Gene Expression News and Research

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Gene Expression is the process by which a gene gets turned on in a cell to make RNA and proteins. Gene expression may be measured by looking at the RNA, or the protein made from the RNA, or what the protein does in a cell.

Study sheds light on the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Blacks

In a study published in JAMA today, Mount Sinai researchers report findings that shed some light on the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Blacks, who have experienced rates of infection and death that are much greater, in some areas twice and three times more, than their proportion of the population.

11 Sep 2020

National Eye Institute grant supports research initiatives in major vision- robbing conditions

A $3 million National Eye Institute grant is enabling the critical infrastructure necessary to grow research initiatives in major vision-robbing conditions at the Medical College of Georgia and Augusta University.

11 Sep 2020

Study highlights the importance of considering strain differences when designing therapies

Interferon (IFN) responses are one of the first defenses the body mounts against viral infections, and research has shown that it plays a role controlling viral replication.

11 Sep 2020

Scientists solve decades old mystery of key molecule that fuels mitochondria

Penn Medicine researchers have solved a decades old mystery around a key molecule fueling the power plant of cells that could be exploited to find new ways to treat diseases, from neurodegenerative disorders to cancer.

10 Sep 2020

Sex-differential COVID-19 responses are mediated by kynurenic acid

Now, a new study by a research team from Yale University, USA, Edith Cowan University, Australia, and the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, and published on the preprint server medRxiv in September 2020 shows that kynurenic acid is the underlying factor which is responsible for these differences.

9 Sep 2020

Study reveals how B cells react to SARS-CoV-2

In an exciting immunological medRxiv preprint paper, researchers from Germany and Russia analyzed adaptive immune response in severely affected patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). They demonstrated a protracted immune reaction characterized by egress of B lymphocytes into the blood.

9 Sep 2020

Scientists explain why men are at higher risk from COVID-19

Published in the journal PLOS Biology, the study aimed to provide a better understanding of the mechanisms that drive the varying responses of the infected individuals among different patient demographics, including sex and age.

9 Sep 2020

Novel markers may predict patient response to immune checkpoint inhibitors

For many individuals with different types of cancer, immune checkpoint inhibitors can effectively boost their immune system to fight their disease, but not all patients benefit from these medications.

7 Sep 2020

PI3K/mTOR and topoisomerase inhibitors suggested as candidates to reduce expression of ACE2

A recent study published in the preprint server medRxiv in September 2020 shows that the already approved drug families called P13K/mTOR and topoisomerase inhibitors may be useful in reducing individual susceptibility to the virus.

7 Sep 2020

Viruses play a key evolutionary role in mammals' ability to reproduce and survive

As the world scrambles to control the growing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, new research in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology shows viruses also play a key evolutionary role in mammals' ability to reproduce and survive.

7 Sep 2020

New insights into how the brain can induce diabetes remission in rodents

In rodents with type 2 diabetes, a single surgical injection of a protein called fibroblast growth factor 1 can restore blood sugar levels to normal for weeks or months. Yet how this growth factor acts in the brain to generate this lasting benefit has been poorly understood.

7 Sep 2020

Novel RNA vaccine from Arcturus Therapeutics protects mice against SARS-CoV-2

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in September 2020 reports a novel RNA vaccine platform that shows robust protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in mice and performs much better than a conventional mRNA vaccine. This could allow single-dose immunization, allowing progress towards global vaccination.

6 Sep 2020

CRISPR-based system suppresses genes related to AAV antibody production

Gene therapy generally relies on viruses, such as adeno-associated virus (AAV), to deliver genes into a cell. In the case of CRISPR-based gene therapies, molecular scissors can then snip out a defective gene, add in a missing sequence or enact a temporary change in its expression, but the body's immune response to AAV can thwart the whole endeavor.

4 Sep 2020

Understanding mechanisms in prostate cancer metastases can provide treatment opportunities

An increased awareness on a molecular level of what mechanisms prostate cancer cells use to become mobile and start spreading may in the long run provide new opportunities for treatment of aggressive prostate cancer.

3 Sep 2020

Underlying pathology of MIS-C in children following SARS-CoV-2 infection

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, have conducted a study that sheds light on the molecular underpinnings of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).

3 Sep 2020

Two MDC scientists win ERC Starting Grants for pioneering research

Dr. Kathrin de la Rosa and Dr. Ilaria Piazza, who are both junior group leaders at the Max DelbruÌ-ck Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, have each won European Research Council Starting Grants.

3 Sep 2020

Study shows what happens in the fetal brain affected by congenital Zika syndrome

Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause severe abnormalities in the fetus, including malformations such as microcephaly.

3 Sep 2020

Number of tentacles in sea anemones is defined by amount of food consumed

Your genetic code determines that you will grow two arms and two legs. The same fate is true for all mammals. Similarly, the number of fins a fish has and the number of legs and wings an insect has are embedded in their genetic code.

2 Sep 2020

Study: BIRC2 overexpression could be a key marker for immunotherapy resistance

Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have added to evidence that a gene responsible for turning off a cell's natural "suicide" signals may also be the culprit in making breast cancer and melanoma cells resistant to therapies that use the immune system to fight cancer.

2 Sep 2020

Negligible ACE2 expression in human beta-cells

Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv reports that even though the fatality rate is significantly higher in diabetics, there is no evidence that this is due to direct viral infection of pancreatic beta cells, which produce the key hormone in glucose homeostasis, namely insulin.

1 Sep 2020