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Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biologically important type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate.

Study shows that rogue proteins may underlie some ALS and frontotemporal dementia cases

ALS -- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis -- is a neurodegenerative disease that attacks motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, slowly robbing its victims of their ability to walk, talk, breathe and swallow.

20 Aug 2018

Study unravels cellular and molecular mechanisms behind dermal condensate formation

Hair growth is regulated by a small cluster of hair-specific fibroblasts, the dermal papilla. But exactly how dermal papilla forms has remained elusive until now.

20 Aug 2018

New integrated gene logic-chips could have great value in medical care

Gene expression is a fundamental of life, where each cell switches on and off specific genes. Thus, an autonomous device that could control the on-off switching would have great value in medical care.

20 Aug 2018

New CRISPR technology may help eliminate mutated gene sequence

In a new study in cells, University of Illinois researchers have adapted CRISPR gene-editing technology to cause the cell's internal machinery to skip over a small portion of a gene when transcribing it into a template for protein building.

17 Aug 2018

NUS study discovers a bidirectional regulator and shines light on A-to-I RNA editing in cancer cells

An in-depth study on the regulation of adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing by researchers from the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore at the National University of Singapore found that a protein, known as DHX9, acts as a bidirectional regulator of the molecular process which is linked to various types of cancer such as esophageal cancer.

17 Aug 2018

Bacterial activity in child's mouth may serve as biomarkers for autism spectrum disorder

New research suggests that shifts in the bacteria within a child's mouth could provide objective biomarkers for identifying autism spectrum disorder.

17 Aug 2018

Researchers describe link between poor oocyte development and oxidative stress in obese mice

Excessive body fat is associated with negative effects on female fertility and pregnancy. In mice, maternal obesity impairs proper development of egg precursor cells called oocytes.

17 Aug 2018

Study uncovers mechanism that affects multiplication of dengue virus lineage

A lineage of type 1 dengue virus found in Brazil is able to prevail over another even though it multiplies less in vector mosquitoes and infected human cells.

15 Aug 2018

Hearts of newborn piglets can completely heal after heart attacks

While pigs still cannot fly, researchers have discovered that the hearts of newborn piglets do have one remarkable ability. They can almost completely heal themselves after experimental heart attacks.

15 Aug 2018

New discoveries show how protein droplets do more than keep cells’ interiors tidy

Inside cells, where DNA is packed tightly in the nucleus and rigid proteins keep intricate transport systems on track, some molecules have a simpler way of establishing order. They can self-organize, find one another in crowded spaces, and quickly coalesce into droplets - like oil in water.

15 Aug 2018

Researchers focus on uncoupling obesity from diabetes

About 422 million people around the world, including more than 30 million Americans, have diabetes. Approximately ninety percent of them have type 2 diabetes. People with this condition cannot effectively use insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas that helps the body turn blood sugar into energy.

15 Aug 2018

Scientists reveal role of 'junk DNA' in cancer dissemination

The more scientists explore so-called "junk" DNA, the less the label seems to fit.

14 Aug 2018

Researchers develop new way of testing bacterial resistance to antibiotics

A new method to analyze a commonly understood route for antibiotic resistance could lead to earlier detection of antibiotic resistant bacteria.

14 Aug 2018

Researchers show how specialized nucleic acid-based nanostructures could help target cancer cells

More than 100 years ago, German Nobel laureate Paul Ehrlich popularized the "magic bullet" concept -- a method that clinicians might one day use to target invading microbes without harming other parts of the body. Although chemotherapies have been highly useful as targeted treatments for cancer, unwanted side effects still plague patients.

14 Aug 2018

Altered nitrogen metabolism may contribute to emergence of new cancer mutations

Nitrogen is a basic building block of all the body's proteins, RNA and DNA, so cancerous tumors are greedy for this element. Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science, in collaboration with colleagues from the National Cancer Institute and elsewhere, have now shown that in many cancers, the patient's nitrogen metabolism is altered, producing detectable changes in the body fluids and contributing to the emergence of new mutations in cancerous tissue.

13 Aug 2018

FDA approves first targeted RNA-based treatment for rare, fatal genetic disease

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Onpattro (patisiran) infusion for the treatment of peripheral nerve disease (polyneuropathy) caused by hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis (hATTR) in adult patients.

10 Aug 2018

Ability to detect RNA helps promote rapid growth, survival of fruit fly larvae

Fruit fly larvae can taste ribonucleosides, the building blocks of gene transcripts, according to a new study publishing on August 7 in the open access journal PLOS Biology by Hubert Amrein and Dushyant Mishra of Texas A&M Health Science Center and their colleagues.

10 Aug 2018

Study provides snapshot of mechanism behind cancer metastasis for the first time

Metastasis, or the formation of secondary tumors, is a leading contributor to the vast majority of deaths related to cancer.

9 Aug 2018

ETH scientists discover new cancer-specific molecular changes in tumor tissues

A research team led by Gunnar Raetsch, Professor of Biomedical Informatics at ETH Zurich, has evaluated the largest set of genetic data in cancer medicine: The Cancer Genome Atlas in the United States.

9 Aug 2018

Study finds false negatives in common tests used to determine ROS1 status in lung cancer

Drugs like crizotinib are used to treat patients with ROS1-positive lung cancer. But which patients are ROS1-positive? A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology shows that common laboratory tests used to determine ROS1 status all have inherent limitations that can lead to false-negative results.

9 Aug 2018

RNA News and Research

Further Reading

Study shows that rogue proteins may underlie some ALS and frontotemporal dementia cases

Study unravels cellular and molecular mechanisms behind dermal condensate formation

New integrated gene logic-chips could have great value in medical care

New CRISPR technology may help eliminate mutated gene sequence

NUS study discovers a bidirectional regulator and shines light on A-to-I RNA editing in cancer cells

Bacterial activity in child's mouth may serve as biomarkers for autism spectrum disorder

Researchers describe link between poor oocyte development and oxidative stress in obese mice

Study uncovers mechanism that affects multiplication of dengue virus lineage

Hearts of newborn piglets can completely heal after heart attacks

New discoveries show how protein droplets do more than keep cells’ interiors tidy

Researchers focus on uncoupling obesity from diabetes

Scientists reveal role of 'junk DNA' in cancer dissemination

Researchers develop new way of testing bacterial resistance to antibiotics

Researchers show how specialized nucleic acid-based nanostructures could help target cancer cells

Altered nitrogen metabolism may contribute to emergence of new cancer mutations

FDA approves first targeted RNA-based treatment for rare, fatal genetic disease

Ability to detect RNA helps promote rapid growth, survival of fruit fly larvae

Study provides snapshot of mechanism behind cancer metastasis for the first time

ETH scientists discover new cancer-specific molecular changes in tumor tissues

Study finds false negatives in common tests used to determine ROS1 status in lung cancer

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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