Apr 20 2016
Researchers from the University of Ghent have demonstrated that dead tumor cells are an exceptionally strong stimulus for the immune system in its fight against spreading tumors. The discovery comes from a group of young scientists who study different types of cell death on the molecular level. Dr. Peter Vandenabeele’s team shifted their interest to …
Jan 20 2015
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are molecules belonging to two groups: free radicals having one or more unpaired electron(s) such as superoxide (O2–), hydroxyl radical (OH●), and nitric oxide (NO●); and non-radical ROS with no unpaired electrons such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or singlet oxygen (1O2). ROS are naturally produced by the mitochondrial electron transport chain …
Jul 24 2014
The mitochondrial electrochemical gradient is often disturbed during apoptosis and can be detected using cationic dyes such as DePsipher™ (5,5’6,6’- tetrachloro-1,1’,3,3’-tetraethylbenz-imidazolylcarbocyanine iodide) or MitoShift™ (tetramethylrhodamine ethyl ester). Activation of caspases, or cysteinyl proteases, is a necessary event for execution of the apoptotic response. Some of the caspases