Knockout News and Research

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Scientists discover cell protein crucial in preventing viral replication

A research team has discovered a protein without which cells infected by viruses cannot trigger an immune response, leading to 100% mortality with even non-disease-producing strains. The discovery of the new Z-DNA binding protein, or ZBP1, was reported in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology. It could help develop new treatment methods for viruses that target the nervous system such as the Zika or West Nile Encephalitis virus.

6 Nov 2019

Scientists discover gene mutation involved in paraplegia and epilepsy

Researchers have made an important discovery that could help scientists understand the cause of paraplegia and epilepsy.

1 Nov 2019

Study identifies a kinase as potential target to treat heart failure

An unexplored kinase in heart muscle cells may be a good target to treat heart failure, a disease that is only incrementally delayed by existing therapies.

31 Oct 2019

Improved Cas9 enzyme reduces chance of off-target CRISPR mutations

Genomics experts have discovered that when guide RNAs (gRNA) are designed properly, the risk of off-target mutations induced by the cas9 enzyme is very rare.

30 Oct 2019

Study: MIB2 improves inflammation by degrading CYLD enzyme

The tumor suppressor CYLD lysine 63 deubiquitinase (CYLD) is a deubiquitinating enzyme that suppresses polyubiquitin-dependent signaling pathways, including the proinflammatory and cell growth-promoting NF-κB pathway.

30 Oct 2019

MPST enzyme levels in hair could be a good biomarker for schizophrenia

Working with model mice, post-mortem human brains, and people with schizophrenia, researchers at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan have discovered that a subtype of schizophrenia is related to abnormally high levels hydrogen sulfide in the brain.

28 Oct 2019

Fasting may increase motivation for exercise by surging "hunger hormone" ghrelin

Researchers have found that when mice are provided with limited access to food, the levels of food and satiety hormone ghrelin rises. This causes increase in motivation to exercise. This may translate to more exercise motivation for humans on intermittent fasting say the researchers.

21 Oct 2019

Improved antibody validation

Antibodies are used in a variety of clinical and research situations to examine the structure and function, and distribution of proteins. However, many researchers have found a lack of specificity in the functioning of these antibodies. This means that any work conducted using these antibodies will not yield reliable results.

16 Oct 2019

New class of drugs could prevent cancer from becoming resistant to treatment

Scientists at Massey University in New Zealand have taken the first step towards a new class of drug that could stop cancer from becoming resistant to treatment. Treatment resistance is a serious problem to the successful treatment of cancer patients because it leads to cancer returning and becoming harder to treat.

15 Oct 2019

Researchers elucidate enzymes that control long-term memory, learning process in the brain

When we first purchase a smart phone, all of our settings and applications are the same. But as time passes, everyone's phones will change drastically as we adapt them to our own individual needs and preferences. In the same way, our memories and life experiences are loaded into our brains, making one person unique from another.

2 Oct 2019

New mechanism that controls DNA repair identified

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), is the macromolecule that holds all hereditary and genetic information. Continuously under assault, alterations and damage to DNA can lead to many different health issues, including cancer.

2 Oct 2019

Horizon Discovery announces full commercial licensing of GS knockout CHO K1 cell line to Glenmark

Horizon Discovery Group plc, a global leader in the application of gene editing and gene modulation for cell line engineering, today announced the full commercial licensing to Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, a global innovative pharmaceutical company, of its gene-edited Glutamine Synthetase knockout Chinese Hamster Ovary K1 cell line. Terms of the agreement were based on stringent evaluation of the cell line by Glenmark to assess its suitability for adoption into the Company’s biomanufacturing processes.

From Revvity 30 Sep 2019

Faster, cheaper, better: improved gene therapy tool production

The heart of modern therapy is increasingly personalized and targeted at specific cellular or genetic deficits. This requires gene therapy, in many cases. A new study, published on 19 September 2019 in the journal Nature, describes an improved way to produce purified gene carrier viruses called AAVs cheaply and quickly, from the culture medium.

22 Sep 2019

Stopping cold viruses dead by blocking replication

The common cold virus (and its more deadly cousins, the viruses that cause polio and acute flaccid myelitis) may just have met its nemesis. In a recent study published in the journal Nature Microbiology on September 16, 2019, scientists reported a potentially successful new approach to stop cold viruses from replicating inside human cells – by blocking the formation of a protein that is vital to this process.

17 Sep 2019

VUMC partners with Batavia to move promising Zika antibody therapy closer to the clinic

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center are partnering with the Dutch biopharmaceutical firm Batavia Biosciences and Nashville-based IDBiologics to bring to the clinic a highly potent Zika virus neutralizing antibody they isolated three years ago.

6 Sep 2019

New cellular processes controlling the formation of lymphatic valves found

Lymphedema, resulting from a damaged lymphatic system, can be a debilitating disease in which excess protein-rich fluid (lymph) collects in soft tissues and causes swelling -- most often in the arms or legs.

28 Aug 2019

Remodeling unhealthful gut microbiomes with the help of synthetic peptides

You are what you eat -; right down to the microbiome living in your gut. Diet can affect which microbes are in the intestinal tract, and research has shown that harmful gut microbiome changes can lead to illnesses such as heart disease, obesity and cancer.

27 Aug 2019

New mechanisms to enable regeneration of injured nerve fibers

Injuries to nerve fibers in the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves usually result in functional losses as the nerve fibers are unable to regenerate.

23 Aug 2019

Unraveling the secret itch pathway

Itching is among the most persistent of skin sensations, requiring an immediate response. However, scientists say it is a protective sensation that stimulates the individual to eliminate parasites and other irritating substances from the skin.

23 Aug 2019

Human apolipoprotein E promotes hepatitis B virus infection

Human apolipoprotein E (apoE) promotes hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and production, according to a study published DATE in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Luhua Qiao and Guangxiang (George) Luo of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine.

From PLOS ONE 13 Aug 2019