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“Paralyzed” immune cells can be reactivated by drugs in IDH-mutant gliomas

Brain tumor cells with a certain common mutation reprogram invading immune cells. This leads to the paralysis of the body's immune defense against the tumor in the brain. Researchers from Heidelberg, Mannheim, and Freiburg discovered this mechanism and at the same time identified a way of reactivating the paralyzed immune system to fight the tumor.

25 May 2021

Scientists identify the language the body uses to marshal responses to threats

UCLA life scientists have identified six "words" that specific immune cells use to call up immune defense genes -- an important step toward understanding the language the body uses to marshal responses to threats.

13 May 2021

The history of the Amazon Basin affects the distribution of manatees

All three species of manatee now present on Earth share a common ancestor from which they split some 6.5 million years ago, when a huge lake in Amazonia, then linked to the Caribbean, was cut off from the sea.

11 May 2021

Ulsan genome project reaches milestone of sequencing 10,000 whole genomes

UNIST and Ulsan City officially announced that their ambitious 10,000 Genome Project has finally reached the milestone of sequencing 10,000 whole genomes. On this day, they also held a declaration ceremony to commemorate the successful completion of the Ulsan 10,000 Genome Project, which was initiated in 2016 as part of the Genome Korea in Ulsan Project launched in 2015.

11 May 2021

Highly efficient method to identify the genetic “switches” that control gene expression

Scientists have created a high-throughput method to help explain and regulate gene expression for the treatment of diseases like beta-thalassemia and sickle cell disease.

7 May 2021

New method to repartition carbon resources from carbohydrates to lipids in microalgae

A cross-institutional study has led to a new method for the repartition of carbon resources in microalgae from carbohydrates to lipids. It is anticipated that this process will be used to produce biofuel.

7 May 2021

New technology efficiently detects gene mutation in blood with low error rate

Next-generation gene sequencing (NGS) technologies --in which millions of DNA molecules are simultaneously but individually analyzed-- theoretically provides researchers and clinicians the ability to noninvasively identify mutations in the blood stream.

5 May 2021

Study reveals genetic mutation associated with exfoliation syndrome

A team of researchers from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research's (A*STAR) Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) and Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI), as well as Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI), have identified a genetic mutation (functionally defective CYP39A1 gene) associated with exfoliation syndrome, the most common cause of glaucoma.

5 May 2021

New therapeutic target for patients with acute myeloid leukemia

According to a new study, targeting a pathway that is critical for the survival of some cases of acute myeloid leukemia could open up a new therapeutic route for patients.

3 May 2021

New gene therapy could help treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Researchers from UT Southwestern used a new kind of gene therapy to successfully treat mice with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), distinctively employing CRISPR-Cas9-based tools to restore a large section of the dystrophin protein missing in several DMD patients.

3 May 2021

New gene editing tool helps analyze the mysterious quirk of bacteria

While the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system has become the poster child for innovation in synthetic biology, it has some major limitations.

3 May 2021

Bacterial species in the soil can evolve with climate change

While evolution is normally thought of as occurring over millions of years, researchers at the University of California, Irvine have discovered that bacteria can evolve in response to climate change in 18 months.

29 Apr 2021

Researchers discover new approach to reform plant breeding and genetics

The research was conducted at the Department of Food Science at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH FOOD) with professor emeritus Lars Munck as coordinator and builds on earlier work since 1963 at Svaloef Plant Breeding Institute and the Carlsberg Laboratory.

28 Apr 2021

New computer algorithm helps identify tumors with 'mismatch repair deficiencies'

A new way to identify tumors that could be sensitive to particular immunotherapies has been developed using data from thousands of NHS cancer patient samples sequenced through the 100,000 Genomes Project.

27 Apr 2021

Study shows how different organisms can prevent deadly DNA damage during evolution

Researchers from the University of Bergen discovered how species ranging from crops to corals can prevent harmful DNA damage during evolution.

26 Apr 2021

New gene editing approach bypasses disease-causing mutations

A new approach to gene editing using the CRISPR/Cas9 system bypasses disease-causing mutations in a gene, enabling treatment of genetic diseases linked to a single gene, such as cystic fibrosis, certain types of sickle cell anemia, and other rare diseases.

From Penn State University 22 Apr 2021

Antibodies may not inhibit SARS-CoV-2 variants from minks

It has been known for about a year that minks can become infected with SARS-CoV-2. The virus had been transmitted from humans to farmed mink and mutated in infected animals. Mutations were acquired in the spike protein, which is crucial for the entry of the virus into host cells and represents the central point of attack for antibodies.

20 Apr 2021

Supercomputer simulations reveal the behavior of dominant G form SARS-CoV-2 strain

Large-scale supercomputer simulations at the atomic level show that the dominant G form variant of the COVID-19-causing virus is more infectious partly because of its greater ability to readily bind to its target host receptor in the body, compared to other variants.

19 Apr 2021

“Expansion Hunter” approach can detect DNA errors

Researchers from Radboud University Medical Center have successfully detected hidden genetic defects by using an existing technique on existing datasets. The team demonstrated that the “Expansion Hunter” approach can detect DNA errors that cause repeat expansion diseases, like ataxia—a movement disorder.

16 Apr 2021

Gene therapy protects eye cells in mice with retinitis pigmentosa

A gene therapy protects eye cells in mice with a rare disorder that causes vision loss, especially when used in combination with other gene therapies, shows a study published today in eLife.

15 Apr 2021