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Study uncovers how cells 'forget their past' while developing into a specific cell

All cells in the body contain the same genetic material. The difference between cells therefore depends solely on which genes are expressed or ‘turned on’.

7 Nov 2019

New molecule can reduce aggressiveness of embryonal central nervous system tumors

In Brazil, scientists affiliated with the Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center (HUG-CELL) at the University of São Paulo (USP) have identified a molecule capable of reducing the aggressiveness of embryonal central nervous system tumors.

7 Nov 2019

CRISPR-Cas9 protein can help increase targeting accuracy in genome editing process

A team of researchers from City University of Hong Kong and Karolinska Institutet has recently developed a new protein that can help increase the targeting accuracy in the genome editing process. It is believed that it would be useful for future gene therapies in human, which require high precision.

6 Nov 2019

Researchers reveal mechanisms that lead to onset of Type 1 diabetes

Researchers Lorenzo Pasquali and Mireia Ramos-Rodríguez have published recently in Nature Genetics the results of a study on the mechanisms that cause an inflammatory response to trigger pancreatic beta-cell death, leading to the onset of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D).

6 Nov 2019

Gene-editing technique CRISPR trialed for first time as cancer treatment

The go-ahead has been given for the first trials using CRISPR as an alternative therapy for treating cancer.

6 Nov 2019

New therapy has potential to repair cells damaged by noise, prevent hearing loss

More than 700 million people worldwide suffer from some degree of hearing loss, including an estimated 20 percent of Americans over the age of 12, according to medical experts.

6 Nov 2019

Study reveals key mechanism that helps cells to adapt to low-nutrient conditions

Scientists from the UNC School of Medicine and Stanford University have uncovered what may be a fundamental biological mechanism that helps organisms adapt to rapid changes to nutrients in their environments.

6 Nov 2019

Scientists discover cell protein crucial in preventing viral replication

A research team has discovered a protein without which cells infected by viruses cannot trigger an immune response, leading to 100% mortality with even non-disease-producing strains. The discovery of the new Z-DNA binding protein, or ZBP1, was reported in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology. It could help develop new treatment methods for viruses that target the nervous system such as the Zika or West Nile Encephalitis virus.

6 Nov 2019

Study: Spherical exosomes could help in treating acute kidney injury

Like a swarm of construction workers in the aftermath of a destructive storm, cargo-filled, nanometer-sized spheres arrive on the scene following an acute kidney injury.

5 Nov 2019

Health impact of Daylight Saving Time

Every year people make a change in their daily timetables to make use of what is called “Daylight Saving Time” (DST), and then transition back again to their earlier time clocks. However, new research published in JAMA Neurology shows that this yearly change about may affect health over the long term. The researchers strongly call for stopping this practice, which has no economic benefit, and may have severe and chronic negative health impacts.

5 Nov 2019

Researchers identify potential drug targets for glioblastoma

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have identified 10 tumor-specific potential drug targets for the brain tumor glioblastoma. The results are presented in the scientific journal Cell Reports.

5 Nov 2019

Research shows how bad E. coli gain a foothold over good bacteria in IBD

What if you had to plan your outings based on how your stomach felt that day or where the nearest restroom is located? For many people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), their guts have an inordinate effect on their daily quality of life.

5 Nov 2019

The Achilles heel of APC-mutated colon tumors identified

In almost all cases of colon cancer, a specific gene is mutated – this offers opportunities to develop broadly effective therapeutic approaches. Research teams in Würzburg have taken this a step further.

5 Nov 2019

Researchers find genes from 'fossil' virus in human DNA to be active

Genes from a virus that was stitched into the human genome thousands of years ago are active, producing proteins in the human brain and other tissues, according to researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the Laval University School of Medicine in Quebec, Canada.

5 Nov 2019

MD Anderson and Takeda announce agreement to develop off-the-shelf CAR NK-cell therapy platform

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited today announced an exclusive license agreement and research agreement to develop cord blood-derived chimeric antigen receptor-directed natural killer (CAR NK)-cell therapies, 'armored' with IL-15, for the treatment of B-cell malignancies and other cancers.

5 Nov 2019

Researchers develop new type of transposase protein with improved biochemical properties

The team, comprising researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, the Universitätsklinikum Würzburg and the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, managed to design a new variant of the Sleeping Beauty transposase with dramatically improved biochemical properties.

4 Nov 2019

UK aims to lead with cutting-edge radiation therapy

The UK is all set to launch its run into the future as the undisputed leader in the field of personalized and effective radiation therapy. The proposal is undergirded by a whopping £56 million, which will be used to set up and fund advanced radiation therapy research by a new collaborative setup, Cancer Research UK RadNet, over five years. This is the largest sum ever invested by this organization into radiotherapy research.

4 Nov 2019

Facts about lung cancer and ways to reduce your risk

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, about 13% of all new cancers are lung cancers. There will be an estimated 228,000 new cases of lung cancer this year, with more than 142,000 deaths. Moreover, the 5-year survival rate is less than 20%.

4 Nov 2019

Scientists capture elusive cancer-related protein in action

Scientists have for the first time seen how the MYC protein, which plays a central role in cancer, binds to a key protein and controls important functions in the cell.

4 Nov 2019

Some skin cancers originate in hair follicles, says new study

A new study published online in Nature Communicationson November 4, 2019, reports that some melanomas, which are among the deadliest skin cancers, originate in melanocyte stem cells that are located within the hair follicles.

4 Nov 2019