Genomics

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Tumor's stiff-arm tactic restricts the effectiveness of checkpoint inhibitors

In a paper just published in the Journal for the Immunotherapy of Cancer (doi:10.1136/jitc-2020-001712), Dr. Herbert, Head of Discovery at InsideOutBio, asks whether cancer cells stiff-arm immune cells just like rugby players push off defenders from the other team.

16 Dec 2020

New genomic tool can accurately assess the risk of breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed disease in women and is the main cause of cancer-related mortalities in this group of population.

15 Dec 2020

Study sheds new light on a genetic developmental disorder

The rare hereditary developmental disorder, called Meier-Gorlin syndrome, or MGS for short, causes dwarfism, missing patella, a small brain, small ears, and other skeletal abnormalities. This condition leads to stillbirths and miscarriages in severe cases.

15 Dec 2020

Researchers provide a list of genes implicated in congenital heart disease

Over two million babies, children, and adults in the United States are living with congenital heart disease--a range of birth defects affecting the heart's structure or function.

15 Dec 2020

Scientists identify biosynthetic genes involved in the production of usnic acid in lichens

Scientists from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Complutense University of Madrid have headed an international study that has successfully detected a sequence of biosynthetic genes that play a key role in the synthesis of usnic acid in lichen—a kind of compound that exhibits antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, anticancer, and neuroprotective activity.

14 Dec 2020

New genetic associations predict susceptibility to Takayasu arteritis

A team of international collaborators, headed by scientists from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, have detected novel genetic associations that can estimate the susceptibility of individuals to Takayasu arteritis—a rare inflammatory disease.

14 Dec 2020

Study elucidates genes responsible for Glioblastoma invasiveness

One of the hallmarks of Glioblastoma (GBM), the most aggressive type of brain cancer, is its high invasive capacity, which leads to its expansion into the normal brain tissue.

14 Dec 2020

Researchers discover protein crucial for growing life-saving blood stem cells

A group of scientists from the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona and Columbia University in New York City has discovered a protein that is crucial for expanding the usually scarce, life-saving blood stem cells.

11 Dec 2020

New model helps assess the effect of epigenetic changes on gene expression

Researchers have developed a mathematical model to quantitatively assess the impacts of particular epigenetic changes on the transcription rates.

11 Dec 2020

Newly identified Cas9 nucleases can improve genome editing

Scientists have explained two new compact Cas9 nucleases that will possibly extend the Cas9 toolbox for genome editing.

11 Dec 2020

A genetic shortcut to help visualize proteins at work

A group at Gladstone Institutes and UC San Francisco (UCSF) has demonstrated that a large-scale and systematic genetic approach can indeed yield reliable and detailed information on the structure of protein complexes.

11 Dec 2020

Study reveals new target to make breast cancer more sensitive to immunotherapy

Although immunotherapy has been effective in treating different kinds of cancer, it is still unsuccessful when it comes to treating breast cancers.

11 Dec 2020

Study shed light on how genes affect the risk for coronary artery disease

Researchers at the University of Virginia have shed light on how our genes affect our risk for coronary artery disease, the most common form of heart disease.

11 Dec 2020

Scientists use honey bee peptide to design RBC carriers that deliver therapeutic proteins

Most often, protein therapies are more selective and potent toward their biochemical targets when compared to other types of medicines, specifically small molecules.

10 Dec 2020

New forensic method to identify criminals from a single strand of hair

During the investigations of crime scenes, even a single strand of human hair can make a significant difference in the evolution of a trial or case.

10 Dec 2020

Neuropeptides produced by cockroaches could someday be targeted by new pesticides

Cockroaches are notorious for their abilities to survive and reproduce, much to humanity's chagrin. In addition to scurrying around at night, feeding on human and pet food, and generating an offensive odor, the pests can transmit pathogens and cause allergic reactions.

10 Dec 2020

Appendiceal cancer among young patients harbors a distinct biology, shows study

The first study to compare molecular landscapes of early-onset and late-onset appendiceal cancer has revealed distinct non-silent mutations in the tumors of younger patients, setting the stage for the development of potential therapeutic advances for this rare disease.

From Vanderbilt University 10 Dec 2020

Study shows human-specific connection between advanced cancers and a gene

Humans are more prone to develop carcinomas compared with our closest evolutionary cousins, the great apes. These cancers begin in the epithelial cells of the skin or the tissue that covers the surface of internal organs and glands, and they include prostate, breast, lung, and colorectal cancers.

10 Dec 2020

Researchers discover genetic factors underlying diabetic retinopathy

In a quest to find the genetic factors that are fundamental to diabetic retinopathy, scientists from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) have also discovered a new method that can be employed as a template to investigate other types of diseases.

8 Dec 2020

Researchers evaluate the rate of eDNA sampling to identify species abundance in natural aquatic habitats

Organisms typically discharge DNA in their environments through sloughed skin cells, and this genetic material is called environmental DNA, or eDNA for short.

7 Dec 2020