As a method of replication viruses can introduce their genetic material into the target cell’s nucleus. Gene therapy treatments such as Adstiladrin exploits this mechanism to deliver genes into cells. These genes code for functional proteins necessary to combat non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
This illustration developed for HILLEMAN: A Perilous Quest to Save the World’s Children captures the intracellular sites essential for protein production and processing. The journey begins in the cell nucleus, where genetic material coding for proteins is stored. The surrounding endoplasmic reticulum functions as the location of protein synthesis, modification, and transportation. Some of these …
This iconic illustration from Harvard’s Inner Life of a Cell depicts a kinesin motor protein.
Proteins can be depicted in several ways to best illustrate their structure. In the center of the protein, we reveal the ribbon structure that describes the simplified path and organization of the protein.
This illustration from Harvard’s Inner Life of a Cell: Protein Packing depicts clathrin proteins that are involved in building coats for small vesicles. In this image, the clathrin proteins are unraveling to release the vesicle and its contents.
ABT-199/GDC-0199 is a small molecule drug in co-development by Abbvie and Genentech for the selective inhibition of BCL-2, a key regulator of cellular apoptosis. BCL-2, part of the larger BCL-2 family, is responsible for the sequestration of pro-apoptotic proteins along the mitochondrial membrane. Displacement of these proteins from BCL-2 in cancerous cells may prime these cells for apoptosis.
The biopharmaceutical company Arvinas Inc. has taken a unique approach to develop investigational therapies for hard-to-treat diseases, including cancers. XVIVO, in collaboration with Wyant Simboli and their client, Arvinas Inc., helped communicate the unconventional mechanism of action for a new class of drugs that engage the body’s own protein disposal system to target cancers and other difficult-to-treat diseases.
The XVIVO team collaborated on a project with Dr. Daniela Nicastro, Associate Professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. Nicastro and her research colleagues had completed some complex and ground-breaking research into how cilia and flagella generate their whip-like motion, and they asked XVIVO to help them visualize the results.
Harvard University and XVIVO come together again to add to the growing series of scientific animations for BioVisions – Harvard’s multimedia lab in the department of Molecular and Cellular Biology. Protein Packing strives to more accurately depict the molecular chaos in each and every cell, with proteins jittering around in what may seem like random …
The Inner Life of the Cell medical animation was created to help educate college students and, along the way, ended up giving XVIVO an orbital boost. Since its development in 2006, the animation has been used worldwide by educators, scientists, and news outlets to help explain the inner life of a cell and inspired other animators and researchers in their own works.