General

While the world worries about novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, other viruses continue to be used for the good – as vectors that ferry in healing genes for gene therapy and editing. Charles Hough calls himself “reborn” after lentiviruses – disabled versions of HIV – gave his blood cells the gene that overrides the […]

An international team of researchers from the University of Zurich, the University Hospital Zurich, Heidelberg and Glasgow has identified a novel function for the cell death regulating protein MCL1: It is essential in protecting the intestine against cancer development – independent of bacterial-driven inflammation. These findings have implications for the […]

Researchers based at UTokyo and RIKEN in Japan, and the University of New South Wales in Australia have uncovered a new aspect of one of the molecules involved in cells' production line to build cholesterol. This understanding could provide a new target for high-cholesterol medications and other drugs that kill […]

Researchers have found that colon cancer tumor cells produce energy for growth differently in women and men and that this difference is associated with a more aggressive form of tumor growth with a higher incidence in women. In a study published in Scientific Reports, the authors note that this is […]

Researchers here report on preliminary evidence that antibodies binding to TREM2 can enhance the ability of the immune cells known as microglia to clear out debris and metabolic waste in brain, particularly the amyloid-β plaques thought to contribute to the progression of the condition. Given the unremitting record of failure to date for amyloid-β clearance approaches to produce […]

Multiple proteins can be assembled from the blueprint of a any given gene, depending on which of the intron sequences (usually removed) and exon sequences (usually retained) within the overall gene sequence are included in the final protein. Splicing is the part of the gene expression process that determines this outcome, and regulation of splicing is one […]

University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers have identified a new way that common Aspergillus molds can induce asthma, by first attacking the protective tissue barrier deep in the lungs. In both mice and humans, an especially strong response to this initial damage was associated with developing an overreaction to future mold exposure and the […]

Some 20 percent of breast cancer survivors will suffer from lymphedema, a potentially severe side effect of treatment that makes arms swell with lymph. The disease is often overlooked, but commercially available app-based technology now makes early detection easier, allowing for proactive treatment. The lymphedema monitoring technology originated through research […]

A number of previous studies have found that the roughly 400 olfactory genes present in the human body are sometimes expressed beyond the nose, posing an interesting question for researchers involved in the field of genetics. Now, a study published in Molecular Systems Biology has shown that patients with colon […]

A protein that normally deposits mineralized calcium in tooth enamel may also be responsible for calcium deposits in the back of the eye in people with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a study from researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI). This protein, amelotin, may turn out to […]

Skin is our body’s most ardent defender against pathogens and other external threats. Its outermost layer is maintained through a remarkable transformation in which skin cells swiftly convert into squames—flat, dead cells that provide a tight seal between the living portion of the skin and the world outside. “Throughout our […]

Over the past few years, biochemist John Jefferson Perry at the University of California, Riverside, has collaborated on a number of projects with Atomwise Inc., a company that uses artificial intelligence, or AI, for drug discovery. Now Perry and the company have formed a joint venture called Theia Biosciences. Perry’s collaboration with […]

How does a developing embryo, which is initially round, tell left from right? This basic process is still poorly understood. However, investigating unusual cases can help shed light on how this process occurs in animals. More than a century ago, German biologist Dr. H. C. Delsman described unusual left–right (L–R) […]

Parkinson’s disease takes a lot from its victims. Patients often notice its onset as a tremor in one of their hands. As it progresses, it can impair balance, change speech patterns, alter thinking and dramatically affect movement. There is no cure, but there are ways to improve symptoms. Researchers from […]

Researchers at the University of Georgia’s Regenerative Bioscience Center and their colleagues have found that “natural killer” white blood cells could guard against the cascade of cellular changes that lead to Parkinson’s disease and help stop its progression. Natural killer (NK) cells are white blood cells that can kill tumors without being […]

All cells, like all people, need “quiet” time to function properly, and this is particularly true of T cells, one of the immune system’s main weapons. They must be ready for activation at all times, and primed to divide more rapidly than almost any cell in the body. When T […]

Scientists discover how non-human primate ovaries age, with implications for human fertility. Due to the modern tendency to postpone childbirth until later in life, a growing number of women are experiencing issues with infertility. Infertility likely stems from age-related decline of the ovaries, but the molecular mechanisms that lead to […]

During development, cells generated from people with autism have frequent breaks in the DNA of certain genes Researchers at the Salk Institute have discovered a unique pattern of DNA damage that arises in brain cells derived from individuals with a macrocephalic form of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The observation, published […]

A combination of two previously studied osteoarthritis drugs works better than either drug alone, Salk researchers discovered. People with osteoarthritis, or “wear and tear” arthritis, have limited treatment options: pain relievers or joint replacement surgery. Now, Salk researchers have discovered that a powerful combination of two experimental drugs reverses the […]

Associate Professor Anthony Leicht was part of an international group led by Professor John Saxton from Northumbria University and the University of East Anglia that studied how exercise might help prostate cancer sufferers who were about to start Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT). The initial treatment for sufferers involves using drugs […]

Among adults with chronic viral hepatitis at high risk of liver cancer, those who took low-dose aspirin long-term were less likely to develop liver cancer or to die from liver-related causes. The findings come from a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine and conducted by a team […]

Life is rife with patterns. It’s common for living things to create a repeating series of similar features as they grow: think of feathers that vary slightly in length on a bird’s wing or shorter and longer petals on a rose. It turns out the brain is no different. By […]

The microscopic populations of bacteria in our intestines are, in some ways, just like us: They live in communities, eat, work, reproduce, and eventually die. Many of these bacterial species live in harmony with our bodies, providing benefits to us in exchange for nutrients and shelter. When the right kinds […]

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions have devised a new strategy to stop tumors from developing the new blood vessels they need to grow. Once thought to be extremely promising for the treatment of cancer, blocking molecules that stimulate new blood vessel growth (angiogenesis) has proven […]

Specific health measures – such as function, cognition and psychological well-being – should be incorporated into the assessment of whether major surgery is suitable for older adults, especially if the mortality risk after surgery outweighs the benefits, according to a new study by researchers at UC San Francisco. In a […]

The integrated stress response (ISR) is a well-studied biological circuit that behaves like a disaster response center: it takes control when something in the cell goes awry. When the ISR receives a distress signal, it responds by reallocating cellular resources. Run-of-the-mill cellular functions are shut off so that valuable resources […]

Who among us hasn’t had a sore throat, a hoarse voice or a lump in the neck? Usually, these are minor problems that go away on their own or after a course of antibiotics—but if they don’t, check in with your doctor. These can all be signs of oropharyngeal cancer […]

A novel system to amplify gene expression signals could be a game-changer for scientists who study the regulatory processes in cells that are central to all life. The Rice University lab of bioscientist Laura Segatori has developed a versatile gene signal amplifier that can do a better job of detecting the expression […]

Specific combinations of statins and antihypertensives may also reduce risk for Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new USC study of nearly 700,000 Medicare beneficiaries. The findings suggest that treatments already in use for blood pressure and cholesterol control could reduce the number of people with Alzheimer’s and related dementias, researchers […]

When Gregory Poore was a freshman in college, his otherwise healthy grandmother was shocked to learn that she had late-stage pancreatic cancer. The condition was diagnosed in late December. She died in January. “She had virtually no warning signs or symptoms,” Poore said. “No one could say why her cancer […]