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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.

ICRAFT platform identifies new targets for cancer immunotherapy

Professor Zeng Zexian's team from the Center for Quantitative Biology at the Peking University Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, in collaboration with the Peking University-Tsinghua University Joint Center for Life Sciences, has developed ICRAFT, an innovative computational platform for identifying cancer immunotherapy targets.

1 Apr 2025

Hedonic eating fades with obesity—but neurotensin helps bring it back

Chronic high-fat diets blunt the brain’s pleasure response to rich foods by impairing NAcLat→VTA signaling in mice. Neurotensin dysfunction underlies this effect, but restoring its signaling revives hedonic feeding and reduces obesity symptoms.

30 Mar 2025

New phospholipids improve functional mRNA delivery via lipid nanoparticles

Researchers develop innovative phospholipids that improve the functional delivery of mRNA via lipid nanoparticles, paving the way for advanced therapeutic applications.

28 Mar 2025

Lipid accumulation in tumors linked to therapy resistance in breast cancer

A new study published in the journal Immunity reveals a mechanism that allows triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) to develop resistance to therapy.

28 Mar 2025

Scientists develop lab model to study TDP-43 accumulation in neurodegeneration

Accumulation of a protein called TDP-43 is a key feature of ALS and frontotemporal dementia. In a newly published study, researchers report 'seeding' this accumulation through fragments of the culprit protein created in the lab.

28 Mar 2025

New peptide antibiotic stops bacteria by binding where no drug has before

Researchers discovered lariocidin, a lasso peptide antibiotic that kills multidrug-resistant bacteria by binding a novel ribosomal site.

27 Mar 2025

New research sheds light on prostate cancer resistance mechanisms

According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 1 in 8 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime.

27 Mar 2025

Study uncovers surprising role for calcium in shaping life's earliest molecular structures

A new study led by researchers at the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at Institute of Science Tokyo has uncovered a surprising role for calcium in shaping life's earliest molecular structures.

27 Mar 2025

Novel insights into tumor microenvironment and gastric cancer therapy

A team of Singapore scientists has made a significant discovery in understanding stomach cancer, a disease that remains one of the deadliest cancers worldwide. By using advanced mapping technologies, they created a detailed "atlas" of stomach tumors, revealing hidden patterns in how cancer cells behave, evolve and interact with their environment. These insights could lead to more precise, targeted treatments that improve survival rates and reduce side effects.

27 Mar 2025

Researchers develop a reverse genetics system for African swine fever virus

Researchers from the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) have developed a reverse genetics system for African swine fever virus (ASFV).

26 Mar 2025

Researchers identify key gene linked to heroin addiction

Opioid use disorder is associated with more than 350,000 deaths annually worldwide. Guided by the need for an increased understanding of critical neurobiological features of addiction, researchers have now found a unique molecular signature and genes in the orbitofrontal cortex associated with heroin-seeking behavior.

26 Mar 2025

Cedars-Sinai study shows rapid healing of heart damage with cell therapy

A scientific technique that rapidly increases the body's production of anti-inflammatory cells promoted healing from heart attacks in mice, according to a new study by investigators from the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai. Once adapted to treat humans, the technique could potentially be used to repair heart muscle damage after a heart attack and be applied to a variety of inflammatory disorders.

26 Mar 2025

Yale study unlocks potential of lupus-related antibody to target cold tumors

Yale scientists have discovered a promising way to trigger immune responses against certain tumors, using a lupus-related antibody that can slip, undetected, into "cold" tumors and flip on an immune response that has been turned off by cancer.

25 Mar 2025

Breakthrough DNA delivery system could revolutionize chronic disease treatment

A breakthrough in safely delivering therapeutic DNA to cells could transform treatment for millions suffering from common chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

25 Mar 2025

C. diff uses toxic compound to gain competitive advantage in the gut

The pathogen C. diff - the most common cause of health care-associated infectious diarrhea - can use a compound that kills the human gut's resident microbes to survive and grow, giving it a competitive advantage in the infected gut.

25 Mar 2025

Targeting PCSK9 and APOA4 for the treatment of TMAO-induced cholelithiasis

Cholesterol synthesis and gallstone formation are promoted by trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), a derivative of trimethylamine, which is a metabolite of gut microbiota.

25 Mar 2025

Cryptotanshinone could be a promising therapeutic option for Kawasaki disease

Announcing a new publication for Acta Materia Medica journal. Kawasaki disease (KD) is a form of vasculitis that affects primarily children and can lead to severe cardiovascular complications.

25 Mar 2025

Blocking Piezo2 may offer a new therapeutic approach for pulmonary fibrotic diseases

Researchers have found a potential new way to slow the progression of lung fibrosis and other fibrotic diseases by inhibiting the expression or function of Piezo2, a receptor that senses mechanical forces in tissues including stress, strain, and stiffness.

25 Mar 2025

ELRIG announces Prof Rory Johnson and Dr Shalini Andersson as keynote speakers at Therapeutic Oligonucleotides 2025

ELRIG, a not-for-profit, volunteer-led organization for the drug discovery community, today announced the keynote speakers for Therapeutic Oligonucleotides 2025 taking place at the AstraZeneca R&D site in Gothenburg, Sweden from 14-15 May. Prof Rory Johnson, Associate Professor, University College Dublin, and Dr Shalini Andersson, Vice President Nucleic Acid Therapeutics, AstraZeneca will lead this year's event focused on 'drugging the undruggable'.

25 Mar 2025

Scientists uncover role of m6A in prostate cancer progression

Scientists at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and the University of Toronto have revealed how a tiny chemical modification in RNA, known as m6A, plays a critical role in the progression of prostate cancer, including driving some of its most dangerous forms of the disease.

24 Mar 2025