Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Researchers map potential toxicity of lanthanide metals used in medicine

Lanthanides are rare-earth heavy metals with useful magnetic properties and a knack for emitting light. Researchers had long assumed that lanthanides' toxicity risk was low and therefore safe to implement in a number of high-tech breakthroughs we now take for granted: from OLEDs (organic light-emitting displays)¬¬ to medical MRIs and even hybrid vehicles.

9 Jun 2021

Researchers uncover new gene mutation responsible for cerebral cavernous malformation

Researchers from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Beijing Tiantan Hospital have recently uncovered a new gene mutation responsible for the non-familial patients of cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) - a brain vascular disorder which inflicted about 10~30 million people in the world.

8 Jun 2021

Researchers find new insight on the link between a gene and congenital heart disease

New insight on the link between a gene called SORBS2 and congenital heart disease has been published today in eLife, with findings that may help explain the cause of the disease in some patients.

8 Jun 2021

How SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 adapted to evade innate immunity

Researchers in the United States and the UK have conducted a study showing how the B.1.1.7 (Alpha) lineage of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) adapted to suppress host innate immune responses in lung epithelial cells.

8 Jun 2021

Could the intranasal route be an alternate avenue of COVID-19 vaccination?

A new study has been published in the journal Vaccines that summarizes the history of vaccines, reviews the current progress in COVID-19 vaccine technology, and discusses the status of intranasal COVID-19 vaccines as a potential pathway to immunization.

8 Jun 2021

Researchers review environmental risk assessments for recombinant COVID-19 viral vector vaccines

In a recent review, published in the journal Vaccines, researchers in Belgium look at the recombinant viral vector-vaccine candidates that are primarily against SARS-CoV-2 still in development and discuss their features from an environmental risk point of view.

8 Jun 2021

New study could help guide oncologists in selecting the best treatment for kidney cancers

Not all kidney cancers behave the same, with wildly different responses to immunotherapy or other treatments – and wildly different outcomes for patients as a result.

8 Jun 2021

New chip mimicking bovine endometrium could play key role in cattle’s pregnancy success

To investigate factors that can jeopardize pregnancy success in cattle, researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil used a kind of chip to mimic the environment of the endometrium, the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus.

8 Jun 2021

Bacteria causing urinary tract infections can originate in meat-production chain

In young women, Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a main cause of urinary tract infections (UTI), reaching 20% prevalence. Understanding the epidemiology of this microorganism can help identify its origin, distribution, causes, and risk factors.

8 Jun 2021

New generative model has wide implications in developmental biology, regenerative medicine

Various forms of complex multicellular organisms have evolved on Earth, ranging from simple Volvox carterii which possess only 2 cell- types to us humans with more than 200 cell types. All originate from a single celled zygote, and their developmental processes depend on switch-like gene regulation.

8 Jun 2021

Scientists explain why space travel weakens the human immune system

Microgravity in space perturbs human physiology and is detrimental for astronaut health, a fact first realized during early Apollo missions when astronauts experienced inner ear disturbances, heart arrhythmia, low blood pressure, dehydration, and loss of calcium from their bones after their mission.

8 Jun 2021

New drug shows promise against lung cancer caused by genetic mutation

The new drug sotorasib reduces tumor size and shows promise in improving survival among patients with lung tumors caused by a specific DNA mutation, according to results of a global phase 2 clinical trial.

8 Jun 2021

Distinct spike protein mutations in SARS-CoV-2 variant in Russia

Additionally, a novel variant has recently been characterized by researchers from Russia in the journal Viruses. The variant, first discovered in January 2021 in Northwest Russia, is characterized by distinct spike protein mutations.

7 Jun 2021

International travelers may pick up destination-specific antimicrobial resistance genes, study reveals

Travelers abroad may pick up bacteria and other vectors containing genes conferring antimicrobial resistance which remain in the gut when returning to their home country, according to a study published in Genome Medicine.

7 Jun 2021

Measuring how patterns of gene expression change in children may help predict T1D progression

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease in which a misdirected immune system gradually destroys healthy pancreatic islet β cells, resulting in a lack of insulin.

7 Jun 2021

Restoring gut microbes can improve antibiotic-induced dysbiosis and prevent colitis in mice

A new study at the University of Chicago has determined that restoring a single microbial species -- Bacteroides sp. CL1-UC (Bc) -- to the gut microbiome at a key developmental timepoint can prevent antibiotic-induced colitis in a mouse model of the condition.

7 Jun 2021

Novel method allows rapid, absolute quantification of viral nucleic acids

Researchers from Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-Medicine, an Interdisciplinary Research Group at the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, MIT's research enterprise in Singapore, have developed a new method for rapid and accurate detection of viral nucleic acids - a breakthrough that can be easily adapted to detect different DNA/RNA targets in viruses like the coronavirus.

7 Jun 2021

Experimental monoclonal antibody could be a new weapon against HIV epidemic

An experimental, lab-made antibody can completely prevent nonhuman primates from being infected with the monkey form of HIV, new research published in Nature Communications shows.

7 Jun 2021

Gene therapy may be a safe and effective single-dose treatment for soft bone disease

A preclinical study led by scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys has established that AAV8-TNAP-D10--a gene therapy that replaces a key enzyme found in bone--may be a safe and effective single-dose treatment for hypophosphatasia (HPP).

7 Jun 2021

Genome-scale CRISPR screens pinpoint promising antiviral compounds against SARS-CoV-2

In a recent research paper currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server, scientists in the US used genome-scale CRISPR knockout screens to identify factors that promote infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), revealing the potential for broad-spectrum activity across the coronavirus family.

7 Jun 2021

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Researchers map potential toxicity of lanthanide metals used in medicine

Researchers uncover new gene mutation responsible for cerebral cavernous malformation

Researchers find new insight on the link between a gene and congenital heart disease

How SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 adapted to evade innate immunity

Could the intranasal route be an alternate avenue of COVID-19 vaccination?

Researchers review environmental risk assessments for recombinant COVID-19 viral vector vaccines

New study could help guide oncologists in selecting the best treatment for kidney cancers

New chip mimicking bovine endometrium could play key role in cattle’s pregnancy success

Bacteria causing urinary tract infections can originate in meat-production chain

New generative model has wide implications in developmental biology, regenerative medicine

Scientists explain why space travel weakens the human immune system

New drug shows promise against lung cancer caused by genetic mutation

Distinct spike protein mutations in SARS-CoV-2 variant in Russia

International travelers may pick up destination-specific antimicrobial resistance genes, study reveals

Measuring how patterns of gene expression change in children may help predict T1D progression

Restoring gut microbes can improve antibiotic-induced dysbiosis and prevent colitis in mice

Novel method allows rapid, absolute quantification of viral nucleic acids

Experimental monoclonal antibody could be a new weapon against HIV epidemic

Gene therapy may be a safe and effective single-dose treatment for soft bone disease

Genome-scale CRISPR screens pinpoint promising antiviral compounds against SARS-CoV-2

Does the number of siblings you have affect your health?

International Day of Action for Women’s Health: An Interview with Dame Claire Bertschinger

International Day of Action for Women’s Health: An Interview with UN Women