Chromatin News and Research

RSS

Study brings fresh insights into biology of malaria parasite

A team of researchers led by a University of California, Riverside, scientist has found that various stages of the development of human malaria parasites, including stages involved in malaria transmission, are linked to epigenetic features and how chromatin -- the complex of DNA and proteins within the nucleus -- is organized and structured in these parasites.

18 May 2018

Researchers uncover unusual form of cross-talk between proteins that affect gene expression

Turning genes on and off is an intricate process involving communication between many different types of proteins that interact with DNA.

18 May 2018

Researcher develops small molecules that inhibit derailment of gene expression in cancer

Not everyone person who has a "cancer gene" will inevitably develop this disease in their lifetime. Thanks to a new area of research called epigenetics, we now know that many genes are only read under certain circumstances.

17 May 2018

Scientists find overlap between causes of RA and Huntington’s disease

Using new analytic tools, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have decoded the epigenetic landscape for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a common autoimmune disease that affects more than 1.3 million Americans.

15 May 2018

Research findings challenge feasibility of 'shock and kill' approach to cure HIV

Researchers have provided new insight into the cellular processes behind the 'shock and kill' approach to curing HIV, which they say challenges the effectiveness of the treatment.

2 May 2018

Scientists discover potential therapeutic target for devastating premature aging disease

Scientists from the University of Cambridge have identified a potential therapeutic target in the devastating genetic disease Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS), which is characterized by premature aging.

27 Apr 2018

Researchers use CRISPR/Cas9 technique to turn off gene that regulates cholesterol levels in adult mice

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have used a CRISPR/Cas9 genetic engineering technique to turn off a gene that regulates cholesterol levels in adult mice, leading to reduced blood cholesterol levels and gene repression lasting for six months after a single treatment.

27 Apr 2018

New UCLA study could elucidate certain causes of infertility and miscarriage

A new study in the journal Nature Cell Biology has uncovered information about a key stage that human embryonic cells must pass through just before an embryo implants. The research, led by UCLA biologist Amander Clark, could help explain certain causes of infertility and spontaneous miscarriage.

26 Apr 2018

Expression of long non-coding RNAs can result in high levels of specific proteins involved in cancer

A Danish-German research team has shown that not only the where and when of long non-coding RNA expression is important for their function but also the how.

25 Apr 2018

New insight may allow researchers to design drugs that improve immune responses to vaccines

Memory T cells are a critical element of our immune system's historical archive. To prevent repeat infections, these cells retain a record of germs they've fought before.

19 Apr 2018

Study provides systematic view of gene enhancer activity in diverse tumors

At the heart of any cancer diagnosis or treatment are cells. If one thinks of the cell components controlling gene activation as a Russian nesting-doll of gene regulatory layers, within those increasingly smaller tiers are short pieces of non-coding DNA called enhancers.

5 Apr 2018

Research reveals role of colon signaling pathway in development of IBD

The intestine encounters more foreign substances, and potential toxins, than other parts of the body, so it is not surprising that a healthy gut is maintained by the tight control of immune responses.

30 Mar 2018

EPFL researchers uncover how the circadian clock regulates 3D chromatin structure

EPFL biologists and geneticists have uncovered how the circadian clock orchestrates the 24-hour cycle of gene expression by regulating the structure of chromatin, the tightly wound DNA-protein complex of the cell. The work is published in Genes & Development.

28 Mar 2018

FDA-approved inhibitors could be repurposed to target ARID1A-mutant ovarian cancers

Wistar researchers have found rationale for repurposing a class of antitumor compounds called HDAC inhibitors, already approved by the FDA for the treatment of diseases such as leukemia, as a new therapeutic option for ovarian cancer with mutations in the ARID1A gene.

27 Mar 2018

Researchers probe RNA epigenetics and chromatin structures to predict drug resistance in leukemia

Drug resistance is a major obstacle to effective treatment for patients with cancer and leukemia. Epigenetic modifying drugs have been proven effective for some patients with hematologic malignancies, such as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

23 Mar 2018

Porvair Sciences launches new ChIP-Seq library preparation kit

Porvair Sciences announces the launch of UniqSeq - a new ChIP-Seq library preparation kit. High-quality library preparation is key to a successful ChIP-Seq experiment. Obtaining complex libraries with good coverage and low bias are just some of the features that depend on high-quality DNA after performing ChIP assays.

From Chromatrap® - Porvair Sciences Ltd 7 Mar 2018

Study findings establish basis for epigenetic link between aging and Alzheimer's disease

Although certain genetic variants increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD), age is the strongest known risk factor. But the way in which molecular processes of aging predispose people to AD, or become impaired in AD remains a mystery.

6 Mar 2018

Researchers discover new interaction mechanism of unstructured proteins

Proteins are among the most important biomolecules and are the key mediators of molecular communication between and within cells. For two proteins to be able to bind, specific regions of their three-dimensional structure have to exactly match one another - like a key that fits into a lock.

22 Feb 2018

Penn study sheds new light on immune cell identity

Almost all cells in the human body have identical DNA sequences, yet there are 200-plus cell types with different sizes, shapes, and chemical compositions. Determining what parts of the genome are read to make protein and which are silenced is orchestrated by proteins called transcription factors.

21 Feb 2018

Researchers target abnormal epigenetic mechanisms involved in childhood cancers

Several childhood cancer cell types show features of immature neural cells, and there is evidence suggesting that these tumors may arise from neural crest stem cells that underwent abnormal changes during embryonic development.

20 Feb 2018