Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Researchers uncover new 'hidden' gene in SARS-CoV-2

Researchers have discovered a new "hidden" gene in SARS-CoV-2--the virus that causes COVID-19--that may have contributed to its unique biology and pandemic potential.

10 Nov 2020

Semi-automated approach accelerates artificial organoid growth and selection

The method currently used to produce stem cell-derived tissues has a very limited throughput. By semi-automating tissue differentiation, researchers from MIPT and Harvard have made the process nearly four times faster, without compromising on quality.

10 Nov 2020

Repairing brain damage caused by MS

Neurological symptoms as a result of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), such as loss of cognitive or motor function, lead to a great many problems for over 2.5 million people worldwide.

10 Nov 2020

Pioneering technique sheds new light on the origin of metastases

Research can now target metastases more effectively thanks to a new approach that takes into account the enormous heterogeneity and phenotypes of tumor cells, with a team from UNIGE pinpointing a gene that prevents their development.

10 Nov 2020

Identifying SARS-CoV-2 spike protein mutations resistant to antibodies

Using a set of different monoclonal antibodies, researchers determined different mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that leads to resistance. Understanding these resistant mutations is important in developing effective therapeutic strategies.

10 Nov 2020

PhoreMost and Oxford Biomedica collaborate to develop next-generation CAR-T cell therapies

PhoreMost Limited, the UK-based biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing drugs against intractable disease targets, and Oxford Biomedica plc, a leading gene and cell therapy group, today announced that they have entered into a discovery collaboration to develop next-generation CAR-T cell therapies.

From PhoreMost 10 Nov 2020

Genetic disposition plays key role in the human immune system

A genetic disposition that plays a role in the development of the heart in the embryo also appears to play a key role in the human immune system.

10 Nov 2020

Researchers discover unique anti-cancer function for previously well-characterized protein

The development and progression of cancer is a complicated process that occurs when cells in the body grow out of control. Many different mechanisms and pathways that directly affect cell proliferation have been uncovered.

10 Nov 2020

Preeclampsia-related placental gene expression may be associated with vitamin D status

According to the World Health Organization, preeclampsia affects between 2% to 8% of pregnancies. It can cause serious, sometimes fatal, complications in the mother and child.

10 Nov 2020

Three-nation project to examine link between epigenetics and social factors

A new three-nation project will examine how social, economic, psychological, environmental and behavioral circumstances in childhood influence gene expression and affect health and aging later in life.

10 Nov 2020

Research uncovers key to piercing dangerous bacteria's armor

Bacteria are single-celled organisms that are essential to human health, both in our environment and inside our own bodies. However, certain bacterial species can make us sick.

9 Nov 2020

Researchers identify new strategy to combat loss of skeletal muscle mass

Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil have shown for the first time that stimulating expression of a protein naturally produced by the human body can be a strategy to combat loss of skeletal muscle mass, which happens normally with aging but can intensify in cases of neurodegenerative or inflammatory disease, or in patients who spend long periods in intensive care units (ICUs).

9 Nov 2020

Researchers analyze metrics of cognitive decline in diverse Latinx populations

Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) are degenerative brain diseases that affect over 5.8 million people in the U.S. Rates of ADRD are higher among Black and Latinx individuals compared to non-Latinx white individuals.

9 Nov 2020

Patients diagnosed with Parkinson's disease may actually have NIID, shows study

A joint study by the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) and Singapore General Hospital (SGH) revealed that patients who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease might actually have NIID instead.

9 Nov 2020

Researchers to develop new optogenetic tools for biology and medicine

The European Research Council (ERC) is providing 10 million euros in funding for an interdisciplinary, collaborative project in the structural and biophysical analysis of selected photoreceptors and their development into "OptoGPCRs", light-controlled molecular switches with a wide range of applications in biology and medicine.

8 Nov 2020

New strategy shows promises for treating RNA-repeat expansion disorders

A new strategy for treating a variety of diseases known as RNA-repeat expansion disorders, which affect millions of people, has shown promise in proof-of-principle tests conducted by scientists at Scripps Research.

8 Nov 2020

Second wave of COVID-19 in UK has reached “critical” stage, says study

The current paper reports the preliminary findings of the sixth round of the REal-time Assessment of Community Transmission-1 (REACT-1) study, which has traced the path of the outbreak in England since May this year (2020).

8 Nov 2020

Improved diet and more physical activity during pregnancy modifies infants’ DNA

A new study has shown pregnant women with obesity could reduce the health risks for their infants through improved diet and more physical activity.

6 Nov 2020

White blood cells can be used to attack tumors after completing a special training

Scientists at the National Center for Tumor Diseases Dresden and Dresden University Medicine, together with an international team of researchers, were able to demonstrate that certain white blood cells, so-called neutrophil granulocytes, can potentially - after completing a special training program - be utilized for the treatment of tumors.

6 Nov 2020

New resource can help predict drug sensitivity and optimize therapeutic strategies

Through large-scale profiling of protein changes in response to drug treatments in cancer cell lines, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have generated a valuable resource to aid in predicting drug sensitivity, to understand therapeutic resistance mechanisms and to identify optimal combination treatment strategies.

6 Nov 2020