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Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biologically important type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate.

Micro-RNA in sperm proves vital for human embryogenesis

The sperm is not a passive supplier of genetic material to the egg. A study from Linköping University, Sweden, shows that certain molecules that come with the sperm, so-called micro-RNA, contribute to the development of the embryo several days after conception. The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, may in the long term contribute to better diagnosis and treatment of involuntary childlessness.

10 Nov 2025

Daily oral medication matches injectable therapies in reducing bad cholesterol

Among people with a previous heart attack or stroke, or who are at high risk for one, a daily oral medication may offer an effective alternative to injections of PCSK9 inhibitors to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad" cholesterol), according to a preliminary late-breaking science presentation today at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025.

10 Nov 2025

Drinking orange juice daily may fine-tune genes tied to cardiovascular wellness

Regular orange juice consumption reprograms immune-cell gene activity linked to blood pressure, lipid metabolism, and inflammation in healthy adults. The molecular effects differ by body weight, suggesting BMI-tailored benefits from this everyday beverage.

9 Nov 2025

Exploring endogenous retroviruses as hidden drivers of alcohol use disorder

Alcohol use disorder (AUD), characterized by uncontrollable alcohol consumption due to physical and psychological dependence, affects approximately 14.1 million people in the U.S.

7 Nov 2025

Single-cell analysis reveals HPV-induced keratinocyte heterogeneity in cervical cancer

Cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CESC), the most prevalent subtype of cervical cancer, remains a major global health burden driven primarily by persistent high-risk HPV infection and genetic susceptibility.

7 Nov 2025

Comprehensive kinase atlas reveals new insights into cell signaling and disease

The enzyme RNA polymerase II transcribes genes into messenger RNA. This process is guided by modifications to the enzyme's "tail" called phosphorylation patterns.

7 Nov 2025

Intensive mind-body retreat rapidly alters brain function and blood biology

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have found that an intensive retreat combining multiple mind-body techniques, including meditation and healing practices, produced rapid and wide-ranging changes in brain function and blood biology.

6 Nov 2025

Alzheimer’s breakthrough reveals how tweaking one gene shields brain connections

Lowering the transcription factor PU.1 reprograms microglia into a neuroprotective, lymphoid-like state that compacts amyloid, blocks tau spread, and preserves synapses in Alzheimer’s disease. Microglial CD28 signaling helps restrain inflammation, revealing a regulatory switch that may inform future immunotherapies targeting microglia rather than neurons.

6 Nov 2025

Scientists map kinesin-2 tail structure to understand cargo binding

For decades, scientists have known that motor proteins like kinesin-2 ferry vital cargo along microtubule "highways" inside cells. But how these molecular vehicles identify and bind to the right cargo remained a mystery. The new study provides a key piece of this puzzle by revealing the atomic-level structure of the kinesin-2 tail and its interaction with cargo and adaptor proteins.

6 Nov 2025

Bowel cancer’s “Big Bang” moment reveals how the disease takes shape

Like the astronomical explosion that kickstarted the universe, bowel cancer has a "Big Bang" moment which determines how it will grow, according to new research from Cancer Research UK and Wellcome Trust-funded scientists.

5 Nov 2025

Breakthrough study reveals how rabies virus uses few proteins to hijack cells

New antivirals and vaccines could follow the discovery by Australian researchers of strategies used by viruses to control our cells.

5 Nov 2025

SPT Labtech and Alithea Genomics collaborate to automate ultra sensitive single-cell transcriptomic workflows

SPT Labtech, a global leader in the design and development of laboratory automation and liquid handling solutions, and Alithea Genomics, a pioneer in the field of large-scale RNA sequencing and transcriptomics, today announced a collaboration to provide an automated solution for single-cell transcriptomics.

5 Nov 2025

Stress hormones may silence crucial neuronal genes through specific RNA molecules

What if the brain's response to stress could be read not in fleeting neurotransmitter bursts, but in the quieting of genes deep inside chromatin? Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have now shown that stress hormones may silence crucial neuronal genes through an unexpected class of RNA molecules that operate not by encoding proteins, but by reshaping the genome's architecture.

4 Nov 2025

Study reveals how "P bodies" heavily influence a cell's fate

How do stem cells know what to become? Nearly three decades after scientists isolated the first human embryonic stem cells, researchers are still working hard to understand precisely how a single, undifferentiated cell can become any one of the roughly 200 cell types that make up the human body.

4 Nov 2025

New approach harnesses tumor's own machinery to produce immune-stimulating molecules

By stimulating cancer cells to produce a molecule that activates a signaling pathway in nearby immune cells, MIT researchers have found a way to force tumors to trigger their own destruction.

3 Nov 2025

Mapping how the heart heals after a heart attack

Over the course of evolution, the human heart has largely lost its ability to regenerate. Our distant ancestors were not afflicted by heart attacks - a condition that emerged primarily with modern lifestyles marked by poor diet, obesity, and other cardiovascular risk factors.

3 Nov 2025

Kids First DRC releases 37th pediatric study on rare childhood cancers

The Gabriella Miller Kids First Data Resource Center (Kids First DRC) has released its 37th pediatric research study, available in the Kids First Data Resource Portal.

3 Nov 2025

Large-scale foundation model reconstructs how cells interact within tissues

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed Nicheformer, the first large-scale foundation model that integrates single-cell analysis with spatial transcriptomics.

3 Nov 2025

Urolithin A recharges aging immune cells and boosts mitochondrial fitness in midlife adults

Urolithin A, a natural postbiotic known to trigger mitophagy, rejuvenated key immune cell functions in healthy middle-aged adults after 28 days. The trial showed a shift toward a youthful, energy-efficient CD8⁺ T-cell profile and enhanced bacterial clearance without inflammatory side effects.

3 Nov 2025

Researchers develop a versatile tool for controlling gene activity

Investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine have developed a versatile and non-toxic technology for controlling the activity of any gene in a cell. Such "gene-switch" tools allow scientists to "turn on" or "turn off" a target gene to study how it works, model diseases and design new therapies.

3 Nov 2025