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Versatile molecular toolbox expands the scope of gene regulation

Rice University scientists have enlisted widely used cancer therapy systems to control gene expression in mammalian cells, a feat of synthetic biology that could change how diseases are treated.

15 Feb 2023

New ways to diagnose learning and memory disorders

By showing Welles's movie "Touch of Evil" to mice, Chinmay Purandare, PhD, and Prof. Mayank Mehta of UCLA have uncovered surprising and important new insights about how neurons form memories. The discovery points to new ways to diagnose Alzheimer's and other learning and memory impairments, while also improving artificial intelligence.

15 Feb 2023

Study charts seasonal and circadian genetic variation across the human body

The daily rotation of Earth and its yearly voyage around the Sun marks the natural rhythm of life on the planet.

14 Feb 2023

Study explains why cancers stop responding to kinase inhibitors and come back stronger

More than 70 FDA-approved cancer drugs are kinase inhibitors, which work by blocking kinases-;enzymes that add phosphate groups to molecules in the cell-;and preventing the chemical activity necessary for signaling and growth in cancer cells.

14 Feb 2023

Study reveals the mechanisms that prevent effective cancer cell death

Cancer is a disease driven by gene mutations. These mutated genes in cancer fall into two major categories: tumor suppressors and oncogenes. Mutations in tumor suppressor genes can allow tumors to grow unchecked – a case of no brakes – while mutations in oncogenes can activate cell proliferation, pushing the gas pedal all the way to the floor.

14 Feb 2023

Robust new method accurately identifies eight antidepressants

In recent years, a mass spectrometry process that can detect the amounts of drugs in a biological sample, such as blood, has become a powerful diagnostic tool for helping medical professionals identify and monitor levels of therapeutic drugs in patients, which can cause unwanted or dangerous side effects.

14 Feb 2023

Extracts from two common wild plants block SARS-CoV-2 from entering human cells

Two common wild plants contain extracts that inhibit the ability of the virus that causes COVID-19 to infect living cells, an Emory University study finds.

13 Feb 2023

A treatment strategy to hasten cancer cell death

Gene mutations are the cause of cancer. Tumor suppressors and oncogenes are the two main groups of these altered genes in cancer. Mutations in oncogenes can drive cell proliferation, pushing the gas pedal to the floor, whereas mutations in tumor suppressor genes can cause tumors to grow unchecked—a situation in which there is no control.

13 Feb 2023

Identifying the molecular switch that regulates autophagy in plants

Autophagy, commonly known as “self-eating,” is a cellular quality control mechanism that relieves the cell of protein aggregates and damaged organelles. This system is inert under ordinary conditions and is only activated in the presence of persistent cellular stress.

13 Feb 2023

Research reveals gene expression changes in two brain regions of individuals with cocaine use disorder

Individuals with cocaine use disorder exhibit gene expression changes in two brain regions: the nucleus accumbens, a region associated with reward, and the caudate nucleus, a region mediating habit formation, according to research conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published February 10 in Science Advances.

13 Feb 2023

A protein in the lung forms a natural protective barrier against SARS-CoV-2 infection

University of Sydney scientists have discovered a protein in the lung that blocks SARS-CoV-2 infection and forms a natural protective barrier in the human body.

10 Feb 2023

Novel compound curtails influenza virus replication

Viruses use the molecular repertoire of the host cell to replicate. Researchers from the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation2 at the University of Bonn, together with Japanese researchers, want to exploit this for the treatment of influenza.

10 Feb 2023

Novel method enables targeted design of molecules and materials with specific properties

Engineering novel molecules and materials with specific properties can yield significant advances for industrial processes, drug discovery and optoelectronics.

9 Feb 2023

Protein-rich droplets in cells linked to many unresolved diseases

Most proteins localize to distinct protein-rich droplets in cells, also known as "cellular condensates". Such proteins contain sequence features that function as address labels, telling the protein which condensate to move into.

9 Feb 2023

Technology development could help expand usefulness of Raman microscopy

Researchers have developed a Raman microscope that can acquire information hundreds of times faster than a conventional Raman microscope.

8 Feb 2023

Synthetic biosensor could lead to better understanding of cell biology

A synthetic biosensor that mimics properties found in cell membranes and provides an electronic readout of activity could lead to a better understanding of cell biology, development of new drugs, and the creation of sensory organs on a chip capable of detecting chemicals, similar to how noses and tongues work.

8 Feb 2023

New arsenal in the fight against superbugs

RMIT scientists have created a new type of antibiotic that can be rapidly re-engineered to avoid resistance by dangerous superbugs.

8 Feb 2023

Potential approach for mitigating ALS pathogenesis

Every year, 5,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with ALS, an incurable neurodegenerative disease that will destroy them within two to five years.

8 Feb 2023

Promotional spending share allocated to consumer advertising higher for drugs with low added benefit

A new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that the share of promotional spending allocated to consumer advertising was on average 14.3 percentage points higher for drugs with low added benefit compared to drugs with high added benefit.

8 Feb 2023

Novel combination therapy shows promise in acute myeloid leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive form of cancer that originates in the bone marrow, rapidly spreads to the blood and can quickly cause death if not treated promptly.

8 Feb 2023