Geneticists from Trinity College Dublin have discovered how a specific genetic mutation called H3K27M causes a devastating, incurable childhood cancer, known as diffuse midline glioma (DMG), and – in lab studies working with model cell types – successfully reverse its…
Tag: Genetics
Advanced bladder cancers respond to immunotherapy regardless of gene mutation status
CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina–A new study has demonstrated that patients with advanced bladder cancers whose tumors have a mutated FGFR3 gene respond to immunotherapy treatment in a manner that is similar to patients without that mutation, a discovery that runs…
Early-life social connections influence gene expression, stress resilience
Having friends may not only be good for the health of your social life, but also for your actual health–if you’re a hyena, that is. Strong social connections and greater maternal care early in life can influence molecular markers related…
Cattle losing adaptations to environment, MU researchers find
Researchers pave the way for genetic tests of cattle that can look for the presence of specific adaptations, such as heat resistance
Toward one drug to treat all coronaviruses
Safe and effective vaccines offer hope for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the possible emergence of vaccine-resistant SARS-CoV-2 variants, as well as novel coronaviruses, make finding treatments that work against all coronaviruses as important as ever. Now, researchers…
Papua New Guineans show signs of biological adaptations to altitude
High altitude environments are one of the most demanding habitats in which humans have ever lived. This difficulty is mainly due to hypoxia: oxygen is less available to human tissues at high altitude. However, several populations worldwide have successfully settled…
Researchers discover nucleotide sequence responsible for effectively fighting pathologies
HSE researchers uncover the fundamental mechanisms behind the maturation of microRNA molecules
Genome editing meets marsupials
Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR) have succeeded in creating the first genetically engineered marsupial. This study, published in the scientific journal Current Biology , will contribute to deciphering the genetic background of unique characteristics observed…
Chromosomes separation under focus
A UNIGE team has identified important regulatory mechanisms of the protein responsible for chromosome separation during cell division.
Precision treatment for severe asthma targets a specific mutation
Drug blocks a cell receptor that is mutated disproportionately in people of color
The gene’s-eye view of evolution
New book reviews the history of the gene’s-eye view of evolution by describing current disagreements and conceptual debates, and highlighting its value in contemporary evolutionary biology
Child with rare genetic syndrome successfully treated in less than two years
Diagnosing a rare medical condition is difficult. Identifying a treatment for it can take years of trial and error. In a serendipitous intersection of research expertise, an ill patient in this case a child and innovative technology, Bachmann-Bupp Syndrome has gone from a list of symptoms to a successful treatment in just 16 months.
Mark Foundation funds Jackson Laboratory scientists to study immunotherapy side effects
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research funds Jackson Laboratory scientists to take on immunotherapy’s greatest challenges — improving response rates and decreasing debilitating side effects
Save Our Seas Foundation announces a record 61 grants for 2021
The Save our Seas Foundation is celebrating an overwhelming number of applications and awards. This heralds a hopeful new cohort of ocean conservationists, young scientists and local initiatives being supported to make a positive change for our planet.
No IgA leads to intestinal inflammation in mice
Tokyo, Japan – While researchers have known for years that immunoglobulin A (IgA) is important for gut health, it has remained unclear exactly what role it plays in preventing infection and disease. But now, researchers from Japan have found that…
Study identifies MET amplification as driver for some non-small cell lung cancers
CU Cancer Center researchers get positive results treating patients with MET-inhibitor drug crizotinib
NIH Director Francis Collins and NASA Astronaut Kate Rubins to keynote joint session at ISSRDC
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (FL), July 20, 2021 – The 2021 International Space Station Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC) will include a virtual keynote session that will feature two key science figures: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Francis Collins…
Recovering DNA from challenging forensic evidence in forensic genomics
New Rochelle, NY, July 19, 2021–Duct tape and items retrieved from the water are common pieces of evidence in forensic cases. A new study evaluates the recovery of DNA from folded duct tape that has been submerged in ocean water…
“Springing forward” affects early birds less than night owls, study finds
Genetic predisposition plays a role in individuals’ reaction to abrupt change in sleep schedule; findings could have implications for other situations
DNA assay aids in identifying and protecting North American wolves, coyotes
Forensics specialists can use a commercial assay targeting mitochondrial DNA to accurately discriminate between wolf, coyote and dog species, according to a new study from North Carolina State University. The genetic information can be obtained from smaller or more degraded…
New discoveries reveal how acute myeloid leukemia walks line between growth and cell death
Researchers revealed new insights into how acute myeloid leukemia (AML) develops and progresses, according to a study published in Molecular Cell on July 20, 2021. They describe a mechanism by which AML cells regulate a cancer-related protein, mutant IDH2, to…
Scientists uncover drivers of phenotypic innovation and diversification in gymnosperms
Determining the major drivers of species diversification and phenotypic innovation across the Tree of Life is one of the grand challeges in evolutionary biology. Facilitated by the Germplasm Bank of Wild Species of the Kunming Institute of Botany (KIB) of…
CNIO researchers clarify the role of the two isoforms of KRAS, the most common oncogene in humans
These findings suggest that for therapies to be effective, they must be targeted at both gene products
DNA duplication linked to the origin and evolution of pine trees and their relatives
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Plants are DNA hoarders. Adhering to the maxim of never throwing anything out that might be useful later, they often duplicate their entire genome and hang on to the added genetic baggage. All those extra genes are…
Freeze drying, oral health experiments make speedy return from space station aboard SpaceX Dragon
A suite of International Space Station scientific experiments journey back to Earth aboard the 22nd SpaceX commercial resupply services mission for NASA.
