Insight on Research

Leo James’ group, in the LMB’s PNAC Division, have worked with Will McEwan’s group at the UK Dementia Research Institute to design two new therapeutics which harnesses cellular machinery to remove tau aggregates, improving motor skills in mice affected by neurodegenerative disease.

Surprising advance to our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases, as Diana Arseni and Benjamin Ryskeldi-Falcon in the LMB’s Neurobiology Division find that frontotemporal lobar degeneration Type C filaments include both annexin A11 and TDP-43 in a unique heteromeric structure.

Marta Shahbazi’s group in the LMB’s Cell Biology Division has determined that contact with extracellular matrix proteins prevents embryonic cells from becoming germ cells.

Ingo Greger’s group, in the LMB’s Neurobiology Division, find that low pH causes protonation of histidine 208 embedded within GluA2 NTDs – a mechanism which has potential to tune strength of synaptic transmission and plasticity, key to learning and memory.

Led by Mayuri Gogoi, Andrew McKenzie’s group in the LMB’s PNAC Division have determined that the cytokine LIF production by type-2 innate lymphoid cells dictates the movement of immune cells from the site of lung infection or chronic allergic reaction, thereby regulating tissue localised versus systemic immunity.

Lori Passmore’s group in the LMB’s Structural Studies Division have identified the molecular mechanism by which the FANCD2-FANCI protein complex, which acts as a travelling DNA clamp, is able to identify sites of DNA strand damage and mark them for repair.