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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.

Interferon pathway activation identified as key driver in OPLL pathogenesis

Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) is a progressive spinal disease characterized by ectopic bone formation in the spine, leading to severe neurological symptoms due to spinal cord compression. This condition is more prevalent in Asian countries and has been associated with various genetic and hormonal factors.

14 Feb 2025

New biomarker can accurately predict outcomes in meningiomas and breast cancers

Using a new technology and computational method, researchers from Fred Hutch Cancer Center and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have uncovered a biomarker capable of accurately predicting outcomes in meningioma brain tumors and breast cancers.

13 Feb 2025

Study explains why tecovirimat fails against some mpox strains

A virus originally found in animals, mpox – which causes the disease of the same name – is now circulating in humans.

13 Feb 2025

Olpasiran significantly lowers "bad cholesterol" linked to cardiovascular risk

The RNA inhibitor olpasiran significantly reduces a type of "bad cholesterol" that's associated with a high risk of cardiovascular events, according to results from an analysis by a Mount Sinai researcher of a phase 2 trial.

13 Feb 2025

Study identifies vitamin E succinate as key to tumor growth control

High levels of fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) have been linked to increased tumor growth and resistance to immunotherapy.

12 Feb 2025

EMBL researchers reveal new structural insights into minor spliceosome function

In human cells, only a small proportion of the information written in genes is used to produce proteins. How does the cell select this information? A large molecular machine called the spliceosome continuously separates the coding and non-coding regions of our genes – and it's doing this even as you read these lines.

12 Feb 2025

New immune map uncovers key pancreatic cancer insights

Researchers determine a complex immune infiltrate pattern based on a newly constructed immune map developed using pancreatic cancer cells.

12 Feb 2025

Scientists discover functional role of introns in cells

Scientists have discovered that some tiny segments of RNA thought to be junk instead have a functional role in suppressing production of certain messenger RNAs and appear to help cells respond to oxidative stress.

11 Feb 2025

Duke engineers develop synthetic approach to boost bacterial protein synthesis

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have demonstrated a new synthetic approach that turbocharges bacteria into producing more of a specific protein, even proteins that would normally destroy them, such as antibiotics.

11 Feb 2025

One shot to lower cholesterol for life? Scientists unlock a groundbreaking gene therapy

Researchers developed an epigenetic editing approach to silence the PCSK9 gene, achieving long-term cholesterol reduction without altering DNA, offering a potential one-time treatment for high cholesterol.

11 Feb 2025

Changes to intermediate filament protein drive aggressive breast cancer growth

Changes to the intermediate filament (IF) protein, vimentin, were found to promote tumor growth by increasing cancer stemness in an oestrogen independent manner.

11 Feb 2025

Yale rewrites genetic code for new proteins

Synthetic biologists from Yale were able to re-write the genetic code of an organism - a novel genomically recoded organism (GRO) with one stop codon - using a cellular platform that they developed enabling the production of new classes of synthetic proteins. These synthetic proteins, researchers say, offer the promise of innumerable medical and industrial applications that can benefit society and human health.

11 Feb 2025

Tick-borne encephalitis emerges in Britain: Experts urge vigilance

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) has now been confirmed in locally acquired human cases in the U.K., with evidence of established transmission in British tick populations. Increased surveillance and clinician awareness are crucial to detecting and managing this emerging threat.

10 Feb 2025

E64FC26 inhibits inflammation and joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis models

Protein disulfide isomerases (PDIs) are essential enzymes that facilitate the proper folding of proteins and maintain protein quality within the endoplasmic reticulum.

10 Feb 2025

Study examines how diet impacts gene expression in fat tissue

As many as 40% of Americans are obese, putting them at an increased risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, heart disease and certain cancers, according to the CDC.

8 Feb 2025

Understanding the role of alternative splicing in cardiovascular diseases

Announcing a new article publication for Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications journal. Alternative splicing (AS), a critical process for gene expression regulation, allows a single precursor RNA to produce multiple transcript variants.

8 Feb 2025

Study reveals how neurons save energy during protein synthesis

Nerve cells have amazing strategies to save energy and still perform the most important of their tasks.

7 Feb 2025

Distinct myeloid-derived suppressor cell populations fuel aggressive brain tumor growth

A type of aggressive, treatment-resistant brain tumor has a distinct population of immune cells that support its growth, according to new research led by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

7 Feb 2025

How lymphoid tissues protect against viral infections

Researchers explore the cellular and molecular adaptations associated with human secondary lymphoid tissue in adults during viral infection.

7 Feb 2025

Comprehensive atlas of endothelial cells advances diabetes research

The distinct population of endothelial cells that line blood vessels in the insulin-producing "islets" of the human pancreas have been notoriously difficult to study, but Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have now succeeded in comprehensively detailing the unique characteristics of these cells.

7 Feb 2025