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ALKBH5 enzyme shows promising target for cancer immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy - a treatment that better enables a patient's own immune system to attack tumors - has shown great potential against some cancers. Yet immunotherapy doesn't work against all tumor types, and many patients who initially respond later develop resistance and relapse.

4 Aug 2020

Study solves long-held controversy over two popular bird species

A half-century of controversy over two popular bird species may have finally come to an end. In one corner: the Bullock's Oriole, found in the western half of North America. In the other corner: the Baltimore Oriole, breeding in the eastern half.

4 Aug 2020

Zika virus mutation responsible for quick spread, birth defects uncovered

A multidisciplinary team from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has uncovered a Zika virus mutation that may be responsible for the explosive viral transmission in 2015/2016 and for the cause of microcephaly (babies with small heads) born to infected pregnant women.

3 Aug 2020

Study reveals impact of TP53 gene mutations on MDS severity

Considered the "guardian of the genome," TP53 is the most commonly mutated gene in cancer. TP53's normal function is to detect DNA damage and prevent cells from passing this damage on to daughter cells.

3 Aug 2020

Membrane protein regulates epigenetic plasticity by mediating iron endocytosis

CNRS researchers at the Institut Curie have recently shown that cancer cells use a membrane protein that has been known for several decades to internalise iron.

3 Aug 2020

Penn researchers identify genetic driver of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease

Inherited mutations in a gene that keeps nerve cells intact was shown, for the first time, to be a driver of a neuropathy known as Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease.

3 Aug 2020

Study shows how G406R single point mutation of the Cav1.2 channel confers autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous disorder initiated early in development and characterized by abnormal social communication. Accumulating evidence supports the idea that specific mutations affect regulatory proteins that control arrays of cellular pathways.

3 Aug 2020

A blood test may be an easy way to predict who will benefit from immunotherapy

A test which detects changing levels of tumour fragments in the blood may be an easy, non-invasive and quick way to predict who will benefit from immunotherapy, a treatment option for advanced cancers.

3 Aug 2020

Study investigates genetic determinants of stroke in individuals of African descent

African-Americans have up to three times the risk of dying from strokes as people of European descent, yet there has been little investigation of if and how genetic variants contribute to their elevated stroke risk. Until now.

3 Aug 2020

Oxford University and ZOE join forces to widen access to COVID-19 treatment trials

Oxford University and the COVID Symptom Study app are joining forces to widen access to two clinical trials of potential treatments for COVID-19.

3 Aug 2020

Scientists identify robust set of biomarkers to help guide treatment for brain injuries

A scientific team led by the University of Arizona and the Translational Genomics Research Institute, an affiliate of City of Hope, identified a robust set of biomarkers through proteomics and metabolomic analysis that could help guide treatment for tens of millions of patients who each year sustain brain injuries, potentially preventing severe long-term disabilities.

3 Aug 2020

Immune system's oldest branches may underpin COVID severity

One of the immune system's oldest branches, called complement, may be influencing the severity of COVID disease, according to a new study from researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

3 Aug 2020

SARS-CoV-2 spike protein recognized by innate immune receptors in a glycan-dependent way

The spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) depends on its ability to infect new host cells following its replication and release from infected cells. This pivots on its ability to bind to cell surface receptors like the ACE2 enzyme.

3 Aug 2020

Long stretches of repeating DNA associated with susceptibility to systemic sclerosis

Researchers from the University of Tsukuba show that long stretches of repeat DNA sequences in the gene FLI1 are associated with susceptibility to systemic sclerosis.

2 Aug 2020

Children carry 100 times more SARS-CoV-2 virus as adults, study says

As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to wreak havoc across the globe, it has been thought that children mostly seemed to be spared by severe illness. In the majority of cases, children infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) only develop a mild illness, with some tagged as asymptomatic.

31 Jul 2020

Research suggests New York City may have reached coronavirus herd immunity threshold

A new study by researchers at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Brookhaven National Laboratory and published on the preprint server medRxiv in July 2020 discusses the effect of a factor called persistent contact heterogeneity on the final epidemic size of COVID-19.

31 Jul 2020

Genetic News and Research

ALKBH5 enzyme shows promising target for cancer immunotherapy

Study solves long-held controversy over two popular bird species

Zika virus mutation responsible for quick spread, birth defects uncovered

Study reveals impact of TP53 gene mutations on MDS severity

Membrane protein regulates epigenetic plasticity by mediating iron endocytosis

Penn researchers identify genetic driver of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease

Study shows how G406R single point mutation of the Cav1.2 channel confers autism

A blood test may be an easy way to predict who will benefit from immunotherapy

Study investigates genetic determinants of stroke in individuals of African descent

Oxford University and ZOE join forces to widen access to COVID-19 treatment trials

Scientists identify robust set of biomarkers to help guide treatment for brain injuries

Immune system's oldest branches may underpin COVID severity

SARS-CoV-2 spike protein recognized by innate immune receptors in a glycan-dependent way

Long stretches of repeating DNA associated with susceptibility to systemic sclerosis

Children carry 100 times more SARS-CoV-2 virus as adults, study says

Research suggests New York City may have reached coronavirus herd immunity threshold

FDA approves CBD oral solution for treatment of seizures related to tuberous sclerosis complex

Researchers develop new therapeutic approach to treat CLN3 Batten disease

Understanding the causal relationships between diabetes, obesity and NAFLD

15 young scientists receive Damon Runyon Fellowship Award to pursue cancer research

Sequencing & Genomics: Elevating Science and Healthcare eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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