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Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biologically important type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate.

Vutrisiran shows potential to become the new standard of care for rare heart disease

Vutrisiran significantly improved mortality, cardiovascular events and markers of disease progression in patients with transthyretin amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM), according to late-breaking research presented in a Hot Line session today at ESC Congress 2024.

30 Aug 2024

New consensus on assessing carcinogenic risks of gene therapies

A new article in the peer-reviewed journal Human Gene Therapy describes the consensus reached by invited experts who participated in a meeting to evaluate the potential carcinogenicity of gene therapies.

30 Aug 2024

CBL identified as the most promising potential biomarker for aortic dissection

Announcing a new article publication for Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications journal. Aortic dissection (AD) is a fatal cardiovascular disease for which the key involved genes are largely unknown.

29 Aug 2024

New bacterial defense mechanism revealed as potential tool for genome editing

Scientists who have described in a new study the step-by-step details of a bacterial defense strategy see the mechanism as a promising platform for development of a new genome-editing method.

29 Aug 2024

CD4 T cells found to be key players in tuberculosis defense

The body's first line of defense against tuberculosis (TB) involves immune cells that suppress lung inflammation instead of activating it, reported University of Pittsburgh and the Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard scientists today in Immunity.

29 Aug 2024

Nucleic acids in food show potential to inhibit cancer cell growth

When people eat, they ingest the nucleic acids that reside in all living things. The compounds in these acids could inhibit the growth of cancer cells, according to findings published in PLOS ONE by Osaka Metropolitan University Associate Professor Akiko Kojima-Yuasa of the Graduate School of Human Life and Ecology and colleagues.

29 Aug 2024

Study reveals key role of A20 protein in controlling inflammation in liver disease

Many individuals worldwide suffer from chronic liver disease (CLD), which poses significant concerns for its tendency to lead to hepatocellular carcinoma or liver failure. CLD is characterized by inflammation and fibrosis.

29 Aug 2024

Understanding the mechanisms of cardiac fibrosis

The article explores the role of the m6A reader YTHDF1 in cardiac fibrosis, a condition characterized by the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins, leading to the stiffening of the heart and impaired function. Cardiac fibrosis is a common pathological process in various cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, myocardial infarction, and heart failure.

29 Aug 2024

New insights into AD pathogenesis and treatment

The main text of the study details the experiments conducted to understand the role of IL-24 in AD-like conditions. It describes the methods used, including single-cell RNA sequencing, and the animal models employed to mimic AD. The findings indicate that MRSA infection leads to increased IL-24 in keratinocytes, which in turn heightens type 2 immune responses and worsens AD symptoms.

29 Aug 2024

Nanodrug targeting miR-10b shows promise in treating metastatic breast cancer

A new research paper was published in Oncotarget's Volume 15 on August 26, 2024, entitled, "Inhibition of miR-10b treats metastatic breast cancer by targeting stem cell-like properties."

29 Aug 2024

Study reveals a new target for universal treatment for autoimmune diseases

More than two decades ago, a research team in the lab of David Hafler, a Yale researcher who at the time was at Harvard, discovered a type of T cell in humans that suppresses the immune system; they later found that these so-called regulatory T cells, when defective, are an underlying cause of autoimmune disease, specifically multiple sclerosis (MS).

28 Aug 2024

Researchers identify key cellular interactions driving Alzheimer's and aging

An analysis of more than 1.6 million brain cells from older adults has captured the cellular changes that occur in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, potentially revealing new routes for preventing the most common cause of dementia in older individuals.

28 Aug 2024

16 promising postdoctoral scientists awarded Damon Runyon Fellowships for cancer research

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has named 16 new Damon Runyon Fellows, exceptional postdoctoral scientists conducting basic and translational cancer research in the laboratories of leading senior investigators.

28 Aug 2024

CNRS scientists uncover activation mechanism of bemnifosbuvir

CNRS Scientists have deciphered the activation pathway of bemnifosbuvir, a drug candidate initially in development to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV). The findings of the research team, led by CNRS scientists, unlock new opportunities to boost the efficacy of this type of drug against other RNA viruses, such as the ones that cause Covid-19 and dengue fever.

28 Aug 2024

Zbtb18 regulates cKit expression for HSC self renewal

The study addresses the complex regulation of HSCs, highlighting p21's multifunctional nature beyond cell cycle control. Through the use of p21-tdTomato mice, researchers differentiate between p21-tdT+ and p21-tdT− HSCs. Results show that p21-tdT+ HSCs display increased self-renewal and reconstitution abilities. Zbtb18, upregulated in p21-tdT+ HSCs, is crucial for their repopulation capability. p21 interacts with ZBTB18 to suppress cKit, influencing HSC self-renewal.

28 Aug 2024

LncRNA ZNF593-AS offers hope for heart disease treatment

The research presented in the article delves into the regulatory role of the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) ZNF593-AS in cardiac hypertrophy and myocardial remodeling, processes that are pivotal in the progression of heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases. The study uncovers how ZNF593-AS exerts its inhibitory effects by upregulating the expression of Mitofusin 2 (Mfn2), a protein known for its role in the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics and cellular metabolism.

28 Aug 2024

SARS-CoV-2 evolves differently in the brain, revealing critical insights into viral tropism

Study investigates the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 within the central nervous system (CNS) compared to the lungs in mice, revealing higher viral divergence in the CNS and highlighting the critical role of the furin cleavage site (FCS) in viral tropism and compartmentalization.

27 Aug 2024

New techniques in RNA engineering promise longer-lasting therapies

New methods to shape RNA molecules into circles could lead to more effective and long-lasting therapies, shows a study by researchers at the University of California San Diego.

27 Aug 2024

Novel bottom-up approach in synthetic immunology opens a new frontier for disease treatment

Synthetic immunology, an innovative field of research which could lead to fundamentally new approaches and methods in the treatment of infectious diseases and cancer, is the topic of an article in the "Perspectives" section of the journal "Nature Nanotechnology". Herein, Heidelberg researchers Prof. Dr. Kerstin Göpfrich, Prof. Dr. Michael Platten, Prof. Dr. Friedrich Frischknecht, and Prof. Dr. Oliver T. Fackler describe a so-called bottom-up approach that uses the toolbox of nanotechnology and synthetic biology to construct systems from molecular building blocks and specifically equip them with immune functions.

27 Aug 2024

Exploring OTUB1's influence on protein stability and atherosclerosis pathophysiology

The study investigates the role of the deubiquitinase OTUB1 in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) within the context of atherosclerosis, a disease characterized by lipid accumulation and plaque formation in arteries.

27 Aug 2024