Cystic fibrosis is a life threatening, inherited disease of the exocrine glands. The condition primarily affects the digestive and respiratory systems which become clogged with a thick, sticky mucus. Cystic fibrosis is caused by a mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene which results in an excess of salt and water passing into cells, causing a thick, sticky mucus to build up in bodily passageways.
As antibacterial resistance continues to render obsolete the use of some antibiotics, some have turned to bacteria-killing viruses to treat acute infections as well as some chronic illnesses.
A new University of California, Irvine-led study uncovers how a protein, APOBEC3B, could protect cells against many different types of RNA viruses like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), SARS-CoV2, influenza virus, poliovirus and measles, helping to prevent disease.
Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute have developed a new tool to estimate the probability of successfully introducing a gene-edited DNA sequence into a cell’s genome using the prime editing method.
Genome editing technologies have enormous potential for treating genetic diseases. Techniques like the extensively used CRISPR/Cas9 gene scissors target the source of the disease directly in the DNA.
The first simple production of customizable proteins known as zinc fingers to treat diseases by turning genes on and off might be enabled with the help of an artificial intelligence (AI) program.
An international consortium co-led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center immunogeneticist Rubén Martínez-Barricarte, PhD, has discovered a new genetic disorder that causes immunodeficiency and profound susceptibility to opportunistic infections including life-threatening fungal pneumonia.
Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have come up with a new tool that has the potential to detach faulty genes and exchange them with new ones in a highly safe and effective way.
A mutation in the CFTR gene results in cystic fibrosis (CF). Despite the fact that there are many hundreds of identified mutations, not all of them can now be treated, leaving a sizable portion of CF patients without access to targeted medicines.
Some cells travel quicker in thicker fluids, such as honey against water or mucus versus blood, because their ruffled edges detect the viscosity of their surroundings and adjust to boost their speed.
Scientists at Scripps Research and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research have discovered a special type of cell that resides in salivary glands and is likely crucial for oral health.
They thrive everywhere from bustling cities to remote rainforests -; even in our own backyards. Pervasive and unapologetic mooches, parasites rely on other organisms for their survival.
The process of making proteins from genes is similar to that of a factory, where employees must follow a set of instructions that are both effective and precise.
Proteins are the messengers, workers, managers, and directors of mostly all intra- and inter-cellular functions in the human body.
Mucus is an essential protective layer of gel-like liquid composed largely of proteins called mucins throughout our airways.
Mycobacterium abscessus, a relative of the bacteria that cause tuberculosis and leprosy, is responsible for particularly severe damage to human lungs and can be resistant to many standard antibiotics, making infections extremely challenging to treat.
A team of scientists rectified mutations that result in cystic fibrosis in cultured human stem cells.
A study released today in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine offers hope for those suffering from a chronic, difficult to treat condition called non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) lung infection.
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.
Scientists have created a CRISPR-based gene editor named C-to-G Base Editor (CGBE) that can correct mutations responsible for genetic disorders.
Scientists have developed an affordable, downloadable app that scans for potential unintended mistakes when CRISPR is used to repair mutations that cause disease.