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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.

Depression, antidepressant use may increase risk for diabetes and CVD in postmenopausal women

Postmenopausal women who use antidepressant medication or suffer from depression might be more likely to have a higher body mass index, larger waist circumference and inflammation-all associated with increased risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to a study led by University of Massachusetts Medical School investigator Yunsheng Ma, PhD, MD, MPH, and published in the June 13 issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

14 Jun 2013

Whitehead Institute researchers identify drug target for anemia

Researchers at Whitehead Institute have identified a protein that is the target of glucocorticoids, the drugs that are used to increase red blood cell production in patients with certain types of anemia, including those resulting from trauma, sepsis, malaria, kidney dialysis, and chemotherapy.

10 Jun 2013

SUNY Downstate to receive grant to advance blood test to predict breast cancer progression

SUNY Downstate Medical Center will receive up to $50,000 from the statewide SUNY Technology Accelerator Fund to advance a blood test to determine breast cancer prognosis.

10 Jun 2013

Study sheds light on origin of wide range of brain disorders

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have uncovered a mechanism that guides the exquisite wiring of neural circuits in a developing brain -- gaining unprecedented insight into the faulty circuits that may lead to brain disorders ranging from autism to mental retardation.

10 Jun 2013

Human Argonautes directly cuts messenger RNA

Human Argonautes (hAgo), are key proteins involved in a process known as RNA interference. RNAi, as it is often called, is a mechanism that cells use to regulate gene expression.

7 Jun 2013

RXi Pharmaceuticals reports positive results from 2 placebo-controlled double blind studies of RXI-109

RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing innovative therapies addressing major unmet medical needs using RNA-targeted technologies, today announced the unblinded results of the first of their 2 placebo-controlled double blind studies in volunteers with their anti-scarring agent RXI-109, a proprietary sd-rxRNA compound that has been shown in vitro and in animals to reduce mRNA for connective tissue growth factor.

6 Jun 2013

Study suggests modulation of "enhancer-directed RNAs" can alter gene expression in living cells

In a pair of distinct but complementary papers, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and colleagues illuminate the functional importance of a relatively new class of RNA molecules.

5 Jun 2013

Six top scientists studying psoriasis receive NPF research grants to discover new treatments for chronic diseases

Six of the top scientists studying psoriasis-the most common autoimmune disease in the country, affecting 7.5 million Americans-and psoriatic arthritis, an inflammatory joint and tendon disease affecting up to 30 percent of people with psoriasis, received National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) research grants totaling $450,000 for projects that aim to discover new treatments and a cure for these chronic diseases.

5 Jun 2013

Better understanding of breast milk variability, strategies for optimizing neonatal diet

The composition of breast milk varies from mother to mother, and genetic factors may affect the levels of protective components in breast milk that could influence a newborn's outcomes.

5 Jun 2013

Weather may influence transmission of West Nile, chikungunya, and other viral disease

Urban epidemics resulting from viral diseases, such as West Nile fever and chikungunya fever, are transmitted by infected mosquitoes.

4 Jun 2013

Arcturus Therapeutics closes $1.3 M in seed funding round

Arcturus Therapeutics, Inc., an industry leader in RNAi technologies for the treatment of disease, today announced it has raised $1.3 million in a seed funding round led by multiple high net-worth private investors from the United States and Canada.

3 Jun 2013

Researchers develop RNA aptamers that inhibit HCV replication

Treatments against hepatitis C virus have only been partially successful. A major problem is that antivirals generate drug resistance. Now Seong-Wook Lee of Dankook University, Yongin, Republic of Korea and his collaborators have developed agents that bind to the business end of a critical protein, disabling it so successfully that no resistance has arisen.

3 Jun 2013

Study shows utility of cfDNA blood tests for breast cancer patients

Researchers from Chronix Biomedical and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today announced that results from a pilot study demonstrating the utility of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) blood tests as a companion diagnostic for breast cancer patients are to be reported in a poster presentation titled "Modulation of breast cancer cell-free DNA with surgical resection" (Abstract #11060) at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (ASCO 2013) being held from May 31 through June 4, 2013 in Chicago. The blood test detects cfDNA that is released into the blood stream by damaged and dying cancer cells.

1 Jun 2013

Nanoparticle-based immunotherapy for cancer

The German Research Foundation has established a new Collaborative Research Center on "Nanodimensional polymer therapeutics for tumor therapy" (CRC 1066) at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPI-P).

1 Jun 2013

Theoretical mathematical models offer insights into therapeutic, prevention strategies for HIV

The first few hours to days following exposure to human immunodeficiency virus can be of critical importance in determining if infection occurs in a patient. But the low numbers of viruses and infected cells at this stage makes it very difficult to study these events in humans or animal models.

1 Jun 2013

Scientists find that 'junk DNA' could promote cancer progression

Scientists at The University of Nottingham have found that a genetic rogue element produced by sequences until recently considered 'junk DNA' could promote cancer progression.

30 May 2013

Researchers develop multicolor fluorescence labeling method to identify tumor specific miRNAs

In recent years, microRNAs and other non-coding RNAs are small molecules that help control the expression of specific proteins. In recent years they have emerged as disease biomarkers.

27 May 2013

Researchers discover how drug prevents cancer progression

In collaboration with Daniel Zenklusen, also a University of Montreal biochemistry professor and lead author and doctoral candidate Vincent Messier, discovered that when cells are starved for nutrients TOR sends a signal to shut down production of a chemical message in the form of RNA to synthesize B cyclin ", Dr. Michnick explained.

24 May 2013

EGFR gums up cell's miRNA-processing machinery under oxygen starvation conditions

Even while being dragged to its destruction inside a cell, a cancer-promoting growth factor receptor fires away, sending signals that thwart the development of tumor-suppressing microRNAs before it's dissolved, researchers reported in an early online publication at Nature.

24 May 2013

New drug delivery system can help treat lung cancer

Researchers have developed a new drug delivery system that allows inhalation of chemotherapeutic drugs to help treat lung cancer, and in laboratory and animal tests it appears to reduce the systemic damage done to other organs while significantly improving the treatment of lung tumors.

23 May 2013

RNA News and Research

Further Reading

Depression, antidepressant use may increase risk for diabetes and CVD in postmenopausal women

Whitehead Institute researchers identify drug target for anemia

SUNY Downstate to receive grant to advance blood test to predict breast cancer progression

Study sheds light on origin of wide range of brain disorders

Human Argonautes directly cuts messenger RNA

RXi Pharmaceuticals reports positive results from 2 placebo-controlled double blind studies of RXI-109

Study suggests modulation of "enhancer-directed RNAs" can alter gene expression in living cells

Six top scientists studying psoriasis receive NPF research grants to discover new treatments for chronic diseases

Better understanding of breast milk variability, strategies for optimizing neonatal diet

Weather may influence transmission of West Nile, chikungunya, and other viral disease

Arcturus Therapeutics closes $1.3 M in seed funding round

Researchers develop RNA aptamers that inhibit HCV replication

Study shows utility of cfDNA blood tests for breast cancer patients

Nanoparticle-based immunotherapy for cancer

Theoretical mathematical models offer insights into therapeutic, prevention strategies for HIV

Scientists find that 'junk DNA' could promote cancer progression

Researchers develop multicolor fluorescence labeling method to identify tumor specific miRNAs

Researchers discover how drug prevents cancer progression

EGFR gums up cell's miRNA-processing machinery under oxygen starvation conditions

New drug delivery system can help treat lung cancer

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