Genetic News and Research

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New method shortens the timeline to generate mice for vaccine research

To develop vaccines and investigate human immune responses, scientists rely on a variety of animal models, including mice that can produce human antibodies through genetically engineered B cell receptors, which are specialized antibodies bound to the B cell membrane.

14 Dec 2020

Huntsman Cancer Institute receives $3 million CDC grant to improve colorectal cancer screening

Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah has been awarded a five-year, $3 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to improve Utah's colorectal cancer screening rates.

14 Dec 2020

Extensive genomic data can improve breast cancer risk assessment

Findings from the FinnGen study encompassing 120,000 women indicate that inherited breast cancer risk should be assessed in an increasingly comprehensive manner.

14 Dec 2020

Remdesivir likely to be highly effective treatment for COVID-19

The drug remdesivir is likely to be a highly effective antiviral against SARS-CoV-2, according to a new study by a team of UK scientists.

14 Dec 2020

Emergence of resistant SARS-CoV-2 variant in immunocompromised patient following therapeutic antibody use

The focus is increasingly moving towards vaccine roll-out as the world faces the real possibility of the second year of social and economic restrictions.

14 Dec 2020

RNA editing within host linked to SARS-CoV-2 variants

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the causative virus, SARS-CoV-2, has undergone several mutations.

14 Dec 2020

Study shows how STAT5 optimizes function of CD4+ T cells to drive antitumor immunity

Cancer immunotherapy using "designer" immune cells has revolutionized cancer treatment in recent years. In this type of therapy, T cells, a type of white blood cell, are collected from a patient's blood and subjected to genetic engineering to produce T cells carrying a synthetic molecule termed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) that is designed to enable T cells to recognize and destroy cancer cells.

14 Dec 2020

Wastewater testing can detect COVID-19 cases weeks before people show clinical signs

A new study from Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, and the University of Queensland provides further evidence that wastewater (untreated sewage) testing can detect COVID-19 in communities weeks before people display symptoms, suggesting this testing could provide a targeted early detection system as economies re-open and people become more mobile.

14 Dec 2020

Study unlocks some muscle cell secrets

A muscle fiber consists of just one cell, but many nuclei. A team at the MDC led by Professor Carmen Birchmeier has now shown just how varied these nuclei are.

11 Dec 2020

Scientists get closer to finding the genes for maleness in weeds

Scientists are getting closer to finding the genes for maleness in waterhemp and Palmer amaranth, two of the most troublesome agricultural weeds in the U.S.

11 Dec 2020

Active enzyme needed to unlock full benefits of vitamin A in carrots

Carrots are a good source of beta-carotene, which is a precursor of vitamin A. But to get the full health benefits of this superfood, you need an active enzyme to produce this vitamin.

11 Dec 2020

Research provides new insights into Glioblastoma invasiveness

One of the hallmarks of Glioblastoma (GBM), the most aggressive type of brain cancer, is its high invasive capacity, which leads to its expansion into the normal brain tissue.

11 Dec 2020

WVU, DHHR team up to create new COVID-19 testing laboratory in Morgantown

To address the challenges of COVID-19 testing shortages and lagging turnaround times, West Virginia University and the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources have teamed up to create a new testing laboratory at the Health Sciences Center thanks to funding made possible by Gov. Jim Justice.

11 Dec 2020

Study uncovers genetic risks of Takayasu arteritis

In a paper published today in the American Journal of Human Genetics, a group of international collaborators led by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine identified new genetic associations that can predict individual susceptibility to a rare inflammatory disease called Takayasu arteritis.

11 Dec 2020

Innovations to fix our food systems could have unintended consequences

Protein derived from organic waste to feed livestock could decrease demand for soybean meal. This could lead to less deforestation caused by soy farming.

11 Dec 2020

Research shows how epithelial cells ward off viruses

A team led by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet in Munich Researcher Veit Hornung has shown that a protein found in skin cells recognizes a specific nucleic acid intermediate that is formed during virus replication. This recognition process subsequently induces a potent inflammatory response.

11 Dec 2020