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Common HIV drugs linked to reduced Alzheimer's disease risk

Alzheimer's disease (AD) currently afflicts nearly seven million people in the U.S. With this number expected to grow to nearly 13 million by 2050, the lack of meaningful therapies represents a major unmet medical need.

16 Apr 2024

Nirmatrelvir fails to shorten COVID-19 symptoms in latest trial

A study in The New England Journal of Medicine evaluates the combination of nirmatrelvir and ritonavir against COVID-19, finding it does not significantly reduce symptom duration in vaccinated or unvaccinated adult outpatients.

8 Apr 2024

Genetic key to milder COVID: Certain genes slash severity and death risk in older men

Study found that certain genetic variants in the IL1RN gene significantly reduce COVID-19-related inflammation and mortality in patients, with notable improvements observed in older men carrying specific single-nucleotide variants.

19 Mar 2024

Breakthrough gene therapy method utilizes bird retrotransposon for safe gene insertion

The recent approval of a CRISPR-Cas9 therapy for sickle cell disease demonstrates that gene editing tools can do a superb job knocking out genes to cure hereditary disease.

20 Feb 2024

GV1001 exerts anti-aging effects in triple transgenic Alzheimer's mice

A new research paper was published on the cover of Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 16, Issue 3, entitled, "GV1001 reduces neurodegeneration and prolongs lifespan in 3xTg-AD mouse model through anti-aging effects."

15 Feb 2024

Prime editing takes gene therapy to the next level

This study is led by Prof. Xianqun Fan (Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Ninth People's Hospital).

27 Jan 2024

RT-PCR genotyping outperforms whole-genome sequencing in speedy and accurate COVID-19 variant tracking

A study in JAMA Network Open shows RT-PCR genotyping assays as a faster, cost-effective alternative to WGS for SARS-CoV-2 variant surveillance, offering high accuracy and scalability.

24 Jan 2024

Anti-HIV drugs can be used to prevent inflammatory complications of bacterial sepsis

Bacterial infections can lead to the formation of abscesses -; pockets of dead cells and debris surrounded by inflammatory immune cells. Bacteria multiply within abscesses, causing more inflammation and further damage to surrounding tissues.

17 Jan 2024

Engineered virus-like particles power up gene editing, correcting blindness in mice

Prime editing, a versatile form of gene editing that can correct most known disease-causing genetic mutations, now has a new vehicle to deliver its machinery into cells in living animals.

8 Jan 2024

Novel adaptations and functions of human LINE-1 revealed by structural analysis and inhibition

Martin Taylor, MD, PhD, a physician investigator in the Department of Pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital and an instructor in Pathology at Harvard Medical School, is the lead corresponding author of a new study in Nature, Structural Analysis and Inhibition of Human LINE-1 ORF2 Protein Reveals Novel Adaptations and Functions.

19 Dec 2023

Unlocking the secrets of our "dark genome": Scientists crack the code of LINE-1

A multidisciplinary study published in Nature has elucidated the structure of the machinery responsible for writing much of our "dark genome" -; the 98 percent of our DNA that has largely unknown biological function.

14 Dec 2023

New early phase study evaluates “on-demand” HIV prevention method for women

A fast-dissolving vaginal insert that women would use at or around the time of sex as an "on-demand" HIV prevention method is being evaluated in a new early phase study being conducted by MATRIX, a United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded project focused on the early research and development of innovative HIV prevention products for women.

7 Dec 2023

Study links placental Group B Streptococcus to higher neonatal unit admissions in newborns

The clinical significance of Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus; GBS) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in the placenta.

4 Dec 2023

Rare bacterial strain yields groundbreaking compounds to combat hepatitis B

Scientists have discovered new antiviral compounds from a rare bacterial strain, offering a novel approach to target hepatitis B virus. These compounds work by altering membrane permeability in infected cells, leading to the release of immature viral particles, a mechanism distinct from current HBV treatments.

28 Nov 2023

Is retroelement-based gene editing a safer alternative to CRISPR-Cas approaches?

In a Perspective, Stephen Tang and Samuel Sternberg discuss retroelement-based gene editing as a safer alternative to CRISPR-Cas approaches.

26 Oct 2023

Study reveals link between CHD8 gene, gut abnormalities, and autism-related behaviors

The connection between the CHD gene and autism-related gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations.

4 Oct 2023

VAX-seq: the future of mRNA vaccine analysis and quality assurance?

Researchers proposed a simplified approach for analyzing mRNA vaccines using long-read sequencing.

22 Sep 2023

Inhaled fluticasone furoate falls flat in speeding up COVID-19 recovery, says ACTIV-6 trial

The ACTIV-6 trial investigated the effectiveness of inhaled fluticasone furoate on mild-to-moderate COVID-19 cases and found it did not accelerate recovery or prevent clinical progression compared to a placebo. Interestingly, vaccinated participants showed slightly faster recovery when treated with the drug, while unvaccinated participants did not.

21 Sep 2023

Vaccine impact: BNT162b2 and pediatric COVID-19 ambulatory visits in kids under 5

The association between BNT162b2 vaccine and (COVID-19)-related ambulatory visits.

20 Sep 2023

Can genome editing transform ocular disease treatment?

The discovery and development of gene-editing technologies and their applications in managing ocular diseases.

3 Aug 2023