Splicing News and Research

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Study provides insight into link between cancer driver gene and alternative splicing changes

A multi-institutional group of researchers led by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has linked a strong cancer driver gene to changes in proteins that regulate alternative splicing.

17 Feb 2020

Novel technique to study gene splicing reveals new insights into the process

Genes are like instructions, but with options for building more than one thing. Daniel Larson, senior investigator at the National Cancer Institute, studies this gene "splicing" process, which happens in normal cells and goes awry in blood cancers like leukemia.

16 Feb 2020

Analyzing cancer-specific alterations found in tumor's RNA

Researchers at EMBL-EBI were among the leaders of a large international consortium that carried out a joint analysis of data from over 1000 donors of more than 25 cancer types, studying data on their whole genomes along with tumor transcriptome data, which indicates the genes that are active within a tumor.

6 Feb 2020

Researchers reveal mutation's role in blood cancers

A genetic mutation that disrupts how DNA sends messages to the rest of a cell has been linked to a large number of blood cancers.

3 Feb 2020

Sperm microbiome revealed with RNA sequencing

A new study reports the first-ever detailed description of the human sperm microbiome, using newer RNA sequencing techniques that are capable of discriminating between sperm RNA and that of bacterial contamination or colonization.

2 Feb 2020

Link between autism and poor cognition

Autistic people are often brilliant, but they may also have poor cognitive skills. The relationship between autism and either condition, inside the brain, has been far from clear. However, now a new study shows that poor cognition in autism could be due to the influence of a small gene fragment.

29 Jan 2020

Naturally produced protein suppresses breast cancer metastasis

A protein naturally produced in the body has been found to suppress breast cancer metastasis in animal models of human tumors. Researchers led by Baylor College of Medicine also found that high levels of this protein, AKAP8, predicts a better survival for breast cancer patients.

27 Jan 2020

Study identifies molecular 'bridge' between ALS-causing genes

The enzyme Gemin3 was identified as the molecular 'bridge' between genes whose mutation or disruption causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, according to a new study in Nature's Scientific Reports from scientists at the University of Malta.

16 Jan 2020

Nanopores – the key to identifying amino acids in proteins

DNA and RNA sequencing has become the new watchword for the biological researchers, as this tells them exactly what is going on at cellular level in health and disease. However, it is a partial revelation unless we also know what is happening at the level of proteins as well.

19 Dec 2019

Researchers find another piece of puzzle relating to bird flu viruses

Normally, bird flu viruses do not spread easily from person to person. But if this does happen, it could trigger a pandemic. Researchers from the MDC and RKI have now explained in the journal Nature Communications what makes the leap from animals to humans less likely.

10 Dec 2019

Scientists uncover functions of mysterious organelles in stress response

Stress is a normal response to physical and emotional stimuli, particularly when people face changes in their lives. Though it’s a normal feeling, long-term stress may lead to a range of health conditions. Though people feel stressed from time to time, not all stress is bad.

1 Dec 2019

Splicing factor enhances ability of triple negative breast cancers to grow and metastasize

If your DNA is a cookbook, a single gene is a recipe. But it's a flexible recipe that if edited one way can make a pie; edited another way can make a cake. And that difference can mean cancer, as a team of researchers who looked at those gene editors writes in the 26 November issue of Cell Reports.

26 Nov 2019

Newly developed ChiTaRS database can collect cases of druggable fusion targets

When sections from two separate genes merge due to various factors, such as translocation or splicing, the hybrid that is formed is called a gene fusion. In recent years, it has been discovered that these fusion events play a vital role in the development of cancers and other complex diseases.

20 Nov 2019

Research breakthrough may lead to new therapeutic targets for cancers

Computational modeling is the use of computers to simulate and study the behavior of complex systems. Computational approaches are widely adopted in the bioimedical sciences and can be used to sift through large volumes of complex data to extract recurrent patterns that may point to a disease's causes and effects.

15 Nov 2019

DNA sequences encode information in many different ways

DNA sequences encode information in many different ways. Codons specify the amino acids involved in making a protein.

30 Oct 2019

Koalas protect their germline cells against retroviral attack

In a new study published in the journal Cell, scientists have found that koala DNA is protected against attack by retroviruses by a special type of immune response, which distinguishes foreign DNA from the host genome and destroys it before it can proliferate. This finding could help us understand both how koalas survive these infections, and the mechanics of adaptive gene change.

15 Oct 2019

Researchers develop customized drug treatment to bypass patient’s unique mutation

An unprecedented case at Boston Children's Hospital shows that it's possible to do something that's never been done before: identify a patient's unique mutation, design a customized drug to bypass it, manufacture and test the drug, and obtain permission from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin treating the patient -- all in less than one year.

11 Oct 2019

Novel cancer-driving mutation discovered in vast non-coding regions of the cancer genome

An Ontario-led research group has discovered a novel cancer-driving mutation in the vast non-coding regions of the human cancer genome, also known as the "dark matter" of human cancer DNA.

9 Oct 2019

Study reveals link between alterations in RNA splicing and Alzheimer's disease

A collaborative study published today in the journal Cell Reports provides evidence for a new molecular cause for neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease.

8 Oct 2019

New way to prevent malaria bugs from breeding

A new international collaboration reports that the compound called TCMDC-135051 is capable of preventing the synthesis of a protein that is required for growth in Plasmodium falciparum, one of the species of the Plasmodium parasite that causes malaria. The study, reported in the journal Science, could lead to the development of a new antimalarial drug.