To die or not to die in response to stress, a decision regulated by MK2 protein levels
Living organisms are often exposed to stress stimuli generated either by external or internal factors, and they need to respond accordingly. At a cellular level, stress usually triggers the activation of survival pathways that contribute to the recovery of cell…
The international ENABLE conferences get the green light for another four years
The ENABLE international conferences, which have been held annually since 2017, are scientific gatherings organised by and for young researchers that seek to ensure the next generation of scientific leaders. Initially funded by the European Commission’s Horizon2020 programme, the first…
Researcher’s work with flies could be birth control boon
New testing technique could quickly find new ways to suppress ovulation with few side effects.
How a butterfly tree becomes a web
Evolution is often portrayed as a tree, with new species branching off from existing lineages, never again to meet. The truth however is often much messier. In the case of adaptive radiation, in which species diversify rapidly to fill different…
When mad AIOLOS drags IKAROS down: A novel pathogenic mechanism
Tokyo, Japan – Primary immunodeficiencies, such as severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID), occur when the immune system does not work properly, leading to increased susceptibility to various infections, autoimmunity, and cancers. Most of these are inherited and have an underlying…
Children’s National Hospital joins the Mendelian Genomics Research Consortium, receiving $12.8 million
The National Institutes of Health’s National Human Genome Research Institute award will help discover inherited rare diseases and conditions in children
Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation awards $4.8 million to rising investigators
Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has announced the 2021 recipients of the Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator award–six outstanding early career physician-scientists working to develop new cancer therapies under the mentorship of the nation’s leading scientists and clinicians. While there has…
NIH funds new effort to discover genetic causes of single-gene disorders
The Mendelian Genomics Research Consortium will include five centers and a data coordination site
Inadequate sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 variants impedes global response to COVID-19
Better international sequencing efforts are needed to track and respond to new SARS-CoV-2 variants
Modified yeast inhibits fungal growth in plants
External application could reduce agricultural reliance on fungicides
The big potential of little millet
Overlooked little millet is a promising grain for our future climate. New research shows which varieties perform the best.
Like priming a pump, cells damaged by chronic lung disease can result in severe COVID
Results from a TGen-led international study suggest that SARS-CoV-2 takes advantage of genetic changes among patients with pre-existing lung diseases
Rapid evolution in waterfleas yields new conservation insights
The extraordinary ability of animals to rapidly evolve in response to predators has been demonstrated via genetic sequencing of a waterflea population across nearly two decades. In a new study, published in Nature Communications , scientists at the Universities of…
Zero Childhood Cancer to continue mission of curing childhood cancer with $600k donation
Today we’d like to say a big thank you to the Lott for their generous donation to the Zero Childhood Cancer Program.
Role of subnuclear NSrp70 in immunity-studied at Gwangju Institute of Science & Technology
Scientists report that the alternative-splicing regulator NSrp70 influences immune T cell development
ISSRDC to feature in-space production applications and its impact on the space economy
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (FL), July 14, 2021 – The International Space Station Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC) will host multiple sessions focused on in-space production applications during its 10th annual gathering, taking place August 3-5. This year’s event, which will…
Brain organoid study highlights potential role of genetic and environmental interaction in autism spectrum disorder
Study illustrates a quicker and less expensive way to explore gene-plus-environment causes of autism spectrum disorder and other conditions
Hard to swallow: Coral cells seen engulfing algae for first time
New research into the crucial partnership between coral and algae may one day help prevent coral bleaching.
Quantum physics helps destroy cancer cells
Researchers have found a way to enhance radiation therapy using novel iodine nanoparticles
Preventing lung cancer’s unwelcome return
When a doctor gives a patient antibiotics for a bacterial infection, they usually require them to finish the entire treatment, even when symptoms go away. This is to ensure the drugs kill off any remaining bacteria. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory…
DNA reveals the evolutionary history of museum specimens
An international team, led by UNIGE and MHN, has optimized a method for analyzing the genomes of specimens from natural history collections making possible to identify their placement along the evolutionary timeline.
CNIO researchers discover a new pathway to tackle follicular lymphoma
Alejo Efeyan’s team at the CNIO has shown in animal models that blocking signals controlled by the RagC protein delays the onset of follicular lymphoma without side effects. This strategy may also be effective in the treatment of autoimmune diseases
Taming the Huntington’s disease proteome: Mass spectrometry may provide answers
Mass spectrometry has helped identify potential biomarkers and new treatment targets for Huntington’s disease report scientists in the Journal of Huntington’s Disease who reviewed 20 years of published studies
Decoding crop genetics with artificial intelligence
Cross-disciplinary researchers are bringing the power of AI to plant biology with the support of more than $1 million from the NSF
Long-term memory setup requires a reliable delivery crew
Synaptic plasticity depends on molecular hauler KIF5C, carrier of more than 650 RNAs, study finds