Cell Division News and Research

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Research shows great potential of embryonic gene editing to prevent inherited diseases

Scientists have, for the first time, corrected a disease-causing mutation in early stage human embryos with gene editing.

2 Aug 2017

Penn researchers discover how DNA damage turns immune cells against cancer

Cancer is essentially a disease of the cell replication cycle. The goal of treating the disease is to permanently kill off the cells that replicate with abandon without any molecular brakes.

31 Jul 2017

New imaging approach reveals dynamic and structural interactions of DNA in cell's nucleus

Sixty-four years ago, James Watson and Francis Crick described the now-iconic double helix structure of DNA.

29 Jul 2017

Spider threads show great potential for nerve and tissue repair

The golden orb-weaver spider from Tanzania spins such strong webs that Tanzanian fishermen use them for fishing.

28 Jul 2017

DNA-protein structure more diverse and flexible chain than previously thought, study reveals

How can six and half feet of DNA be folded into the tiny nucleus of a cell? Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have developed a new imaging method that visualizes a very different DNA structure, featuring small folds of DNA in close proximity.

27 Jul 2017

New compound takes positive step toward creating drug for melanoma

While past attempts to treat melanoma failed to meet expectations, an international team of researchers are hopeful that a compound they tested on both mice and on human cells in a petri dish takes a positive step toward creating a drug that can kill melanoma cancer cells without harming nearby healthy cells.

26 Jul 2017

UC scientists take different approach to investigating how influenza spreads through the lungs

Influenza is a recurring global health threat that, according to the World Health Organization, is responsible for as many as 500,000 deaths every year, most due to influenza pneumonia, or viral pneumonia.

25 Jul 2017

Low vitamin D may affect recovery of injured corneas

Injury or disease in combination with too little vitamin D can be bad for the window to your eyes. The three-layer, transparent cornea at the front of the eyes focuses the light coming in. But its prominent position also puts it at risk for injury from an errant mascara wand or over-prodding finger or a car accident.

24 Jul 2017

Scientists gain new insights into protein network that regulates programmed cell death

Researchers use a simplified model of a protein network to explain how apoptosis is regulated, whose malfunction is linked to cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

14 Jul 2017

Ground-breaking new breast cancer drugs have manageable toxicity profile for most patients

A ground-breaking new class of oral drugs for treating breast cancer, known as cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors, are generally well-tolerated, with a manageable toxicity profile for most patients.

13 Jul 2017

Targeting acid metabolite reduces size and spread of breast cancer

It's a metabolite found in essentially all our cells that, like so many things, cancer overexpresses. Now scientists have shown that when they inhibit 20-HETE, it reduces both the size of a breast cancer tumor and its ability to spread to the lungs.

12 Jul 2017

Cell cannibalism may have role to play in resisting cancer growth

Cell cannibalism in tumor samples has been observed for over a century, yet this unusual behavior is not well studied.

11 Jul 2017

Prolonged use of cancer inhibitors can lead to severe cardiovascular problems

Plk1 inhibitors have recently been acknowledged as an "Innovative Therapy for leukaemia" by the US Food and Drug Administration.

10 Jul 2017

Novel technique analyzes sperm morphology and motility in embryo formation process

The research, presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology annual conference, which ends today in Geneva, Switzerland, describes for the first time the use of an experimental technique that has made it possible to analyze the functioning of human sperm in contact with the cytoplasmic content of the eggs in vitro.

7 Jul 2017

Dmrta2 gene mutation can lead to abnormal brain development in unborn babies

Researchers from Cardiff University and Université Libre de Bruxelles have identified how the function of a key gene significantly impacts nerve stem cell growth, and how it can lead to abnormal brain development in unborn babies if the system goes awry.

6 Jul 2017

FDA expands use of cooling cap to minimize chemotherapy-induced hair loss in cancer patients

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the expanded use of a cooling cap, DigniCap Cooling System, to reduce hair loss (alopecia) during chemotherapy.

3 Jul 2017

Research provides new insights into how telomeres regulate cellular senescence

Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz have further uncovered the secrets of telomeres, the caps that protect the ends of our chromosomes.

30 Jun 2017

MIT biologists identify how the immune system eliminates genetically imbalanced cells

Most living cells have a defined number of chromosomes: Human cells, for example, have 23 pairs. As cells divide, they can make errors that lead to a gain or loss of chromosomes, which is usually very harmful.

20 Jun 2017

Penn State scientists win grant to develop novel approach to contraception

Two Penn State researchers have received a grant through the Grand Challenges Explorations program -- an initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation -- to develop a novel approach to contraception.

15 Jun 2017

Scientists create method for mapping genome-wide DNA damage caused by chemical carcinogen

Scientists have known for decades that smoking cigarettes causes DNA damage, which leads to lung cancer. Now, for the first time, UNC School of Medicine scientists created a method for effectively mapping that DNA damage at high resolution across the genome.

13 Jun 2017