Histones News and Research

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Histone modifications play important role in 'zygotic genome activation'

Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology observed changes to the gene-regulating factors during zebrafish development and discovered that modifications to "histone H3", one of the proteins around which DNA is bound, play an important role in "zygotic genome activation" or transition of control of zebrafish embryonic development from maternal material to the zygote .

8 Oct 2019

Study identifies inhibitor that protects cells from toxic DUX4 effects

About one in 8,000 people have facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, according to a 2014 study, which is relatively common in the world of genetic diseases.

11 Sep 2019

Researchers identify epigenetic mechanism that may strongly influence healthy aging

Researchers at the Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine have identified an epigenetic mechanism that appears to strongly influence healthy aging.

9 Aug 2019

Stimulating immune cells with nanosecond pulsed electric fields can cause them to respond

Nanosecond pulsed electric fields produce strong electrical effects by focusing a high powered electrical pulse over a very short period of time.

7 Aug 2019

Disrupting ChIP Assay Technology with New Advancements

The Chromatrap ChIP technology is a bead-free method of performing ChIP. The potential of the technology emerged from our capabilities in manufacturing porous plastic filters for the filtration and separation of biological materials.

From Chromatrap® - Porvair Sciences Ltd 27 Jun 2019

Study shows how neutrophils exacerbate atherosclerosis by inducing smooth muscle-cell death

Many chronic disorders arise from misdirected immune responses. A Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet in Munich team led by Oliver Söhnlein now shows that neutrophils exacerbate atherosclerosis by inducing smooth muscle-cell death and that a tailored peptide inhibits the process.

2 May 2019

Cannabis, Alcohol and the Epigenome

With the legalization of cannabis in many US states, we explore the epigenetic effects of cannabis, cannabis-derived products, and alcohol.

29 Apr 2019

Study identifies possible therapeutic effects of curcumin on stomach cancer

Curcumin is widely used to impart color and flavor to food, but scientists have discovered that this yellow powder derived from the roots of the turmeric plant (Curcuma longa) can also help prevent or combat stomach cancer.

22 Apr 2019

Active lifestyle influences regenerative capacity of neurons after spinal cord injury

The influence of an active lifestyle on the regenerative capacity of the peripheral nervous system, that is, the set of cranial and spinal nerves that control motor and sensory functions, is described here for the first time, explains Ángel Barco, who has led the participation of the Institute of Neurosciences UMH-CSIC, in Alicante, in this international study.

11 Apr 2019

Alcohol, Cannabis and Other Drugs: A Pharmacological Evaluation

Understanding the interactions between alcohol and cannabis can provide researchers, clinicians and other HCPs with important information on the severity of their side effects.

10 Apr 2019

Researchers track effects of epigenetic marks carried by sperm chromosomes

As an organism grows and responds to its environment, genes in its cells are constantly turning on and off, with different patterns of gene expression in different cells. But can changes in gene expression be passed on from parents to their children and subsequent generations?

20 Mar 2019

Research opens door to promising new treatment strategy for deadly brain tumor in children

A study published in Nature Communications found that an inhibitor of an enzyme called ACVR1 slows tumor growth and increases survival in an animal model of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma - the most deadly brain tumor in children.

4 Mar 2019

Scientists identify how cells make choice between various mechanisms to repair DNA

When DNA in the cell nucleus gets damaged, our cells can resort to a variety of repair mechanisms. A recent study published in 'Nature Cell Biology', to which scientists from Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen made major contributions, elucidates the molecular basis by which a cell makes the choice between these repair mechanisms.

28 Feb 2019

'Chromosome scanner' that protects against cancer identified

In a new study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have identified one of the main mechanisms behind the repair of serious damage to the human DNA. A 'scanner' inside the cells decides whether or not so-called flawless DNA repair, which protects against cancer, is launched.

26 Feb 2019

Researchers discover new and rare skeletal disease

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have discovered a new and rare skeletal disease. In a study published in the journal Nature Medicine they describe the molecular mechanism of the disease, in which small RNA molecules play a role that has never before been observed in a congenital human disease.

25 Feb 2019

Fundamentals, applications and methods of machine learning used in epigenetics

Machine learning is the study of algorithms and statistical models that computer systems use to progressively improve their performance on a specific task.

20 Dec 2018

Researchers identify powerful inhibitor of epigenetic factors that promote acute myeloid leukemia

Some severe forms of leukemia develop because proteins on the epigenetic level lose their regulative function. Now, in a broad international collaboration, UK researchers have identified molecules that can effectively inhibit the dysregulated proteins.

27 Nov 2018

Researchers develop first chemical inhibitors for treatment of acute myeloid leukemia

A research team led by Dr. Xiang David Li from the Department of Chemistry at The University of Hong Kong, in collaboration with scientists from Tsinghua University in China, The Rockefeller University, and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in the United States, developed the first chemical inhibitors against a novel therapeutic target for treatment of acute myeloid leukemia, a fast-growing cancer of bone marrow and blood cells.

7 Nov 2018

Scientists discover new details about UHRF1 protein

Epigenetic changes often play an important role in cancer, because they cause the genetic material to be read incorrectly at certain locations. Genes that are especially critical are those that control the growth and death of cells.