Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

LJI scientists uncover major clue toward developing new antiviral therapies against flaviviruses

Zika virus has a trick up its sleeve. Once inside the body, the virus likes to make a bee line for dendritic cells, the cells we rely on to launch an effective immune response.

12 Sep 2022

Research supports use of FFP2/3 masks for HCWs caring for COVID-19 patients

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers in the United Kingdom assessed the aerobiology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in United Kingdom (UK) hospitals and the impact of aerosol-generating procedures (AGP).

12 Sep 2022

Blocking FNDC5 prevents cancer-induced cachexia in mice

The severe muscle atrophy and weakness commonly associated with cancer growth (i.e., cachexia) can be prevented simply by being deprived of FNDC5, the precursor of the exercise hormone irisin, researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine have found.

12 Sep 2022

N-dihydrogalactochitosan shows promise as a mucosal vaccine adjuvant against SARS-CoV-2

In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* server, researchers in the United States demonstrated the efficacy of a novel biopolymer, N-dihydrogalactochitosan (GC), as an adjuvant for next-generation mucosal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine.

12 Sep 2022

Phase I/II LIBRETTO-001 trial: RET inhibitor achieves durable objective responses across multiple tumors

The highly selective RET inhibitor selpercatinib was well-tolerated and achieved durable objective responses across multiple tumor types in the Phase I/II LIBRETTO-001 trial, according to researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

12 Sep 2022

Scientists estimate the impact of genetic risk factors on the loss of healthy life years

Researchers have, for the first time, systematically estimated the impact of a range of different disease-associated genetic risk factors on the loss of healthy life years. Knowing the contribution of different genetic risk factors on disease burden can help prioritise and design interventions using genetic information.

12 Sep 2022

Exercise hormone reduces protein levels linked to Parkinson's disease

Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston have shown that a hormone secreted into the blood during endurance, or aerobic, exercise reduces levels of a protein linked to Parkinson's disease and halts movement problems in mice.

12 Sep 2022

Small molecule inhibitor found to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants

In a new study, researchers developed RK-33, a small molecule inhibitor of DDX3, and evaluated its efficacy against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs).

12 Sep 2022

Role of the transketolase-like 1 gene in the development of the modern human brain

In a new study, researchers demonstrated how transketolase-like 1 (TKTL1) gene expression influenced neocortical neurogenesis in modern humans.

12 Sep 2022

Self-replicating intradermal RNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2

In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers assessed the efficiency of a controllable self-replicating ribonucleic acid (c-srRNA) vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

12 Sep 2022

Pollutant particles in the air trigger lung cancer in non-smokers

A new mechanism has been identified through which very small pollutant particles in the air may trigger lung cancer in people who have never smoked, paving the way to new prevention approaches and development of therapies, according to late-breaking data [to be] reported at the ESMO Congress 2022 by scientists of the Francis Crick Institute and University College London, funded by Cancer Research UK. The particles, which are typically found in vehicle exhaust and smoke from fossil fuels, are associated with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) risk, accounting for over 250,000 lung cancer deaths globally per year.

12 Sep 2022

Tumor-derived factors stimulate effector trogocytosis and inhibit CAR T cells

The immune system is equipped to respond not just to external invaders - think viruses, bacteria, and parasites - but also to internal threats, namely, cancer. Yet, frequently, malignancies overcome the immune system's defenses and evade detection.

12 Sep 2022

Jumping gene plays an important role in reducing depression, fear, and anxiety

First characterized in Prof. Tadashi Yamamoto's former lab in Japan in 1996, the gene Tob is well known for the role it plays in cancer. Previous research has also indicated that it has a hand in regulating the cell cycle and the body's immune response.

9 Sep 2022

New technology can capture stray ovarian cancer cells from a simple blood test

A new type of technology can capture stray ovarian cancer cells from a simple blood test and successfully predict cancer in people who have a lesion or cyst in the pelvic region, according to a new study by a Wilmot Cancer Institute physician/scientist.

9 Sep 2022

UT Southwestern scientists identify genetic mutations that contribute to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Using a genetic screening platform developed by a UT Southwestern Nobel Laureate, scientists with the Center for the Genetics of Host Defense at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified genetic mutations that contribute to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), providing a potential future target for therapeutic interventions.

9 Sep 2022

Wayne State receives $11.3 million NIH award to tackle health problems caused by VOCs

Wayne State University has received a five-year, approximately $11.3 million award from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health to create a new Superfund Research Program, the "Center for Leadership in Environmental Awareness and Research (CLEAR)."

9 Sep 2022

Understanding the molecular pathways that underly nutrient switch in starving cancer cells

Cancer cells often grow in environments that are low in nutrients, and they cope with this challenge by switching their metabolism to using proteins as alternative "food".

9 Sep 2022

Study helps understand how dietary therapies work for epilepsy

Calorie restriction has long been associated with reduced seizures in epilepsy. New research from Boston Children's Hospital helps explain how fasting affects neurons in the brain and could lead the way to new approaches that would avoid the need for fasting or restrictive diets. The findings were published August 30 in the journal Cell Reports.

9 Sep 2022

Novel method for gene editing of hPSCs yields up to 84% knockout efficiency

A Penn State-led team of interdisciplinary researchers has developed techniques to improve the efficiency of CRISPR-Cas9, the genome editing technique that earned the Nobel Prize in 2020.

9 Sep 2022

New data analysis approach could help uncover the genetic basis of many diseases

In the era of Big Data, obtaining a huge amount of information is the easy part; knowing what to do with it is another story entirely.

9 Sep 2022

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

LJI scientists uncover major clue toward developing new antiviral therapies against flaviviruses

Research supports use of FFP2/3 masks for HCWs caring for COVID-19 patients

Blocking FNDC5 prevents cancer-induced cachexia in mice

N-dihydrogalactochitosan shows promise as a mucosal vaccine adjuvant against SARS-CoV-2

Phase I/II LIBRETTO-001 trial: RET inhibitor achieves durable objective responses across multiple tumors

Scientists estimate the impact of genetic risk factors on the loss of healthy life years

Exercise hormone reduces protein levels linked to Parkinson's disease

Small molecule inhibitor found to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants

Role of the transketolase-like 1 gene in the development of the modern human brain

Self-replicating intradermal RNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2

Pollutant particles in the air trigger lung cancer in non-smokers

Tumor-derived factors stimulate effector trogocytosis and inhibit CAR T cells

Jumping gene plays an important role in reducing depression, fear, and anxiety

New technology can capture stray ovarian cancer cells from a simple blood test

UT Southwestern scientists identify genetic mutations that contribute to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Wayne State receives $11.3 million NIH award to tackle health problems caused by VOCs

Understanding the molecular pathways that underly nutrient switch in starving cancer cells

Study helps understand how dietary therapies work for epilepsy

Novel method for gene editing of hPSCs yields up to 84% knockout efficiency

New data analysis approach could help uncover the genetic basis of many diseases

eBook: Using iPSCs models for human disease research and drug discovery eBook

Real-time Raman monitoring for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion

Synthetic Psychedelics: A Growing Public Health Concern

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging