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Study could help unravel mystery of fatty acid accumulation in heart

Study could help unravel mystery of fatty acid accumulation in heart

New Delhi: Fatty acids are formed when the fat in our diet breaks down during digestion. While many of the body’s organs use glucose as their primary energy source, the heart derives most of its required energy (over 70%) from the oxidation of fatty acids. These are crucial for sustaining cardiomyocytes – cardiac muscle cells that control the rhythmic beating of the heart. However, the accumulation of excess fatty acids in cardiomyocytes triggers harmful responses, often leading to severe cardiac diseases. A recent study published in Cell Reports by a team of researchers from India and the US, led by scientists at the Indian…
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Indian scientists develop artificial enzyme to keep HIV virus in check

Indian scientists develop artificial enzyme to keep HIV virus in check

New Delhi: People suffering from Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection can now hope to have a better quality of life with researchers at the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Science (IISc) developing a nano alternative to a natural enzyme that is used to block reactivation and replication of the virus in the host’s immune cells. Made from vanadium pentoxide nanosheets, the new “nanozymes” work by mimicking the natural enzyme called glutathione peroxidase to help reduce oxidative stress levels in the host’s cells, which is required to keep the virus in check. Presently, there is no method available to completely eliminate HIV…
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New hope for mitochondrial disorders

New hope for mitochondrial disorders

New Delhi: Efforts to find a treatment for mitochondrial disorders is set to get a major boost with a team of researchers at the Department of Biotechnology’s National Institute of Immunology (DBT-NII) figuring out a way to tackle autosomal dominant progressive external ophthalmoplegia (adPEO), which is a widely prevalent mitochondrial disorder. Mitochondrial genetic disorders refer to a group of conditions that affect the mitochondria, the structures in the body cells that are responsible for making energy. People with these conditions can be of any age with almost any affected body system. However, the brain, muscles, heart, liver, nerves, eyes, ears…
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