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UC Riverside scientists slow progression of Huntington's disease in flies and worms

Huntington's disease causes involuntary movements and dementia, has no cure, and is fatal. For the first time, UC Riverside scientists have shown they can slow its progression in flies and worms, opening the door to human treatments.

8 Nov 2023

Unsupervised genome-wide variant effect predictor based on pretraining of DNA language models

The Genomic Pre-trained Network (GPN), a multispecies model developed to learn genome-wide variant effects.

31 Oct 2023

Study shows phages can promote mammalian cellular growth and survival

Bacteriophages, also called phages, are viruses that infect and kill bacteria, their natural hosts. But from a macromolecular viewpoint, phages can be viewed as nutritionally enriched packets of nucleotides wrapped in an amino acid shell.

26 Oct 2023

Novel GLP-1 receptor agonists offer hope for long-lasting diabetes treatment

In a study published in Scientific Reports, researchers engineer long-lasting GLP-1 receptor agonists by fusing GLP-1 with an HSA-binding protein. These chimeric molecules show promise for the treatment of type 2 diabetes due to their stability, functionality, and high affinity for the GLP-1 receptor and human serum albumin.

22 Oct 2023

Progress and challenges in completing the human gene catalogue

A group of authors reviewed the progress and challenges in annotating the human genome, including protein-coding genes, isoforms, and non-coding RNAs, and advocated for a universal annotation standard for clinical use.

5 Oct 2023

Researchers identify a rare cause of male infertility and discover a potential cure

Researchers investigated the genetic underpinning of asthenozoospermia, the leading cause of male fertility.

18 Sep 2023

Polish gulls harbor new coronavirus strains, spotlighting avian role in viral evolution

Researchers in Poland have identified five strains of gammacoronaviruses and deltacoronaviruses in black-headed and common gulls, shedding new light on the diversity and evolutionary potential of these viruses. The study highlights the need for ongoing research into animal reservoirs of coronaviruses, as they pose a risk for zoonotic transmission to humans.

17 Sep 2023

How diet and exercise may rewrite the Alzheimer's script at a molecular level

Researchers explore how lifestyle changes like diet and physical activity can influence microRNA expression in Alzheimer's patients, potentially offering new therapeutic avenues. The study fills a research gap in understanding how such lifestyle modifications could affect molecular mechanisms implicated in Alzheimer’s disease.

28 Aug 2023

The relationship between breast milk feeding and infants’ neurodevelopment via epigenetics

Researchers collated studies on the epigenetic advantages of breast milk feeding and neurodevelopment in infants.

22 Aug 2023

Scientists capture first images of ribosome-modifying enzymes in action

Bacteria draw from an arsenal of weapons to combat the drugs intended to kill them. Among the most prevalent of these weapons are ribosome-modifying enzymes.

14 Aug 2023

Novel algorithm characterizes RNA motifs in SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2

Researchers developed a novel algorithm to analyze large genomic datasets of RNA viruses, applying it to SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV.

1 Aug 2023

Mutational accessibility: A key driver of viral evolution

The influenza (flu) virus is constantly undergoing a process of evolution and adaptation through acquiring new mutations.

29 Jul 2023

New method allows the discovery of specific inhibitors of lactate transporter

Scientists from the Giulio Superti-Furga Lab at CeMM, the Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, have developed a new method that allows the discovery of specific inhibitors of a lactate transporter associated with cancer and other disease areas.

28 Jul 2023

A novel pharmacology modeling approach to monitor acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment

This research paper published in Scientific Reports developed pharmacokinetic (PK) pharmacodynamic (PD) models of maintenance therapy for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

26 Jul 2023

Researchers uncover novel targets for treatment of schistosomiasis

The worms that cause schistosomiasis (Schistosoma mansoni) are unusual in several ways, especially the fact that male and female adults must stay paired together throughout their lives for reproduction to be successful.

21 Jul 2023

Rice bioengineers receive NIH grant for sickle cell disease research

Rice University bioengineer Gang Bao and his team have won a 4-year, $2.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to address critical questions surrounding the safety and efficacy of using gene editing to treat sickle cell disease.

18 Jul 2023

UCLA researchers confirm mutations that predispose patients to rare kidney cancer syndrome

Researchers at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have confirmed that a large number of genetic variants of unknown significance are in fact verified mutations that predispose patients to a rare hereditary syndrome that increases the risk of kidney cancer.

13 Jul 2023

AI may hold the key to a sharper and more precise DNA scissor technology

Artificial Intelligence may be the key to more precise and effective gene therapy treatments. A new study from Aarhus University has found, that applying AI predictions of protein structures enhances the DNA scissor technology CRISPR, by making the cuts in a patient's DNA more precise.

29 Jun 2023

EPFL researchers achieve near-perfect control of individual molecules for improving sensing precision

Aleksandra Radenovic, head of the Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology in the School of Engineering, has worked for years to improve nanopore technology, which involves passing a molecule like DNA through a tiny pore in a membrane to measure an ionic current.

19 Jun 2023

Heat-damaged DNA in food may contribute to genetic risks

Researchers have newly discovered a surprising and potentially significant reason why eating foods frequently cooked at high temperatures, such as red meat and deep-fried fare, elevates cancer risk. The alleged culprit: DNA within the food that's been damaged by the cooking process.

13 Jun 2023