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Effective anticancer strategy for selective killing of cancer cells

A study team headed by Dr Yuanliang Zhai from The University of Hong Kong’s (HKU) School of Biological Sciences and his associates from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and Institut Curie in France discovered a new mechanism of the human MCM2-7 complex in controlling replication initiation, which can be employed as a unique and effective anticancer method with the potential for selective death of cancer cells.

11 Jan 2023

New technologies reveal cross-cutting breakdowns in Alzheimer’s disease

A figure from the paper depicts pathways perturbed in Alzheimer's disease. Below examples are listed for each pathway by major brain cell type. Image Credit: The Picower Institute.

4 Jan 2023

Uncovering new function for small RNAs in Salmonella infections

Millions of people get sick from Salmonella each year because they are food-borne pathogens. These bacteria rely on a sophisticated network of genes and gene products that give them the ability to sense environmental conditions to do this.

4 Jan 2023

Improving cancer immunotherapies with bioengineered synthetic gene circuits

In two distinct studies, scientists show how synthetic biology can be used to address a challenging problem in cancer immunotherapy: the way immunotherapy-related approaches focused on the short-term killing of tumor cells could fail to eradicate tumors because tumor growth occurs on longer timescales.

19 Dec 2022

Analysis of genetic factors contributing to cleft lip and palate

Cleft lip and palate, which are mainly caused by genetic reasons, are two of the most common congenital malformations. It is still unknown which genes are exactly affected.

19 Dec 2022

Study unravels a novel function of the gene scissors

Many years earlier, the CRISPR/Cas9 gene scissors have been making a sensation in science and medicine. This new tool of molecular biology consists of its origins in an ancient bacterial immune system.

28 Nov 2022

Gaining better insights into the origins of jaws by DNA sequence

At Uppsala University, a DNA sequence found in jawed vertebrates has been discovered and characterized by scientists. This includes sharks and humans, but it is absent in jawless vertebrates, like lampreys.

28 Nov 2022

AI creates artificial DNA to control cell protein production

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed synthetic DNA that uses artificial intelligence to control the production of proteins in cells.

25 Nov 2022

Molecular motion of “undruggable” proteins reveals drug-binding sites

“Undruggable” proteins, whose structures and roles in disease are known but who appear unable to be targeted by drugs that will bind to them, present some of the hardest problems in disease treatment.

23 Nov 2022

Mitochondria play a crucial role in the regulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway

Mitochondria are highly regarded as the cell's powerhouse. However, these cellular organelles are essential for more than only energy production: Professor Konstanze Winklhofer and her colleagues at Ruhr University Bochum’s Faculty of Medicine have found that mitochondria play an essential role in signal transduction in innate immune pathways.

21 Nov 2022

Revealing the functional significance of DDX41 in great detail

The DDX41 gene encodes the nuclear enzyme DEAD-box-type RNA helicase. Hematopoietic malignancies are caused by DDX41 mutations. However, the mechanism behind the development of this malignancy remains unknown.

21 Nov 2022

Statistical methodology uncovers changes in genomic data

A novel statistical technique makes it easier to find biologically significant changes in genomic data that span multiple conditions, like cell types or tissues.

From Penn State University 15 Nov 2022

Regulating cholesterol production with novel protein

Everyone must have heard about cholesterol and how important it is to eat heart-healthy meals to keep it under control.

From The University of New South Wales (UNSW) 8 Nov 2022

Providing structural understanding of the influenza virus

The structure of the influenza replication machinery and how it interacts with cellular proteins have been solved by a team of Oxford University scientists using a variety of techniques at Diamond Light Source.

8 Nov 2022

Researchers uncover a mechanism of flowering plant sperm compaction

Sperm cells have compact bundles of DNA, yet exactly how and why sperm cell nuclei are condensed in flowering plants has been a mystery, until now.

4 Nov 2022

Role of p53-mediated metabolism in preventing genomic instability

The gene that codes for the protein p53 is most likely the most significant factor in defending human cells against DNA-damaging agents that cause cancer. The protein permits cells to repair DNA damage and so prevents the formation of malignancies, earning it the nickname “guardian of the genome.”

4 Nov 2022

Low protein synthesis in humans causes rare intestinal disease

According to a recent study, which will be published on November 1st, 2022, by Yun-Fei Li of Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, China, and colleagues, a decrease in protein synthesis in growing gut cells contributes to a rare genetic condition, and an affordable nutritional supplement could help reverse that decrease.

3 Nov 2022

New technique could help fine-tune the production of useful proteins

Using an approach based on CRISPR proteins, MIT researchers have developed a new way to precisely control the amount of a particular protein that is produced in mammalian cells.

2 Nov 2022

Understanding the architectures of proteins and the machinery at genes

Researchers from Cornell University have discovered a crucial mechanism in how genes are controlled thanks to yeast, a small organism that is necessary for the production of beer and bread.

1 Nov 2022

Plant root reprogramming via synthetic genetic circuits

An essential stage in genetically modifying plants to create better bioenergy crops is gene activity control. The results of this research led to the creation of artificial genes that could be coupled to produce certain patterns of gene expression in plants.

28 Oct 2022