MicroRNA News and Research

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In genetics, microRNAs (miRNA) are single-stranded RNA molecules of 21-23 nucleotides in length, which regulate gene expression. miRNAs are encoded by genes from whose DNA they are transcribed but miRNAs are not translated into protein (i.e. they are non-coding RNAs); instead each primary transcript (a pri-miRNA) is processed into a short stem-loop structure called a pre-miRNA and finally into a functional miRNA. Mature miRNA molecules are partially complementary to one or more messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules, and their main function is to down-regulate gene expression.

Researchers identify a miRNA that could promote hair regeneration

Researchers from North Carolina State University have identified a microRNA (miRNA) that could promote hair regeneration.

27 Jul 2020

Arcturus and Duke-NUS announce approval of clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccine candidate

Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc., a leading clinical-stage messenger RNA medicines company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of therapeutics for rare diseases and vaccines, and Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore's flagship research-intensive graduate entry medical school, today announced that the Clinical Trial Application for COVID-19 vaccine candidate LUNAR-COV19 has been approved to proceed by the Singapore Health Sciences Authority.

22 Jul 2020

Silver-plated gold nanostars could be used to identify early biomarkers of cancer

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have engineered a method for simultaneously detecting the presence of multiple specific microRNAs in RNA extracted from tissue samples without the need for labeling or target amplification.

21 Jul 2020

New test uses a single drop of blood to rapidly detect radiation sickness

A new proof-of-concept study reports evidence that a new testing method has the potential to rapidly identify radiation sickness based on biomarkers measured through a single drop of blood.

15 Jul 2020

Unique nanoparticle can reduce side effects, increase the effectiveness of cancer treatment

A unique nanoparticle to deliver a localized cancer treatment inhibits tumor growth in mice, according to a team of Penn State researchers.

8 Jul 2020

Moffitt researchers discover key protein involved in cancer metastasis

Cancer is complex and unpredictable. Despite successful treatment or years of remission, there is always a chance that a patient's cancer can return.

6 Jul 2020

New technology can increase the quality of stem cells used in regenerative medicine

Stem cells have been holding great promise for regenerative medicine for years. In the last decade, several studies have shown that this type of cell, which in Spanish is called "mother cell" because of its ability to give rise to a variety of different cell types, can be applied in regenerative medicine for diseases such as muscular and nervous system disorders, among others.

2 Jul 2020

Mapping RNA sequences of therapeutic value in the SARS-CoV-2 genome

Now, in new research published on the preprint server bioRxiv European scientists have performed RNA structure probing to obtain a single-base resolution secondary structure map of the full SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus genome.

17 Jun 2020

RCSI scientists develop new biomaterial with potential to accelerate bone regeneration

Scientists at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences have developed a new biomaterial that has the potential to accelerate bone regeneration by promoting an immune response that encourages repair and lowers the risk of inflammation.

12 Jun 2020

Using nanotheranostics approach to treat cancer

The concept of theranostics revolves around the stratification of patients into specific groups based on their response to different treatments and their disease risks.

10 Jun 2020

UIC Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics receives $8.2 million NIH grant

The University of Illinois at Chicago received $8.2 million from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to continue the Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics and its research on how alcohol affects genes through epigenetics -- chemical changes to DNA, RNA or proteins that alter the expression of genes without directly modifying them.

4 Jun 2020

LMU researchers discover how a microRNA preserves vascular integrity

Ludwig-Maximilian-Universitaet in Munich researchers have discovered a hitherto unknown molecular function of a specific microRNA that preserves integrity of the endothelium and reduces the risk of atherosclerosis.

4 Jun 2020

Study explores the role of mi RNAs in anticancer effect exerted by physical activity

Volume 11, Issue 22 of Oncotarget reported that the goal of this study was to explore the involvement of mi RNAs in beneficial effects exerted by physical activity in breast cancer prevention.

3 Jun 2020

New insight into RNA movements can pave way for strategies to treat cancer

Research from Karolinska Institutet published today in Nature shows that an RNA molecule involved in preventing tumour formation can change its structure and thereby control protein production in the cell.

28 May 2020

Updates on stem cell therapeutics and regenerative medicine

Stem cell and regenerative medicine research is an important area of clinical research which promises to change the face of medicine as it will be practiced in the years to come.

27 May 2020

Novel microRNA biomarker could help detect lymph node metastases in pancreatic cancer patients

For years, surgeons have operated on pancreatic cancer patients to remove what they thought was a localized tumor only to discover that the disease had spread to other, inoperable parts of the body. Now, a City of Hope molecular scientist thinks he may have found a way to prevent ineffective surgeries and prolong the lives of these patients.

18 May 2020

Researchers study how brain cancer cells acquire resistance to radiation

In a vertical climb to avoid collision with a towering mountain, a plane ejects cargo to gain altitude. Investigators at the University of Minnesota showed that cancer cells perform similar feats in escaping the killing effects of radiation.

14 May 2020

Study shows why older individuals are vulnerable to COVID-19

A group of tiny RNA that should attack the virus causing COVID-19 when it tries to infect the body are diminished with age and chronic health problems, a decrease that likely helps explain why older individuals and those with preexisting medical conditions are vulnerable populations, investigators report.

13 May 2020

Study reveals the effect of ancestry on molecular makeup of cancer

Questions about the genealogical imprint of tumors have hovered over cancer research since the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003.

11 May 2020

Study: Genes may play a far more complex role in oocyte maturation than previously assumed

Over the last six years a group of Estonian geneticists led by Associate Professor Agne Velthut-Meikas and a PhD student Ilmatar Rooda from TalTech Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology have studied genes previously associated primarily with female hormone synthesis and ovarian follicle development.

7 May 2020