MicroRNA News and Research

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In genetics, microRNAs (miRNA) are single-stranded RNA molecules of 21-23 nucleotides in length, which regulate gene expression. miRNAs are encoded by genes from whose DNA they are transcribed but miRNAs are not translated into protein (i.e. they are non-coding RNAs); instead each primary transcript (a pri-miRNA) is processed into a short stem-loop structure called a pre-miRNA and finally into a functional miRNA. Mature miRNA molecules are partially complementary to one or more messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules, and their main function is to down-regulate gene expression.

Researchers find new way to differentiate between active and inactive viruses

Human herpesviruses such as HHV-6 can remain dormant in cells for many years without being noticed. When reactivated, they can cause serious clinical conditions. Researchers from Würzburg have now found a way of differentiating between active and inactive viruses.

14 Sep 2018

Five microRNAs predict course, recurrence of HPV-negative head and neck cancer

A new method predicts the course of HPV-negative head and neck cancer after radiation chemotherapy.

4 Sep 2018

Researchers discover mechanism that steers growth of cancer cells in melanoma and liver cancer

Melanoma and liver cancer are becoming more widespread in Europe and the US. Whilst both diseases progress very differently, they are among the types of cancer which are most likely to be fatal in the Western world.

29 Aug 2018

Delivering miRNAs to treat patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis, are chronic inflammatory diseases of unknown cause, and the number of IBD patients is on the rise.

28 Aug 2018

Study reveals how gene variant affects chronic pain outcomes after trauma

The gene FKBP5 is a critical regulator of the stress response and affects how we respond to environmental stimuli. Previous studies have shown that certain variants of this gene play a role in the development of neuropsychiatric disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, suicide risk, and aggressive behavior.

28 Aug 2018

Inhibition of miR-24-3p may serve as potential treatment target for mesothelioma

Inhibition of miR-24-3p reduced growth of cancer cells and was found to regulate proteins as a potential treatment target for Mesothelioma.

25 Aug 2018

Protein aggregation in neurons linked to gene regulation in Huntington's disease

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have discovered a direct link between the protein aggregation in nerve cells that is typical for neurodegenerative diseases, and the regulation of gene expression in Huntington's disease.

21 Aug 2018

New integrated gene logic-chips could have great value in medical care

Gene expression is a fundamental of life, where each cell switches on and off specific genes. Thus, an autonomous device that could control the on-off switching would have great value in medical care.

20 Aug 2018

Researchers focus on uncoupling obesity from diabetes

About 422 million people around the world, including more than 30 million Americans, have diabetes. Approximately ninety percent of them have type 2 diabetes. People with this condition cannot effectively use insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas that helps the body turn blood sugar into energy.

15 Aug 2018

Silencing of GULP1 gene expression plays important role in ovarian carcinogenesis

Johns Hopkins researchers in collaboration with Insilico Medicine, a biotechnology company based in Rockville Maryland, identify that silencing of the GULP1 gene expression by methylation plays an important role in ovarian carcinogenesis.

7 Aug 2018

Study of neuroprotective microRNAs may lead to new avenues for treating tauopathies

Alzheimer's disease is an increasingly prevalent, neurodegenerative condition that erodes memory and other cognitive functions. Treatments for this complex disease have been elusive, although researchers have previously uncovered its main biological features: amyloid-beta plaques and tau tangles.

2 Aug 2018

Researchers study how herpesviruses contribute to increased oral inflammation

A $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will help University of Illinois at Chicago researchers study how herpesviruses, and their underlying molecular mechanisms, contribute to increased inflammation in oral diseases, like periodontitis

2 Aug 2018

Researchers uncover new mechanisms underlying common kidney cancer in children

Connecting two previously unrelated insights about the formation of pediatric kidney cancer, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have uncovered the means by which the cancer continues to grow, providing potential targets for more effective treatments in the future.

2 Aug 2018

New approach shows important role of microRNAs in papillomavirus life cycle

The discovery of microRNAs encoded by papillomaviruses supports the important role of these small molecules in persistent infection, according to a study published July 26 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens.

27 Jul 2018

MicroRNA panel could categorize indeterminate thyroid nodule samples into malignant and benign

A panel of 19 microRNAs identified using next-generation sequencing could categorize indeterminate thyroid nodule samples into malignant and benign.

26 Jul 2018

Gene regulator associated with protein pileup in exfoliation glaucoma

In exfoliation glaucoma, a protein dandruff clogs the outflow pathway for the fluid in our eyes.

19 Jul 2018

Research uncovers new target for therapeutic intervention in breast cancer

Research led by Suresh Alahari, PhD, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, has shown for the first time that a tiny piece of RNA deregulates energy metabolism, an emerging hallmark of cancer. The finding identifies a new target for therapeutic intervention in breast cancer.

18 Jul 2018