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Adding plant-based compound to gene therapy could improve treatment outcomes

Gene therapy has broadened the treatment possibilities for those with immune system deficiencies and blood-based conditions, such as sickle cell anemia and leukemia.

17 Oct 2019

New way to prevent malaria bugs from breeding

A new international collaboration reports that the compound called TCMDC-135051 is capable of preventing the synthesis of a protein that is required for growth in Plasmodium falciparum, one of the species of the Plasmodium parasite that causes malaria. The study, reported in the journal Science, could lead to the development of a new antimalarial drug.

8 Oct 2019

New mechanism that controls DNA repair identified

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), is the macromolecule that holds all hereditary and genetic information. Continuously under assault, alterations and damage to DNA can lead to many different health issues, including cancer.

2 Oct 2019

Study on gene mutations may lead to better diagnosis and treatment for cancer

When a cell divides into two daughter cells, it must replicate its DNA according to a very specific scenario. In the presence of some disruptive elements, however, cancer cells are unable to perform this operation optimally; replication then takes place more slowly and less efficiently.

25 Sep 2019

Iranian population is highly heterogeneous than previously believed, genome study shows

An international research team including scientists from the University of Cologne, Germany, numerous Iranian universities and the University of Sydney, Australia, has shown that today's Iranian population is composed of partially highly heterogeneous ethnic groups, exhibiting a high degree of genetic variation.

24 Sep 2019

CRISPR discovery opens up new possibilities for genetic engineering

Scientists have successfully developed a different kind of CRISPR technology, opening up a world of possibility to future developments in the genetic engineering space

23 Sep 2019

Developing a highly predictive genetic risk score for type 1 diabetes

Paul Tran is working to develop a highly predictive genetic risk score that will tell parents whether their baby is at significant risk for type 1 diabetes.

16 Sep 2019

Study describes initial baseline healthy gut microbiome database and abundance profile

An initial baseline healthy gut microbiome database and abundance profile is described in a study published September 11, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Charles Hadley King from George Washington University Medical Center, USA, and colleagues.

From PLOS ONE 13 Sep 2019

Novel technology makes biopsies less invasive and more informative

A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore has developed a novel technology that could sensitively and accurately detect and classify cancer cells, as well as determine the disease aggressiveness from the least invasive biopsies.

10 Sep 2019

Lung-MAP study: Majority of cancer patients don't understand genomic test results

A majority of cancer patients don't understand key aspects of the genomic test results they receive as participants in biomarker-driven clinical trials, according to a first-of-its-kind pilot study conducted under the Lung Cancer Master Protocol.

10 Sep 2019

Newly discovered resistance-spreading mechanism is independent of the use of antibiotics

Bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to common antibiotics. Often, resistance is mediated by resistance genes, which can simply jump from one bacterial population to the next.

5 Sep 2019

Researchers discover pivotal role for bacterial sex in evolution of mammalian microbiome

In a pioneer study now published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science - USA, the research team led by Isabel Gordo, from the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, in collaboration with researcher Michael Lässig of Cologne University, used healthy mice to study real-time gut colonization and discovered a pivotal role for bacterial sex in the evolution of the mammalian microbiome.

25 Aug 2019

Study sheds light on emergence and spread of drug-resistant malaria parasites in Africa

In the first continent-wide genomic study of malaria parasites in Africa, scientists have uncovered the genetic features of Plasmodium falciparum parasites that inhabit different regions of the continent, including the genetic factors that confer resistance to anti-malarial drugs.

23 Aug 2019

Most patients willing to share personal medical data with researchers, survey finds

As medicine becomes both bigger and more personalized, the need for massive databases of patient records, such as the 1 million person All of Us Research Program, become increasingly essential to fueling both new discoveries and translational treatments.

21 Aug 2019

Mini kidneys grown in the lab could be used to better understand kidney diseases

An international team of researchers led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has grown 'miniature kidneys' in the laboratory that could be used to better understand how kidney diseases develop in individual patients.

20 Aug 2019

SU2C Dream Team to develop new drug combination to stop spread of breast cancer

At a press conference at McGill University today, Stand Up To Cancer Canada, the Canadian Cancer Society, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research announced the launch of the SU2C Canada Metastatic Breast Cancer Dream Team to pursue the development of a new drug combination that may help stop the spread of breast cancer to other organs of the body.

13 Aug 2019

New model predicts cognitive decline of patients at risk for Alzheimer’s disease

A new model developed at MIT can help predict if patients at risk for Alzheimer's disease will experience clinically significant cognitive decline due to the disease, by predicting their cognition test scores up to two years in the future.

2 Aug 2019

Research presents strongest evidence of link between obesity and many diseases

A new study, led by Professor Elina Hyppönen from UniSA's Australian Centre for Precision Health, presents the strongest evidence yet of a causal relationship between obesity and a wide range of serious conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and neurological, musculoskeletal and respiratory afflictions.

2 Aug 2019

Study reveals the complexities of viral evolution

Comparing a living cell to a virus is a bit like comparing the Sistine Chapel to a backyard dog house. Lacking the intricate machinery of living cells, viruses represent biology stripped down to an extreme level. They are the true minimalists of the biological world.

31 Jul 2019

Study shows causal relationship between obesity and a wide range of diseases

A new study, led by Professor Elina Hyppönen from UniSA’s Australian Centre for Precision Health, presents the strongest evidence yet of a causal relationship between obesity and a wide range of serious conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and neurological, musculoskeletal and respiratory afflictions.