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What makes the elderly more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection?

Why is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), biased towards infecting the aged population? A recently published study by Italian scientists linked aging, DNA damage, telomere shortening, and increased levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to this relationship.

13 Jun 2021

Novel approach to gene editing bypasses disease-causing mutations in a gene

A new approach to gene editing using the CRISPR/Cas9 system bypasses disease-causing mutations in a gene, enabling treatment of genetic diseases linked to a single gene, such as cystic fibrosis, certain types of sickle cell anemia, and other rare diseases.

21 Apr 2021

Prime editing enables more precise correction of genetic problems than traditional CRISPR

The latest gene editing technology, prime editing, expands the "genetic toolbox" for more precisely creating disease models and correcting genetic problems, scientists say.

30 Mar 2021

Scientists describe genetic mechanisms behind mating process of ciliates

Conjugation (or mating) of ciliates is a unique phenomenon among living beings. They have sex not for reproduction or pleasure — they seek to increase genetic variation.

20 Feb 2021

What do we know about the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines so far?

A new study surveys what we know so far about SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates from advanced clinical trials.

27 Jan 2021

New method could provide additional insight into brain tumors

A look at RNA tells us what our genes are telling our cells to do, and scientists say looking directly at the RNA of brain tumor cells appears to provide objective, efficient evidence to better classify a tumor and the most effective treatments.

19 Jan 2021

Neanderthal gene variant increases risk of severe COVID-19

Researchers in Germany have conducted a study showing that between 2 and 8% of people in Eurasia carry a genetic variant inherited from Neanderthals that significantly increases the risk of becoming critically ill with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

15 Dec 2020

Researchers examine the cooperative effects of genes in suppressing neuroendocrine tumors in mice

Volume 11, Issue 28 of Oncotarget features "Genetic analysis of the cooperative tumorigenic effects of targeted deletions of tumor suppressors Rb1, Trp53, Men1, and Pten in neuroendocrine tumors in mice" by Xu et, al. which reported that the authors examined whether the TSGs Rb1, Trp53, Pten, and Men1 have cooperative effects in suppressing neuroendocrine tumors in mice.

12 Oct 2020

Study uncovers the locus of male sexual desire in the brain

The locus of male sexual desire has been uncovered in specific regions of brain tissue where a key gene named aromatase is present, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study in mice.

12 Sep 2020

Researchers identify DNA activation code using artificial intelligence

Scientists have long known that human genes spring into action through instructions delivered by the precise order of our DNA, directed by the four different types of individual links, or "bases," coded A, C, G and T.

10 Sep 2020

Study sheds new light on function and regulation of APOBEC3B in adrenocortical carcinoma

The cover for issue 36 of Oncotarget features, "Knockdown of APOBEC3B is associated with a lower tumor growth in an adrenocortical carcinoma xenograft mouse model," by Gara, et al. which reported that the role of APOBEC3B in adrenocortical carcinoma and the mechanisms through which its expression is regulated in cancer are not fully understood.

9 Sep 2020

Researchers identify targeted treatment strategy for malignant pleural mesothelioma

The reactivation of telomerase is a key mechanism in the unrestricted growth of cancer cells. Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a form of cancer originating from the mesothelium, a cell layer covering the lungs and the inside of the chest wall.

30 Jul 2020

Epigenomic modifications play key role in the development of lung tumors

As cancer cells evolve, many of their genes become overactive while others are turned down. These genetic changes can help tumors grow out of control and become more aggressive, adapt to changing conditions, and eventually lead the tumor to metastasize and spread elsewhere in the body.

23 Jul 2020

Research could lead to more efficient cellular immunotherapies for advanced cancers

Adoptive cell transfer immunotherapy is one of the most promising new treatments for people with hard-to-treat cancers.

23 Jul 2020

Chimeric reference standards for validating controls in SARS-CoV-2 tests

A preliminary study by researchers from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the University of New South Wales and published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 reports the use of chimeric design to produced reference standards for diagnostic tests. This could allow a highly flexible approach to the development of different genetic features in the same test, even for organisms that are not directly related.

15 Jun 2020

Researchers pinpoint genetic variation responsible for development of IBD

Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have pinpointed a genetic variation responsible for driving the development of inflammatory bowel disease.

9 Apr 2020

Combination produces more proliferative, enduring central memory T cells for cellular therapy

Treating T cells harvested from a patient with a combination of an epigenetic drug and a cytokine while expanding the cells in the lab re-programs them into a stronger T cell type that persists longer than its comrades, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report in Cancer Immunology Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

25 Mar 2020

New method uses MRI, machine learning to forecast genetic mutations in glioma tumors

Researchers at Osaka University have developed a computer method that uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and machine learning to rapidly forecast genetic mutations in glioma tumors, which occur in the brain or spine. The work may help glioma patients to receive more suitable treatment faster, giving better outcomes.

9 Jan 2020

Scientists discover role for vitamin D in melanoma

A new study published in Cancer Research suggests that high levels of vitamin D may reduce the aggressive nature of melanoma cells and improve survival rates.

8 Nov 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