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Language model uses powers of semantic representation to design more effective mRNA vaccines

The same class of artificial intelligence that made headlines coding software and passing the bar exam has learned to read a different kind of text -; the genetic code.

5 Apr 2024

Neuroscientists identify age-defying RNAs in the brain

Certain RNA molecules in the nerve cells in the brain last a life time without being renewed. Neuroscientists from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) have now demonstrated that this is the case together with researchers from Germany, Austria and the USA.

5 Apr 2024

Adeno-associated virus: The gene therapy revolution faces manufacturing and safety hurdles

Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV)-based genetic applications to treat human diseases.

5 Apr 2024

Unlocking the secrets of long-lived RNAs in brain cells

After two decades in the United States, Martin Hetzer returned home to Austria in 2023 to become the 2nd President of the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA).

4 Apr 2024

Lancet Commission predicts sharp increase in global prostate cancer cases

Cases of prostate cancer are projected to double from 1.4 million per year in 2020 to 2.9 million per year by 2040, with low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) predicted to see the highest increases in cases, according to The Lancet Commission on prostate cancer which will be launched by a presentation at the European Association of Urology Congress.

4 Apr 2024

Novel SARS-CoV-2 mutations found in floodwaters near homeless communities

Study highlights the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and novel spike gene mutations in flood control channels affected by homeless populations, demonstrating the value of environmental surveillance in understanding public health dynamics.

4 Apr 2024

SRF announces grant to support research on SynGAP-Related Disorder in adults

The SynGAP Research Fund 501(c) today announced a grant to Dr. Danielle Andrade, Dr. Miles Thompson, Dr. Ryan Yuen, Dr. Rogier Kerssebook, and Dr. Anatoljevna Anna Kattentidt to support research on SynGAP-Related Disorder (SRD) in adults.

4 Apr 2024

Does IBD affect cancer risk?

Research suggests no strong genetic link between inflammatory bowel disease and increased cancer risk, with specific exceptions in European populations for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

3 Apr 2024

Wastewater surveillance reveals COVID-19 transmission patterns in unsheltered encampments

To better understand COVID-19's spread during the pandemic, public health officials expanded wastewater surveillance.

3 Apr 2024

Balanced diet linked to better brain health and cognition, large-scale study shows

Study utilizing the UK Biobank data identifies four dietary patterns, revealing the balanced diet subtype promotes superior cognitive functions and mental health outcomes compared to starch-free, vegetarian, or high-protein-low-fiber diets.

3 Apr 2024

New malaria vaccine strain shows promise in preclinical trials

In a report published on March 21, 2024 in EMBO Molecular Medicine (A replication competent Plasmodium falciparum parasite completely attenuated by dual gene deletion) investigators at Seattle Children's Research Institute and Sanaria Inc. describe the development of a whole malaria parasite vaccine strain that infects the liver, develops to the late liver stage, and then gets completely stuck and cannot burst out of the liver to cause symptomatic blood infection.

2 Apr 2024

Genetic risk scores in life insurance underwriting fuel discrimination fears

The integration of genetic risk information, specifically polygenic scores, in life insurance underwriting raises ethical, legal, and social concerns about genetic discrimination, necessitating clear policies and further research.

2 Apr 2024

Rare variants in the YKT6 gene cause new neurological disorder, study finds

A recent collaborative study has discovered rare variants in the YKT6 gene as the cause of a new neurological disorder characterized by developmental delays along with severe progressive liver disease and a potential risk for liver cancer.

1 Apr 2024

Uncovering gender-specific genetic alterations in cancer

Recent research spearheaded by Chunmei Cui at the State Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Remodeling, Peking University, China, casts a new light on the nuanced interplay between gender and cancer, uncovering significant sex-specific disparities in copy number alterations (CNA) across various cancer types.

29 Mar 2024

Research reveals genetic factors in cerebral palsy development

A Canadian-led study has identified genes which may be partially responsible for the development of cerebral palsy.

29 Mar 2024

Study reveals obesity's link to increased risk of multiple sclerosis and ischemic stroke

The genetic relationship between body mass index (BMI) and multiple neurological diseases.

29 Mar 2024

Personalizing exercise to fight obesity: Study finds genetics influence effectiveness

A recent study in JAMA Network Open reveals that genetic risk influences how physical activity interventions counter obesity, suggesting a personalized approach to exercise based on one's genetic makeup might be more effective in managing obesity.

28 Mar 2024

Unraveling gene regulation's role in pulmonary fibrosis

Regulators of gene expression are thought to play an outsized role in disorders from cancers to heart disease. But how exactly do variations in gene regulation translate into a disease's biology?

28 Mar 2024

Genetic and lifestyle factors linked to brain network aging, study reveals

Research highlights the impact of genetic and lifestyle factors on a brain network particularly sensitive to aging, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease, using data from nearly 40,000 UK Biobank participants to investigate modifiable risk factors and genetic associations.

28 Mar 2024

Predicting treatment response in common blood cancer with DNA methylation profiling

A recent study led by Dr. Manel Esteller, Director of the Josep Carreras Institute, shows how DNA methylation profiling in a common type of blood cancer, myelodysplastic syndrome, predicts whether the patient will respond to treatment.

28 Mar 2024