Medicine and Life Sciences

Despite leaving behind thousands of deformed infants, thalidomide — and newer drugs derived from it — have proved effective cancer treatments. Researchers in the group of Nicolas Thomä at the FMI provided key insights into the mechanism of action of thalidomide-like drugs. Their work could help develop molecules that target and destroy disease-causing proteins, thus enabling the treatment of uncurable conditions.

Cell biologists at ETH Zurich describe a new organelle present in mammalian cells that is made of rings of DNA. This "mini-organ" could potentially play a role in autoimmune diseases, and it could help researchers to understand how cell nuclei evolved.

Cell biologists at ETH Zurich describe a new organelle present in mammalian cells that is made of rings of DNA. This "mini-organ" could potentially play a role in autoimmune diseases, and it could help researchers to understand how cell nuclei evolved.

Scientists at EPFL use cutting-edge imaging techniques to shed light on the progression of Parkinson's disease by studying how the main culprit, the protein alpha-synuclein, disrupts cellular metabolism.