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Scientists develop new antimicrobial molecules from toxic proteins in wasp venom

A team led by scientists in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has engineered powerful new antimicrobial molecules from toxic proteins found in wasp venom.

13 Oct 2020

Scientists discern molecular mechanisms underlying plant parasitism and cross-species grafting

Using the model Orobanchaceae parasitic plant Phtheirospermum japonicum, scientists from Nagoya University and other research institutes from Japan have discerned the molecular mechanisms underlying plant parasitism and cross-species grafting, pinpointing enzyme β-1,4-glucanase (GH9B3) as an important contributor to both phenomena.

12 Oct 2020

Immune cell biomarker may help identify patients at risk for graft-versus-host disease

A recent report published in Science Translational Medicine by MUSC Hollings Cancer Center investigator Sophie Paczesny, M.D., Ph.D., sheds light on immune cell biomarkers that may reveal which patients are most at risk for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a life-threatening condition that can arise after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for treatment of liquid cancers such as leukemia.

8 Oct 2020

Study confirms genetic link in cerebral palsy

A research team has found further evidence that rare gene mutations can cause cerebral palsy, findings which could lead to earlier diagnosis.

8 Oct 2020

New machine learning algorithms to analyze reams of RNA-based 'toehold' sequences

DNA and RNA have been compared to "instruction manuals" containing the information needed for living "machines" to operate.

7 Oct 2020

Vacuolar Tauopathy: New, rare genetic form of dementia discovered

A new, rare genetic form of dementia has been discovered by a team of Penn Medicine researchers. This discovery also sheds light on a new pathway that leads to protein build up in the brain -- which causes this newly discovered disease, as well as related neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's Disease -- that could be targeted for new therapies. The study was published today in Science.

5 Oct 2020

Genetic test identifies patients with invasive lobular carcinoma at high risk of recurrence

New results to be presented at the 12th European Breast Cancer Conference show that a test, which looks at the activity of 70 genes in breast cancer tissue, is possible to use in the clinic to identify patients with invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) that is at high risk of recurring and progressing.

1 Oct 2020

Researchers uncover problems with the conventional method for growing organoids

Organoids are stem cell-based tissue surrogates that can mimic the structure and function of organs, and they have become a key component of numerous types of medical research in recent years.

1 Oct 2020

Epigenetic alterations drive late-onset Alzheimer's disease

New findings suggest that late-onset Alzheimer's Disease is driven by epigenetic changes -- how and when certain genes are turned on and off -- in the brain. Results were published today in Nature Genetics.

29 Sep 2020

Researchers sequence the genome of original penicillin strain

For the first time, scientists have sequenced the genome of Alexander Fleming’s penicillin mould and compared it to the later models.

25 Sep 2020

Researchers analyze individual cells to build an atlas of the human heart

Scientists have created a cellular and molecular map of the healthy human heart, to understand how this vital organ functions, and to shed light on what goes wrong in cardiovascular disease.

25 Sep 2020

Research finds air pollution particles in the placentas of women

Pollution particles, including metals, have been found in the placentas of fifteen women in London, according to research led by Queen Mary University of London.

24 Sep 2020

Researchers identify a driver of drug resistance in some cancers

Patients with BRCA1/2 mutations are at higher risk for breast, ovarian and prostate cancers that can be aggressive when they develop - and, in many cases, resistant to lifesaving drugs.

24 Sep 2020

Combination treatment improves outcomes in advanced kidney cancer patients

An immunotherapy agent combined with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor drug significantly improved progression-free survival and reduced the risk of death compared to a single agent treatment in advanced kidney cancer patients, according to first results of a phase 3 clinical trial. The pivotal study could lead to a new treatment option for patients with metastatic kidney cancer.

24 Sep 2020

New Dual CAR T cell immunotherapy can help fight against HIV infection

A recent study published in the journal Nature Medicine, led by researchers James Riley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and Todd Allen, PhD, a professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Group Leader at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, describes a new Dual CAR T cell immunotherapy that can help fight HIV infection

24 Sep 2020

Irisin hormone could have therapeutic effect on COVID-19 patients

A study conducted by researchers at São Paulo State University (UNESP) suggests that irisin, a hormone secreted from muscles in response to exercise, could have a therapeutic effect on COVID-19 patients.

23 Sep 2020

Gene therapy overcomes cardiac effects in mouse model of Freidreich’s ataxia

Gene therapy was successfully used to overcome the cardiac effects of Freidreich’s ataxia (FA) in a mouse model of the disease, as reported in the peer-reviewed journal Human Gene Therapy. Click here to read the full-text article free online through October 18, 2020.

21 Sep 2020

Study shows how components of body's immune system find intruding cells

Research led by Dr. Wonmuk Hwang has led to a better understanding of how components of the body's immune system find intruding or damaged cells, which could lead to novel approaches to viral and cancer treatments.

17 Sep 2020

Study shows how neural circuits are refined in response to sensory cues

According to a study published in the Neuron journal in September 2020, immune cells play a surprising role in fine-tuning the neural circuits of the brain.

16 Sep 2020

Researchers develop highly scalable and accurate antibody test for COVID-19

An antibody test for the virus that causes COVID-19, developed by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin in collaboration with Houston Methodist and other institutions, is more accurate and can handle a much larger number of donor samples at lower overall cost than standard antibody tests currently in use.

14 Sep 2020