Structural Basis for Substrate Binding, Catalysis and Inhibition of Breast Cancer Target Mitochondrial Creatine Kinase by Covalent Inhibitor via Cryo-EM.

Mitochondrial creatine kinases are key players in maintaining energy homeostasis in cells by working in conjunction with cytosolic creatine kinases for energy transport from mitochondria to cytoplasm. High levels of MtCK observed in Her2+ breast cancer and inhibition of breast cancer cell growth by substrate analog, cyclocreatine, indicate dependence of cancer cells on the 'energy shuttle' for cell growth and survival. Hence, understanding the key mechanistic features of creatine kinases and their inhibition plays an important role in the development of cancer therapeutics.

Automatic bright-field smear microscopy for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.

In recent decades, many studies have been published on the use of automatic smear microscopy for diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Most of them deal with a preliminary step of the diagnosis, the bacilli detection, whereas sputum smear microscopy for diagnosis of pulmonary TB comprises detecting and reporting the number of bacilli found in at least 100 microscopic fields, according to the 5 grading scales (negative, scanty, 1+, 2+ and 3+) endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Pulmonary TB diagnosis in bright-field smear microscopy, however, depends upon the attention of a trained and motivated technician, while the automated TB diagnosis requires little or no interpretation by a technician.

The tale of TILs in breast cancer: A report from The International Immuno-Oncology Biomarker Working Group.

The advent of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in modern oncology has significantly improved survival in several cancer settings. A subgroup of women with breast cancer (BC) has immunogenic infiltration of lymphocytes with expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). These patients may potentially benefit from ICI targeting the programmed death 1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 signaling axis.

Fermenting Bread Dough as a Cheap, Effective, Nontoxic, and Generic Attractant for Pest Snails and Slugs.

Invasive slugs and snails are among the most damaging pests of agriculture in temperate and tropical regions of the world. Control options, however, are limited and there is a heavy reliance on chemical molluscicides of variable efficacy. There is an ongoing need to improve management methods.

Correlating the Structure and Activity of Y. pestis Ail in a Bacterial Cell Envelope.

Understanding microbe-host interactions at the molecular level is a major goal of fundamental biology and therapeutic drug development. Structural biology strives to capture biomolecular structures in action, but the samples are often highly simplified versions of the complex native environment. Here, we present an Escherichia coli model system that allows us to probe the structure and function of Ail, the major surface protein of the deadly pathogen Yersinia pestis.