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New genome-editing technologies can help understand disease-associated genetic mutations

New genome-editing technologies developed by researchers in J. Keith Joung's laboratory at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have the potential to help understand disease-associated genetic mutations that are based on C-to-G (cytosine to guanine) single base changes.

24 Jul 2020

Study sheds new light on anxiety

Tension while waiting for test results, the fear of not making it, the feeling of being under pressure, apprehension: these emotional states often come with physical illnesses like backache, headache, nausea, tachycardia, tremors, difficulty breathing, dizziness.

21 Jul 2020

Structure of the full SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome in infected cells

The current COVID-19 pandemic caused by a single-stranded RNA virus, thought to have jumped across species barriers to infect humans, has spread rapidly across the globe infecting over 10 million individuals. The virus, now known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is the causative agent of COVID-19 disease. COVID-19 disease is a respiratory illness where symptoms can range from very mild to severe and include fever, coughing, a sore throat, and shortness of breath.

2 Jul 2020

Certain genes that predispose to cancer also affect the immune system, study shows

The study shows that the involvement of certain genes that predispose to cancer also affects the immune system, which could facilitate tumor growth.

25 Jun 2020

UConn researchers tackle a vexing problem in the development of vaccines

Researchers at UConn's Center of Excellence in Vaccine Research have made a breakthrough in vaccine development for a common and difficult to treat pneumonia-causing pathogen. Their research was recently published in the Nature Partner Journal - Vaccines.

17 Jun 2020

Researchers use systematic approach to investigate the quality of healthcare data

Researchers at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) have developed a method to investigate the quality of healthcare data using a systematic approach, which is based on creating a taxonomy for data defects thorough literature review and examination of data.

30 May 2020

Scientists from gnomAD Consortium release first set of discoveries on human genetic variation

For the last eight years, the Genome Aggregation Database Consortium (and its predecessor, the Exome Aggregation Consortium, or ExAC), has been working with geneticists around the world to compile and study more than 125,000 exomes and 15,000 whole genomes from populations around the world.

28 May 2020

Emerging antiviral may turn the tide for COVID-19 pandemic

Scientists everywhere are working overtime to develop treatments for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

27 May 2020

COVID-19 in the UK: Military planning and school re-openings

The global COVID-19 pandemic has hit the United Kingdom hard. Collectively England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland now have the highest death toll in Europe, surpassing that of Spain, Italy, and France. The number of reported daily cases and deaths is still significant, as is the load on the healthcare system. As of now, the illness has affected almost 266,000 people in the UK, with over 37,000 deaths so far.

27 May 2020

Researchers identify a natural amino acid as potential treatment for polyQ diseases

Familial spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA), Huntington disease, and spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy are inherited neurodegenerative diseases.

25 May 2020

LCSB researchers are coordinating to build a COVID-19 Disease Map

In the fight against the current pandemic, researchers of the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) at the University of Luxembourg are coordinating an international collaboration to build a COVID-19 Disease Map: a comprehensive repository incorporating all current knowledge on the virus-host interaction mechanisms. This online tool will support research and improve our understanding of the disease.

14 May 2020

Smart health system to monitor people in COVID-19 quarantine

The global coronavirus pandemic has spread to 187 countries and territories, infecting more than 4.17 million people. Most countries, especially those with a skyrocketing caseload, grapple with a lack of hospital beds and facilities to cater to every patient infected with the virus. Now, a team of researchers may have the solution to this problem – a smart health system to monitor patients who are in home isolation.

12 May 2020

Study reveals SARS-CoV-2 RNA cap structure

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in April 2020 reports the discovery of the structure of the cap created by the novel coronavirus on virally encoded mRNAs. The finding could help create new antiviral strategies.

29 Apr 2020

Researchers re-purpose cancer-fighting artificial antibodies for COVID-19

Researcher Paula Bates, John Trent, and Don Miller developed a therapeutic drug that could potentially block the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. Their research was initially aimed at helping patients suffering from multiple types of cancer.

27 Apr 2020

Syphilis bacterium likely uses a single gene to evade immune attack

The bacterium that causes syphilis, Treponema pallidum, likely uses a single gene to escape the immune system, research from UW Medicine in Seattle suggests.

24 Apr 2020

Study finds milk consumption habits among east African herders 5,000 years ago

When you pour a bowl of cereal, you probably aren't considering how humans came to enjoy milk in the first place.

15 Apr 2020

New anti-COVID-19 system could potentially fight other viruses

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has sparked many research projects to meet the challenge of the virus and come up with measures to fight its activity. A new study published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe in April 2020 describes a novel system to help scientists understand the virus, including mutations, diagnose infections, and also to develop and evaluate vaccines more quickly.

8 Apr 2020