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FISH technique can be used to probe sperm DNA for chromosomal defects

Chemotherapy and radiation treatments are known to cause harsh side effects that patients can see or feel throughout their bodies.

19 Jan 2021

Image-based deep learning haplotype-guided study maps the global adaptation of SARS-CoV-2

A new study used deep learning with image recognition technology to trace the emergence of variants with increased viral fitness. Higher fitness leads to rapid expansion of these lineages in the areas where they are introduced. This type of study could facilitate the development of more effective antibodies and vaccines to help contain the pandemic.

15 Jan 2021

Study reports promising new monoclonal antibody against SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein

An encouraging new study describes a promising new therapeutic antibody that shows potent neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19.

15 Jan 2021

Discovery of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies from a naïve human Ab library

Now, a new preprint research paper published on the bioRxiv server shows how closely the antibodies formed in exposed humans resemble the germline antibody molecules. This could lead to the development of novel therapeutics to counter the pandemic.

12 Jan 2021

Researchers identify biomarkers in sperm for paternal offspring autism susceptibility

Biomarkers in human sperm have been identified that can indicate a propensity to father children with autism spectrum disorder.

11 Jan 2021

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 NTD-directed antibodies are protective against lethal infection

As the world struggles to contain the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), responsible for over 1.6 million deaths and 76 million infections globally, researchers are trying to pin down the determinants of lethality, of infectivity and of protection. Such data would help contain its spread and develop preventive and therapeutic antivirals and vaccines. A new preprint that appeared recently on the bioRxiv* server describes the high degree of protection afforded by antibodies that target the N-terminal domain (NTD) of the virus.

24 Dec 2020

Researcher discovers seven DNA fingerprints that define cancer risk

Lifestyle, or put another way 'bad habits', is one of the textbook explanations for why some people are at higher risk for cancer.

23 Dec 2020

Truncating mutation locations tied to diversity, severity of autism symptoms

One of the most recognizable characteristics of autism is an amazing diversity of associated behavioral symptoms. Clinicians view autism as a broad spectrum of related disorders, and the origin of the disease's heterogeneity has puzzled scientists, doctors, and affected families for decades.

22 Dec 2020

Glyphosate could be used as biomarkers to predict multiple diseases in future generations

Exposure to the widely used weed-killer glyphosate makes genetic changes to rats that can be linked to increased disease in their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, a new study has found.

10 Dec 2020

STE90-C11, a SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody, shows high inhibition of RBD-ACE2 binding

In a new study, researchers describe the identification of a neutralizing antibody that binds to the RBD at the same site as the human host cell receptor.

7 Dec 2020

Inherited DNA defects cause squamous cell carcinoma in kids with Fanconi anemia

Physicians and scientists at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center used new stem cell technology to regenerate and study living patient-specific skin in the lab.

24 Nov 2020

Somatic mutation may act as a natural gene therapy in patients with rare autosomal disease

Researchers affiliated with the Center for Cell-Based Therapy in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, have identified for the first time a non-hereditary mutation in blood cells from a patient with GATA2 deficiency, a rare autosomal disease caused by inherited mutations in the gene that encodes GATA-binding protein 2 (GATA2).

17 Nov 2020

JNCCN: Cost-effectiveness of olaparib for metastatic pancreatic cancer

Studies have shown that utilizing a PARP inhibitor in the management of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer who harbor BRCA 1/2 mutations is clinically beneficial.

12 Nov 2020

Grant programs will provide $2.2 million to support biomedical research on healthy aging

The Glenn Foundation for Medical Research and the American Federation for Aging Research announce the 2020 recipients of three grant programs: the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research and AFAR Grants for Junior Faculty, the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research Postdoctoral Fellowships in Aging Research, and the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research Breakthroughs in Gerontology Awards.

28 Oct 2020

Oregon biologists reveal molecular mechanisms that produce DNA damage in sperm

University of Oregon biologists have used the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans to identify molecular mechanisms that produce DNA damage in sperm and contribute to male infertility following exposure to heat.

23 Oct 2020

Study unravels consequences of mating at the molecular level

While it is known that stem cells have the ability to develop into all tissues in a precisely regulated process, the way environmental cues affect stem cell behavior has remained poorly understood.

21 Oct 2020

Scientists show why zebra finches have problems with reproduction

In birds and other species alike, pairs can face considerable difficulties with reproduction. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen have now shown in an extensive analysis of 23,000 zebra finch eggs that infertility is mainly due to males, while high embryo mortality is more a problem of the females.

20 Oct 2020

Researchers identify new mechanism underlying the progression of FAP-associated Desmoid tumor

Volume 11, Issue 26 of Oncotarget reported that in this study the authors studied the differences in mi RNA expression between sporadic and FAP-associated Desmoid tumors using microarray confirmed by quantitative PCR.

12 Oct 2020

SARS-CoV-2 infects human embryonic epithelial and lung cells

As COVID-19 continues to spread the world over, investigators are still trying to understand how it ravages the human body. A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in September 2020 shows that the virus is capable of infecting human embryonic cells that are destined to form the epithelial surfaces of the body, both internal and external, as well as lung cells.

29 Sep 2020

PROfound phase III results offer new targeted treatment for metastatic prostate cancer

Results from the PROfound phase III study, funded by AstraZeneca and Merck Sharp & Dohme, open up a much-needed new treatment avenue for the more precise and effective treatment of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) whose disease has progressed with hormonal therapy.

21 Sep 2020