Transcription News and Research

RSS

Key Hox genes control stem cells involved in bone formation and repair

A new study discovered that genes that have long been known to regulate bone formation before birth also govern bone healing later in life.

From New York University (NYU) 21 Mar 2023

New study pinpoints key source of T cell "exhaustion"

Custom-made to attack cancer cells, CAR T-cell therapies have opened a new era in the treatment of human cancers, particularly, in hematologic malignancies.

21 Mar 2023

Novel mechanism by which bacteria colonize the gut identified

A new mechanism by which “good” bacteria colonize the gut was unraveled by scientists at Yale University. The finding could aid spur the development of new probiotic therapies.

20 Mar 2023

Common commensal gut bacterium uses phase separation of Rho factor to thrive in the mammalian gut

The common commensal gut bacterium Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron uses phase separation of the transcription termination factor Rho to colonize and thrive in the mammalian gut, according to a new study in mice.

17 Mar 2023

New therapeutic approaches to treat autoimmune diseases using a metabolite

Researchers have revealed the modulatory effect of the anti-inflammatory metabolite itaconate on T helper and T regulatory cells, which may lead to new therapeutic approaches to treating some autoimmune diseases.

16 Mar 2023

Effective backup mechanism ensures efficient antimicrobial responses in humans

In the human body, virus particles are identified by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) either within or on the cell surface. When a receptor is activated, a signaling cascade is initiated, which results in the production and release of signaling molecules like interferons and cytokines.

14 Mar 2023

New class of oral drugs inhibits a diverse range of SARS-CoV-2 strains

The constant evolution of new COVID-19 variants makes it critical for clinicians to have multiple therapies in their arsenal for treating drug-resistant infections. Researchers have now discovered that a new class of oral drugs that acts directly on human cells can inhibit a diverse range of pathogenic SARS-CoV-2 strains.

13 Mar 2023

A reliable way to downregulate gene translation in plants

By carefully constructing upstream open reading frames (uORFs), Caixia Gao’s team at the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has created a new technique for downregulating gene translation to a predictable and desirable level in plants.

10 Mar 2023

New gene resource for improving root systems

A strong root system allows crops to absorb water and nutrients from the soil, but scientists have little information about the genes that control root development. Recent research published in New Phytologist reveals that blocking a negative regulator gene of root development leads to enhanced root growth in plants.

8 Mar 2023

Nanosatellite paves the way for developing RNA-based medicines

Researchers from Aarhus University and Berkeley Laboratory have designed RNA molecules, that folds into nanoscale rectangles, cylinders, and satellites, and have studied their 3D structure and dynamics with advanced nanotechnological methods.

28 Feb 2023

The relationship between cancer and DMD gene expression discovered

Mutations of the gene encoding dystrophins have long been known to cause the debilitating muscle-wasting disease DMD, which affects one in every 5,000 boys born. People with the condition will usually only live into their 20s or 30s.

28 Feb 2023

Novel model system helps studying human ovarian biology

Despite the fact that we all start out as an egg cell in one of our mother's ovaries, these human reproductive organs are surprisingly under-studied. Scientists have been working on creating in vitro models of human ovaries so that we can learn more about them and develop treatments for ovarian conditions, but most existing models use a combination of human and mouse cells, which do not faithfully replicate human ovary functions and take a long time to grow in the lab.

22 Feb 2023

New insights into the mechanism underlying the immunomodulatory effects of polyphenols

PCB2DG, a polyphenol with anti-inflammatory properties, works by targeting and directly interacting with the major glutamine transporter protein, alanine serine cysteine transporter 2 (ASCT2), to inhibit the uptake of glutamine, an important amino acid found in the blood.

22 Feb 2023

DNA methylation for precise gene expression regulation

If the genome is viewed as a guidebook for how a cell should operate, then annotations, highlights, and bookmarks are included on every page.

21 Feb 2023

Betalain-tomatoes confer anti-inflammatory effects against macrophages and murine colitis

Metabolic engineering is a field of plant biotechnology that seeks to genetically modify plant metabolic pathways to generate plant varieties with improved health benefits.

17 Feb 2023

Extended generation of blood cells in wild-type animals from pluripotent stem cells

Cells present in the blood like red blood cells, immune cells, and other crucial cell types are renewed continually from stem cells, the alleged hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs).

17 Feb 2023

Novel mechanism of DNA repair occurring in neurons uncovered

"Use it or lose it" goes the adage, applied liberally to everything from our muscles to our minds, especially as we age.

16 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

Two-step screening of aroma compounds reveals a novel and effective modulator of dendritic cells

Dendritic cells (DCs) are important players of the immune system with important functions such as the identification of infectious pathogens, production of cytokines (chemical signalers of the immune system), presentation of antigens to activate T-cells, and more.

13 Feb 2023

Researchers report the genome-wide atlas of chromatin-accessibility during stomatal development

Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Washington have elucidated a mechanism that makes tiny plant stem cells destined to give rise to stomata, cellular valves of plants that facilitate global carbon cycles.

9 Feb 2023