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Study finds new transposon-derived genes related to autism

The lack of some genes in the BEC/TCEAL cluster could be related to some alterations associated with the autism spectrum disorder, according to a preclinical study published in the journal Genome Biology, and led by Professor Jordi Garcia Fernàndez, from the Faculty of Biology and the Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona, and researcher Jaime Carvajal, from the Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology - University Pablo de Olavide.

27 Oct 2020

Study analyzes link between clonal hematopoiesis and treatment-related blood cancer risk

In recent years, improvements in cancer therapy have led to a significant increase in cancer survivorship. Experts estimate that by 2022, the United States will have 18 million cancer survivors, but a subset of those survivors will have long-term health problems to be addressed.

27 Oct 2020

Research uncovers SARS-CoV-2 viral traits critical for the virus in human airways

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in October 2020 reports the discovery of important viral genomic features that are crucial to its replication in the human airway cells, and its enhancing mutations which increase the rate of replication and determine its target cells.

26 Oct 2020

New versatile method to isolate individual cells with unique profiles

Researchers at Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine have developed a new method to isolate specific cells, and in the process found a more robust fluorescent protein.

23 Oct 2020

COVID-19 pandemic has escalated into a ‘syndemic’ for chronic disease patients

The COVID-19 pandemic has escalated into a ‘syndemic’ for people with chronic illnesses, a new UNSW study analysing data from low and middle-income countries shows.

23 Oct 2020

Researchers find a new therapeutic approach to combat leukemia

Leukemia frequently originates from the so-called leukemic stem cell, which resides in a tumor promoting and protecting niche within the bone marrow. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried, Germany, have found a new way to make these cells vulnerable by specifically dislodging these cells from their niches.

23 Oct 2020

Oregon biologists reveal molecular mechanisms that produce DNA damage in sperm

University of Oregon biologists have used the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans to identify molecular mechanisms that produce DNA damage in sperm and contribute to male infertility following exposure to heat.

23 Oct 2020

Oral bacteria persist on wasted chewing gums for weeks

Researchers from the Institute of Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), a joint center of the University of Valencia and the CSIC, have analyzed the bacteria from used chewing gums from five different countries.

23 Oct 2020

New technique could propel personalized cancer treatments

When it comes to defeating cancer, some immune cells are mightier than others. But even the best-trained eye and today's advanced scientific tools have trouble discerning the most powerful tumor-fighting cells from the rest.

23 Oct 2020

Intestinal microbiota offers new prospects for treating celiac disease

Celiac disease is an immune disease of the intestine that affects more than 1% of the population. It is characterised by gluten intolerance that causes inflammation of the gut, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, and can lead to weight loss and deficiencies among patients.

23 Oct 2020

Researchers develop lab-grown lung model to study SARS-CoV-2 infection

A team of Duke University researchers has developed a lab-grown living lung model that mimics the tiny air sacs of the lungs where coronavirus infection and serious lung damage take place.

23 Oct 2020

Researchers develop a novel method to test for COVID-19 antibodies

When Dr. Stephen Smith of Seattle Children's Research Institute came down with muscle aches, gastrointestinal distress and a sudden loss of smell in late February, he suspected he had COVID-19.

23 Oct 2020

Researchers use viral signatures to reveal transmission patterns of SARS-CoV-2

The coronavirus, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, has one official name--SARS-CoV-2. But according to virologists, mutations lead to hundreds of genetically-distinct versions of the virus.

23 Oct 2020

Scientists investigate pathogen transmission and awareness of common wildlife-associated zoonoses

In the tropics and subtropics, families and communities frequently rely on bushmeat for food security as well as basic income. So, while the harvest and trade of wildlife are illegal in many locales, the practice is commonplace, and with it comes the potential for transmission of a zoonotic disease among human populations.

23 Oct 2020

Research findings could potentially help exploit the weaknesses of cancer cells

Every cell in our body constantly divides to form new cells. This happens without us even thinking about it. However, every single time a cell divides, a complicated process has to unfold just the right way for our cells to avoid sickness and death.

22 Oct 2020

$109 million NIH grant awarded to expand Alzheimer's disease and Down syndrome research

The Alzheimer's Biomarkers Consortium - Down Syndrome, a multi-institution research team, co-led by members from the University of California, Irvine, has been awarded an unprecedented five-year, $109 million grant by the National Institutes of Health, to expand research on the biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease in adults with Down syndrome.

22 Oct 2020

Distinct DNA methylation signature found in the cord blood of newborns diagnosed with ASD

A new study led by UC Davis MIND Institute researchers found a distinct DNA methylation signature in the cord blood of newborns who were eventually diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

22 Oct 2020

'Mini-lungs' can provide important insights into how COVID-19 damages the lungs

'Mini-lungs' grown from tissue donated to Cambridge hospitals has provided a team of scientists from South Korea and the UK with important insights into how COVID-19 damages the lungs.

22 Oct 2020

Study shows how genetic predisposition contributes to the development of multiple sclerosis

About half of the people with multiple sclerosis have the HLA-DR15 gene variant. A study led by the University of Zurich has now shown how this genetic predisposition contributes to the development of the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis in combination with environmental factors.

22 Oct 2020

New method for producing FTVI enzyme can help improve cord blood transplants

A new way of producing an enzyme called fucosyltransferase VI (FTVI) in the lab could help enhance the therapeutic potential of cord blood transplants.

22 Oct 2020