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Proteins are complex molecules that are made up of amino acids. They can be found in every cell in the body, and carry out vital processes that keep human beings alive. Mutations in proteins can lead to a multitude of diseases, the most common being cancer.

Excessive RNA Editing May Explain Neurological Differences in Down Syndrome

A collaborative research study co-led by scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Liber Institute for Brain Development has for the first time identified a biological process that may help explain how the brain develops differently in people with Down syndrome. The study was a collaboration among scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, the Medical University of Sofia in Bulgaria, and the University of Arizona.

2 Apr 2026

Researchers Use Retron Systems to License DNA for Cellular Tasks

Stepping away from its billions-of-years-old role as a genetic "blueprint," DNA is now embarking on a new journey as an active "field agent" within cells. This research by a team led by Professor Jongmin Kim and Ph.D. candidate Geonhu Lee from the Department of Life Sciences at POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) was published in the online edition of the international chemistry journal, Nature Chemistry.

2 Apr 2026

Study Reveals How Biological Machines Write New Genetic Information

New research has discovered that the molecular machines responsible for copying our DNA have a surprising hidden talent – an ability to create entirely new and highly sophisticated DNA sequences from scratch.

1 Apr 2026

New Framework Prioritizes Uncertain Genetic Variants in Cancer Profiling

Hiroshima University researchers have developed a practical framework to identify candidate pathogenic variants hidden among the large number of variants of uncertain significance (VUS) detected in comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) of cancers.

1 Apr 2026

Mirror Protein Design Blocks Amyloid Beta in Alzheimer’s Disease

Understanding how proteins interact with their own mirror images enabled a Kobe University research team to design a small mirror protein that disables a causal factor of Alzheimer's disease, amyloid-beta.

1 Apr 2026

Nonviral Nanoparticles Show Promise for Safer Gene Delivery Methods

In a demonstration that helps pave the way for gene therapies with fewer side effects, several human cell types were genetically modified with protein nanoparticles designed at University of Michigan Engineering and Michigan Medicine.

1 Apr 2026

Study Reveals How Trypanosomes Fine-Tune Protein Production Through Destruction

To survive in the human bloodstream, the African trypanosome parasite wears a "cloak" made of proteins known as a variant surface glycoprotein (VSG). The study, published in Nature Microbiology, identifies the protein that allows the parasite to fine-tune this "cloak".

31 Mar 2026

Study Links ER Stress From Fat Buildup to Senescence

When cells experience enough chronic stress, they can stop dividing permanently. In this state of cellular limbo, known as replicative senescence, cells remain alive but no longer proliferate.

31 Mar 2026

Novel Immunotherapy Disrupts the Protective Tumor Microenvironment Ecosystem

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy - CAR T for short - has been a major advance in treating blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. But the immunotherapy has struggled against solid tumors for two main reasons: tumor cells often don't share one consistent surface target, and many solid tumors are protected by a dense network of scar tissue and immune-suppressive cells that blocks T cells.

31 Mar 2026

Sweat Peptide Dermcidin Prevents Flu Virus Entry Into Cells

A research team led by the Fisabio Foundation has demonstrated that dermcidin, an antimicrobial peptide produced constitutively by the human body, also exhibits antiviral activity against the influenza virus. The study also shows that people who do not develop flu-like symptoms have higher baseline levels of this molecule, which could be associated with lower susceptibility to infection.

31 Mar 2026

Study Highlights the Vast Untapped Potential Within the Global Protein Universe

The number of known proteins is infinitely small in comparison to the universe of possible proteins which could in theory be realized. Yet these known proteins are the only major training ground for future protein design. Understanding how representative these proteins are of the overall potential diversity can therefore help inform strategies for a wide range of applications, including therapeutic, biocatalysis, or biomaterials development.

31 Mar 2026

New Computational Tools Improve Gene Function Determination Within Fungal Organisms

While RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has become a standard tool for profiling which genes are active in an organism, determining the actual biological functions of those genes in fungi remains a significant technical challenge. Most existing software tools are designed to cover a broad range of species, often lacking the specificity required for the unique genetic landscape of fungi.

31 Mar 2026

Identifying the Cellular Origin of MS-Related Neuroinflammation

Signals from the gut have been linked to autoimmune inflammation, but fundamental cellular processes remain poorly understood.

30 Mar 2026

Fusion Protein Rewires Brain Development to Trigger Pediatric Cancer

A team of researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital and collaborating institutions reveal in the journal Nature a novel mechanism that drives the development of pediatric supratentorial ependymoma (EPN), the third most common pediatric brain tumor.

28 Mar 2026

Study Reveals How STING Protein Migrates to Trigger Immune Responses

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified how the quintessential immune protein known as stimulator of interferon genes (STING) migrates from one cellular organelle to another, a necessary step in its activation.

27 Mar 2026

Microtubules Act as Active Regulators of Key Cellular Enzymatic Reactions

Microtubules, the dynamic filaments that form the cell's internal scaffolding, have long been viewed as mere passive structural supports. But a new study reveals they play a far more active signaling role.

27 Mar 2026

Newly Discovered CRISPR System Activates Genes Without Cutting DNA

In back-to-back studies published in Nature, researchers from Purdue University and Columbia University report a naturally evolved gene-editing system that can activate genes, offering an advantage over existing CRISPR gene-editing systems that merely find and cut DNA.

26 Mar 2026