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.

$1 million international study aims to mend a broken heart

Every 40 seconds, a person dies from heart disease in the United States, making it the single leading cause of death in that country, as well as worldwide. But what if all those damaged hearts could be repaired with the flick of a switch? A $1 million international study led by the University of South Australia is hoping to do just that.

10 Dec 2019

Study may provide novel therapeutic approach for Huntington's, Parkinson's diseases

Insights from their study may provide a novel therapeutic approach for diseases such as Huntington's and Parkinson's.

8 Dec 2019

Study reveals novel pathway to target colorectal cancer

While the emergence of precision medicine and immunotherapy has greatly improved outcomes for patients with colorectal cancer, new approaches are still needed for patients with late-stage disease who do not respond to these therapies.

26 Nov 2019

Researchers find new way to protect against disease in MS model

Researchers have found a new and unexpected way of preventing disease in a preclinical model of multiple sclerosis (MS).

26 Nov 2019

New electrochemical CRISPR biosensor can help improve diagnosis of diseases

The CRISPR/Cas technology can do more than alter genes. A research team at the University of Freiburg is using what are known as gene scissors - which scientists can use to edit genetic material - in order to better diagnose diseases such as cancer.

25 Nov 2019

Teenage binge drinking may lead to anxiety and alcohol abuse in later life

Exposure to high levels of alcohol in adolescence may shape adult behaviors, predisposing them to a higher risk of anxiety and alcohol abuse later in life, a new study found.

19 Nov 2019

Teenage drinking increases risk of anxiety and alcohol problems in adulthood

A recent study suggests that teenage drinking may predispose a person to anxiety and alcohol abuse in later life.

18 Nov 2019

Collaborative study shows sex-specific processes in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

Recent studies have found a high genetic similarity of the psychiatric diseases schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, whose disease-specific changes in brain cells show an overlap of more than 70 percent.

12 Nov 2019

New molecule can reduce aggressiveness of embryonal central nervous system tumors

In Brazil, scientists affiliated with the Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center (HUG-CELL) at the University of São Paulo (USP) have identified a molecule capable of reducing the aggressiveness of embryonal central nervous system tumors.

7 Nov 2019

Dual action of genes and RNA influences aggressive triple-negative breast cancer

Women with an aggressive, less-common type of breast cancer, known as triple-negative, versus a more common form of the disease, could be differentiated from each other by a panel of 17 small RNA molecules that are directly influenced by genetic alterations typically found in cancer cells.

22 Oct 2019

Vaping propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine may lead to lung inflammation

Researchers have found that using e-cigarettes with the e-liquid refills containing propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerine (VG) may lead to inflammation of the lungs over a period of time. The results of the study titled, “Effects of Electronic Cigarette Constituents on the Human Lung: A Pilot Clinical Trial,” was published in the latest issue of the journal Cancer Prevention Research this week.

18 Oct 2019

Researchers identify mechanism for cartilage repair

Contrary to popular belief, cartilage in human joints can repair itself through a process similar to that used by creatures such as salamanders and zebrafish to regenerate limbs, researchers at Duke Health found.

10 Oct 2019

A new method to distinguish benign and cancerous skin moles

A new study has reported a cost-effective, more accurate, and less invasive way to diagnose cancerous melanoma cells in skin tumors.

30 Sep 2019

New method can help detect melanoma cells in skin tumors

Melanoma is the least common but one of the most deadly skin cancers. It accounts for only about one percent of all cases globally, but the majority of skin cancer deaths.

30 Sep 2019

Johns Hopkins researchers link a gene to melanoma growth and spread

Using a small noncoding RNA, microRNA 211, and tools that track the stability and decay of the protein-coding and noncoding RNAs in lab-grown melanoma cells, a team led by a Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researcher identified highly unstable RNA molecules in human melanomas, including a novel miR-211 target gene DUSP3.

From Johns Hopkins Medicine 25 Sep 2019

Love hormone oxytocin linked to hypersexuality

Sex addiction or hypersexual disorder is a behavior characterized by an excessive preoccupation with sexual fantasies, behaviors, or urges that are hard to control, causing negative effects on one’s health and relationships.

25 Sep 2019

Study uncovers epigenetic origins for hypersexual disorder

A new study has shown that epigenetic changes lead to overactivity of the hormone oxytocin, and this is a key element in hypersexual disorder.

24 Sep 2019

Study reveals possible role of hormone oxytocin in hypersexual disorder

A new study of men and women with hypersexual disorder has revealed a possible role of the hormone oxytocin, according to results published in the journal Epigenetics.

23 Sep 2019

Microrna-based therapy may prove to be effective against chemotherapy-resistant cancers

A technology that manipulates microRNAs developed by Jingfang Ju, PhD, a biochemist and Professor in the Department of Pathology at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, and colleagues has shown promise when used as anti-cancer therapeutic.

19 Sep 2019

UT Southwestern researchers identify novel mechanism that regulates fat formation

In work suggesting new therapeutic targets to fight obesity, UT Southwestern researchers have identified a novel mechanism that regulates the creation of fat in mammals.

18 Sep 2019