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Rice lab receives NIH grant to unravel DNA’s secrets

The poor bacteriophages in Yang Gao's lab are about to have a lot of bad days.

28 Aug 2021

Northwestern researchers continue investigation on all aspects of COVID-19 pandemic

Northwestern Medicine scientists continue to investigate all aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic: from molecular mechanisms of infection, to child hospitalization and single-dose vaccine response.

28 Aug 2021

New ESC guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of heart failure published

The European Society of Cardiology Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure are published online today in European Heart Journal.

27 Aug 2021

Pregnant women with COVID-19 are more susceptible to pre-eclampsia

A review of the scientific literature published by Brazilian researchers shows that pregnant women infected by the novel coronavirus run a higher risk of developing pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy complication characterized by persistent high blood pressure, usually in the second half of pregnancy or shortly after delivery.

26 Aug 2021

Oral mucosa identified as potential target for SARS-CoV-2 infection

A recent study suggested that ACE2 receptors are expressed in oral tissues, making the oral cavity an important potential entry point of SARS-CoV-2.

26 Aug 2021

Scientists assess SARS-CoV-2 mutants in ferret hosts

In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv* by the cause of SARS-CoV-2 mutations observed in mink and ferrets is investigated, and the danger posed by such mutations to humans assessed.

26 Aug 2021

Stiffening of heart’s blood vessels associated with lack of enzyme that fosters cell ‘chatter’

In a study in mice, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have found that the smooth muscle cells lining the walls of blood vessels can lose their elasticity and lead to vascular stiffening, a condition that can precede heart disease and stroke.

26 Aug 2021

Study unravels widespread tumor suppression mechanism that halts cancer metastasis

According to a study by The Wistar Institute, the tumor suppressor Parkin, whose levels are reduced in different cancer types, causes acute metabolic and oxidative stress, suppresses mitochondrial trafficking, and blocks tumor cell movement, reducing primary and metastatic tumor growth.

26 Aug 2021

Could soluble CD24 offer some hope against severe COVID-19?

A recent randomized phase III trial conducted by researchers at the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, US, evaluated the impact of CD24Fc in severe COVID-19 patients and showed promising clinical efficacy. This study is available as a preprint on the medRxiv* server.

26 Aug 2021

SARS-CoV-2 alpha variant increased COVID-19 severity in Scotland's 3rd wave

A team of UK-based scientists has recently revealed that the alpha variant (B.1.1.7) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the third pandemic wave in Scotland and that the variant is associated with more severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

25 Aug 2021

An existing drug may function as targeted therapy for ALL in children

A new study from Linköping University has shown that the tumour-inhibiting gene TET2 is silenced in a large fraction of cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children.

25 Aug 2021

Study uncovers epigenetic mechanisms that promote glioma tumor growth

Northwestern Medicine investigators have discovered the epigenetic mechanisms involved in the regulation of multiple oncogenes in glioma cells, mechanisms that promote overall glioma tumor growth and resistance to therapy, according to a study published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.

25 Aug 2021

Penn study shows how certain proteins have evolved to suppress cheating chromosomes

Eggs and sperm are special cells for many reasons, but one of the characteristics that sets them apart is that, unlike other human cells, which have two copies of 23 chromosomes, one from the mother and one from the father, these sex cells, or gametes, have only one.

25 Aug 2021

Enzyme related to rattlesnake neurotoxin linked with COVID-19 infection severity

Study shows that an enzyme may be a key mechanism driving COVID-19 severity and could provide a new therapeutic target.

25 Aug 2021

Study could provide a new therapeutic target to reduce COVID-19 mortality

An enzyme with an elusive role in severe inflammation may be a key mechanism driving COVID-19 severity and could provide a new therapeutic target to reduce COVID-19 mortality, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

25 Aug 2021

Two studies on gastrointestinal stroma tumors describe advances that may lead to new treatments

Gastrointestinal stroma tumors (GIST) are cancers that start in specialized nerve cells found in the digestive system, from the esophagus and stomach to the intestines and rectum.

25 Aug 2021

SARS-CoV-2 Delta likely to acquire resistance to wild-type spike vaccines

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* explores the mechanism of the Delta variant's high infectivity and suggests a plausible pathway by which the Delta variant could escape from vaccine-induced immunity.

24 Aug 2021

Compounds from medicinal mushrooms may be our future weapon against SARS-CoV-2

Certain steroid-like compounds from Taiwan's endemic medicinal mushrooms (known as antcins) may inhibit a host cell receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and, thus, prevent viral infection and subsequent development of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), reports a new study published in the MDPI's journal Plants.

24 Aug 2021