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TB pathogen's surprising growth mechanism challenges bacterial biology

The rod-shaped tuberculosis (TB) bacterium, which the World Health Organization has once again ranked as the top infectious disease killer globally, is the first single-celled organism ever observed to maintain a consistent growth rate throughout its life cycle.

15 Nov 2024

MEMPHIS system sheds light on vaccine response differences across ages

mRNA vaccines saved lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, but older people had less of an immune response to the vaccines than did younger adults. Why? Boston Children's researchers, led by Byron Brook, PhD, and Ofer Levy, MD, PhD, have found some answers, while providing proof-of-concept of a new system that can model vaccine responses in a dish.

15 Nov 2024

Gut microbiome found to play key role in chronic disease progression

The gut microbiome, an ecosystem of trillions of microorganisms in the human digestive tract, has been increasingly linked to chronic diseases.

15 Nov 2024

Rare STAT6 gene variant provides protection against severe asthma

Scientists at deCODE genetics, a subsidiary of Amgen, and collaborators have published a study in Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reporting a rare missense variant in STAT6 that protects against asthma.

15 Nov 2024

Duke-NUS team develops test to monitor engineered T cells in cancer treatment

A novel test developed by Duke-NUS researchers enables real-time monitoring of T cells that have been engineered to fight cancer, after re-introduction into the body of a cancer patient.

15 Nov 2024

Evo model set to transform synthetic biology and disease diagnosis

A new study presents "Evo" – a machine learning model capable of decoding and designing DNA, RNA, and protein sequences, from molecular to genome scale, with unparalleled accuracy. Evo's ability to predict, generate, and engineer entire genomic sequences could change the way synthetic biology is done.

15 Nov 2024

Psychedelics may offer anxiety relief through specific brain circuits

New research suggests that it could be possible to separate treatment from hallucinations when developing new drugs based on psychedelics.

15 Nov 2024

UCLA researchers discover netrin1's unexpected role in spinal cord development

Scientists at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA have uncovered an unexpected role for the molecule netrin1 in organizing the developing spinal cord.

15 Nov 2024

Customizable biological sensors activate cancer immunotherapy only in tumor environments

Most cancer treatments – from chemotherapies to engineered immune cells – have a host of side effects, in large part because they affect healthy cells in the body at the same time as targeting tumor cells.

15 Nov 2024

Liver cell aging can trigger multi-organ failure

The aging and failure of cells that occurs when the liver is damaged can spread to other organs, suggests a new study in mice and humans from researchers at UCL, the University of Edinburgh and the CRUK Scotland Institute.

15 Nov 2024

Study reveals high-resolution structure of blood pressure-regulating receptor

Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have determined the full-length structure of a blood pressure-regulating hormone receptor for the first time, uncovering how it functions, which may enable better drug targeting of the receptor for diseases like hypertension and heart failure.

15 Nov 2024

Largest ALS patient-based iPSC repository opens new frontiers in research

In a landmark continuing collaboration, Answer ALS and Cedars-Sinai have announced the completed availability of the largest amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patient-based induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) and bio data repository.

15 Nov 2024

Microbial density in our gut shapes how diseases are linked to gut health

The study in Cell highlights microbial load's role in gut microbiome variation, suggesting it as a confounder in disease research and a key health determinant.

15 Nov 2024

Air pollution linked to head and neck cancer risk

Increased PM2.5 levels are linked to higher head and neck cancer risk, particularly in disadvantaged communities, highlighting urgent public health measures.

15 Nov 2024

Researchers discover mechanism affecting splicing process in retinal cells

Genes contain the essential building instructions for life, guiding cells on which amino acids to assemble in what sequence to produce specific proteins. The human genome codes for about 20,000 such instructions.

15 Nov 2024

AI-powered tool predicts gene activity in cancer cells from biopsy images

To determine the type and severity of a cancer, pathologists typically analyze thin slices of a tumor biopsy under a microscope.

14 Nov 2024

Tirzepatide significantly reduces weight and diabetes risk in patients with obesity and prediabetes

Tirzepatide shows promise in reducing weight and preventing diabetes progression in people with obesity and prediabetes, with lasting benefits and manageable side effects.

14 Nov 2024

StitchR technology delivers large genes for muscular dystrophy treatment

Gene therapy can effectively treat various diseases, but for some debilitating conditions like muscular dystrophies there is a big problem: size.

14 Nov 2024

Phase 3 study finds inebilizumab effective for immunoglobulin G4–related disease

An international, phase 3 clinical trial led by investigators at Mass General Brigham could improve the treatment of a rare disease that can cause debilitating symptoms.

14 Nov 2024

Study shows cannabis as a genotoxic substance with cancer risks

Cannabis use causes cellular damage that increases the risk of highly cancerous tumors, according to a new paper published in the scientific journal Addiction Biology.

14 Nov 2024