology: while the Soviet Union was the first country responsible for an orbital launch (Sputnik 1), the first nation to ever send a man to space and pioneered spacewalks, the U […]
Like the river of Heraclitus, our bones are constantly changing. Although it may look tough and immutable , the bone is a very dynamic tissue that is constantly formed and destroyed, having different appearances during each of the stages of life. Bone destruction or reabsorption is mediated by a particular cellular type known as the […]
The mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) is an atypical nuclear receptor. In principle, it may seem a mere receptor with a specific ligand and an evident role: it is capable of detecting mineralocorticoids (like aldosterone), exerting an essential function controlling sodium and water reabsorption in the kidneys. In fact, knockout mice lacking MR die shortly after being […]
Sometimes, scientists give very good news, and in 2017 we have had one of these occasions. Boys suffering from X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD), a devastating neurodegenerative disease, have been cured with gene therapy. The STARBEAM study was performed by an international team headed by David A. Williams from the Boston Children’s Hospital in Massachusetts (USA), and […]
«BPA-Free», «No Bisphenol A» and similar labels have become a sort of seal of quality for those products where they are on display, especially containers and baby products. But, what is bisphenol A? In 1936 bisphenol A (BPA) was identified as a synthetic estrogen, this is, an artificial compound that shows estrogen-mimicking action. Estrogens are […]
Vitamin D is an atypical vitamin because it is not a real vitamin. Vitamins are supposed to be essential, meaning that our organism cannot live without them but their synthesis cannot take place in our cells, so we must ensure an external intake through the diet. However, only 10% of vitamin D daily requirements come […]
The study of nuclear receptors includes a great variety of approaches and techniques: from experiments with transgenic mice assessing their roles in the organism, to three-dimensional methods at the atomic level, in which the position of each amino acid and its function are examined. Dr. Estébanez’s research line focuses in the latter feature. T he […]