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Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biologically important type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate.

Viral RNA undergoes conformational changes to hijack host cells, says study

Scientists from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus recently identified how an RNA molecule from a virus develops a complex, three-dimensional structure, and is capable of changing its shape to hijack host proteins.

25 Nov 2021

UD biochemist explores how mRNA eraser enzymes work in our cells

University of Delaware biochemist Jeff Mugridge is trying to figure out how so-called mRNA eraser enzymes work in our cells, why those erasers can sometimes misbehave and lead to cancer, and how science can pave the way for possible solutions to this problem.

25 Nov 2021

MIT researchers identify a way to indirectly activate T cells to fight tumors

Under the right circumstances, the body's T cells can detect and destroy cancer cells. However, in most cancer patients, T cells become disarmed once they enter the environment surrounding a tumor.

22 Nov 2021

Researchers develop artificial genomic DNA capable of replication and evolution

Professor Norikazu Ichihashi and his colleagues at the University of Tokyo have successfully induced gene expression from a DNA, characteristic of all life, and evolution through continuous replication extracellularly using cell-free materials alone, such as nucleic acids and proteins for the first time.

22 Nov 2021

New links found between CRISPR, p53 and other cancer genes that could prevent accumulation of mutated cells

A protein that protects cells from DNA damage, p53, is activated during gene editing using the CRISPR technique.

18 Nov 2021

Covid-19 vaccine-elicited immune cells persist six months after vaccination, study shows

A recent study by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers provides evidence that CD4+ T lymphocytes — immune system cells also known as helper T cells — produced by people who received either of the two available messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines for COVID-19 persist six months after vaccination at only slightly reduced levels from two weeks after vaccination and are at significantly higher levels than for those who are unvaccinated.

17 Nov 2021

Genomic changes in advanced tumors reveal interactions with treatment

A novel way to look at cancer treatment resistance offers the possibility for identifying genetic mechanisms involved and alternative treatment approaches.

17 Nov 2021

Study analyzes electrostatic interactions of proteins in Escherichia coli

Electrostatic interaction is significant for numerous biological reactions—like protein-protein interaction, enzyme catalysis, and H+ transfer.

17 Nov 2021

Mysterious protein clusters found on neurons are calcium-signaling “hotspots”, study reveals

For 30 years, mysterious clusters of proteins found on the cell body of neurons in the hippocampus, a part of the brain, both intrigued and baffled James Trimmer.

From The University of California, Davis 15 Nov 2021

Research establishes a new understanding of how DNA methylation begins in plants

Crop improvement often involves the transfer of genetic material from one organism to another to produce a valuable trait. Some major examples of crops with these so-called "transgenes" include disease-resistant cotton and beta-carotene-enhanced golden rice.

10 Nov 2021

Targeting Shp2 as a cancer therapy may worsen the disease

In recent years, much scientific effort and funding has focused on developing drugs that target an enzyme with the unwieldy name of Src homology 2-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 or more briefly, Shp2.

10 Nov 2021

Researchers propose novel model for mitochondrial nucleoid self-assembly

Mitochondria, the powerhouse of mammalian cells, also perform vital roles in cell signaling, cell metabolism, and apoptosis.

8 Nov 2021

Formation of transcription factories in living cells resembles the condensation of liquids

It is essential for cells to control precisely which of the many genes of their genetic material they use. This is done in so-called transcription factories, molecular clusters in the nucleus.

5 Nov 2021

Research uncovers key component of cellular malfunction that contributes to tumor growth

Scientists have homed in on a crucial step within the sequence of chemical reactions that govern regulation of cell division, proliferation and death, and whose malfunction contributes to the growth of tumors.

3 Nov 2021

Monoclonal antibodies mitigate inflammatory consequences of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in macaques

Monoclonal antibodies protected aged, diabetic rhesus macaque monkeys from disease due to SARS-CoV-2 and reduced signs of inflammation, including in cerebrospinal fluid, according to a new study from researchers at the University of California, Davis.

From The University of California, Davis 2 Nov 2021

Study reveals what causes T cells to be non-responsive to immunotherapy

Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common type of lung cancer in humans. Some patients with NSCLC receive a therapy called immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) that helps kill cancer cells by reinvigorating a subset of immune cells called T cells, which are "exhausted" and have stopped working.

1 Nov 2021

Researchers develop new approach to selectively turn on gene therapies in target cells

Researchers at MIT and Harvard University have designed a way to selectively turn on gene therapies in target cells, including human cells. Their technology can detect specific messenger RNA sequences in cells, and that detection then triggers production of a specific protein from a transgene, or artificial gene.

From Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 29 Oct 2021

RNA News and Research

Viral RNA undergoes conformational changes to hijack host cells, says study

UD biochemist explores how mRNA eraser enzymes work in our cells

MIT researchers identify a way to indirectly activate T cells to fight tumors

Researchers develop artificial genomic DNA capable of replication and evolution

New links found between CRISPR, p53 and other cancer genes that could prevent accumulation of mutated cells

Covid-19 vaccine-elicited immune cells persist six months after vaccination, study shows

Genomic changes in advanced tumors reveal interactions with treatment

Study analyzes electrostatic interactions of proteins in Escherichia coli

Mysterious protein clusters found on neurons are calcium-signaling “hotspots”, study reveals

Research establishes a new understanding of how DNA methylation begins in plants

Targeting Shp2 as a cancer therapy may worsen the disease

Researchers propose novel model for mitochondrial nucleoid self-assembly

Formation of transcription factories in living cells resembles the condensation of liquids

Research uncovers key component of cellular malfunction that contributes to tumor growth

Monoclonal antibodies mitigate inflammatory consequences of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in macaques

Study reveals what causes T cells to be non-responsive to immunotherapy

Researchers develop new approach to selectively turn on gene therapies in target cells

New eToeholds could make RNA therapeutics more safer and effective

Novel sequencing technique enhances population transcriptomics in plants

Nonpathogenic strain of C. acnes improves skin's resistance against infection-causing bacteria

Driving Support for Pharmaceutical Testing Through Continuous Innovation

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Revolutionizing Mass Spectrometry: A Deep Dive into Plasmion’s SICRIT® Technology

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