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Artificial intelligence can increase effectiveness of drug repurposing for psychiatric disorders

Artificial intelligence can increase the effectiveness of drug repositioning or repurposing research, according to a study published in Translational Psychiatry.

3 Aug 2020

Study reveals impact of TP53 gene mutations on MDS severity

Considered the "guardian of the genome," TP53 is the most commonly mutated gene in cancer. TP53's normal function is to detect DNA damage and prevent cells from passing this damage on to daughter cells.

3 Aug 2020

Membrane protein regulates epigenetic plasticity by mediating iron endocytosis

CNRS researchers at the Institut Curie have recently shown that cancer cells use a membrane protein that has been known for several decades to internalise iron.

3 Aug 2020

Penn researchers identify genetic driver of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease

Inherited mutations in a gene that keeps nerve cells intact was shown, for the first time, to be a driver of a neuropathy known as Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease.

3 Aug 2020

A blood test may be an easy way to predict who will benefit from immunotherapy

A test which detects changing levels of tumour fragments in the blood may be an easy, non-invasive and quick way to predict who will benefit from immunotherapy, a treatment option for advanced cancers.

3 Aug 2020

Novel short ACE2 isoform may influence SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility

A study led by researchers at the University of Southampton, UK, has identified a novel short isoform of the full-length receptor that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) uses to gain entry to host cells.

3 Aug 2020

Study investigates genetic determinants of stroke in individuals of African descent

African-Americans have up to three times the risk of dying from strokes as people of European descent, yet there has been little investigation of if and how genetic variants contribute to their elevated stroke risk. Until now.

3 Aug 2020

Immune system's oldest branches may underpin COVID severity

One of the immune system's oldest branches, called complement, may be influencing the severity of COVID disease, according to a new study from researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

3 Aug 2020

SARS-CoV-2 spike protein recognized by innate immune receptors in a glycan-dependent way

The spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) depends on its ability to infect new host cells following its replication and release from infected cells. This pivots on its ability to bind to cell surface receptors like the ACE2 enzyme.

3 Aug 2020

Long stretches of repeating DNA associated with susceptibility to systemic sclerosis

Researchers from the University of Tsukuba show that long stretches of repeat DNA sequences in the gene FLI1 are associated with susceptibility to systemic sclerosis.

2 Aug 2020

Synthetic riboregulators detect SARS-CoV-2 genome parts in 40 minutes

By exploiting the tools of synthetic biology, the researchers from Turkey have successfully developed a de novo riboregulator system for rapidly detecting the presence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genomic material. Their paper is currently available on medRxiv preprint server.

2 Aug 2020

Study offers new possibilities for developing anti-aging drugs

KAIST researchers have been able to dial up and down creatures' lifespans by altering the activity of proteins found in roundworm cells that tell them to convert sugar into energy when their cellular energy is running low.

31 Jul 2020

Investigational drug shows promising results for treating HNSCC tumors

Head and neck cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) account for the majority of these cases.

31 Jul 2020

Antioxidants in diet could raise risk of bowel cancer, new study reveals

Health benefits of antioxidants in food have been proven across a considerable body of scientific literature. Now, a new study shows that too much of a good thing may not be that good! Typically antioxidants in food, including polyphenols, flavonoids, and other plant compounds, could raise the risk of bowel cancer finds a new study from Israeli researchers.

30 Jul 2020

Immunosuppressive steroids help tumors to evade the immune system

A new study has revealed that tumors can evade the immune system by telling immune cells to produce immunosuppressive steroids.

30 Jul 2020

Smoking worsens COVID-19 severity, warn researchers

A study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, suggests that smoking increases the risk of more severe lung disease in cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

30 Jul 2020

Investigational vaccine and immune therapy work well together to fight breast cancer

A vaccine for HER2-positive breast cancers that is being tested in a clinical trial at Duke Cancer Institute is part of an effective, two-drug strategy for enlisting the immune system to fight tumors, according to a Duke-led study in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

30 Jul 2020

Study identifies potential drug targets for developing new cancer immunotherapies

A study has revealed that tumours can evade the immune system by telling immune cells to produce immunosuppressive steroids.

30 Jul 2020

Researchers identify targeted treatment strategy for malignant pleural mesothelioma

The reactivation of telomerase is a key mechanism in the unrestricted growth of cancer cells. Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a form of cancer originating from the mesothelium, a cell layer covering the lungs and the inside of the chest wall.

30 Jul 2020

Scientists develop human lung organoids to study SARS-CoV-2 infection

Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in July 2020 reports the development of a human distal lung culture system that can be functionally tested. This will help not only to understand how this infection produces disease but also to test the proliferative capacity of the stem cells in this part of the body.

30 Jul 2020