Messenger RNA (mRNA) News and Research

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Researchers identify body's control switch system to eliminate damaged cells

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists discovered a new mechanism cells use to maximize production of a key protein following DNA damage and demonstrated the potential of small molecules to regulate the process and protect healthy tissue.

14 Sep 2010

Cell quality control mechanism research paves way for new understanding of neurodegenerative diseases

Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have solved a long-standing mystery of how cells conduct "quality control" to eliminate the toxic effects of a certain kind of error in protein production. The findings may lead to a better understanding of a host of neurodegenerative diseases.

13 Sep 2010

MIRACLE project to develop lab-on-chip system for diagnosing cancer

Today, at the Engineering in Medicine and Biology Conference in Buenos Aires (Argentina), imec and its project partners announce the launch of the European Seventh Framework Project MIRACLE. The MIRACLE project aims at developing an operational lab-on-chip for the isolation and detection of circulating and disseminated tumor cells in blood.

2 Sep 2010

MGH scientists develop new microfluidic tool for accurate isolation of neutrophils

A team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) scientists has developed a new microfluidic tool for quickly and accurately isolating neutrophils - the most abundant type of white blood cell - from small blood samples, an accomplishment that could provide information essential to better understanding the immune system's response to traumatic injury. The system, described in a Nature Medicine paper that received advance online release, also can be adapted to isolate almost any type of cell.

31 Aug 2010

Alpha-synuclein gene silencing effective for treating neurodegenerative disorders: Research

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, and collaborators at The Parkinson's Institute and the Mayo Clinic have published new research findings in the journal Public Library of Science (PLoS). The new data show effective silencing of the alpha-synuclein gene with an RNAi therapeutic administered directly to the substantia nigra in the CNS of non-human primates.

24 Aug 2010

RPA70 associated with SUMO-specific protease facilitates DNA repair: Research

A team of investigators led by a physician-scientist at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has shown for the first time that the small protein SUMO can team up with the replication protein A (RPA) complex to facilitate DNA repair. The study is published in the Aug. 13 edition of the journal Molecular Cell.

13 Aug 2010

UCSF researchers discover new technology purifying special types of stem cells

UCSF researchers are reporting the first success in very rapidly purifying one type of embryonic stem cell from a mix of many different types of embryonic stem cells in the culture dish. The technique, which avoids the need to genetically alter the cells to distinguish them, is a key advance, the researchers say, for obtaining the appropriate cells for repairing specific damaged tissues.

7 Aug 2010

Alnylam publishes research findings of Sort1 gene role in cardiovascular disease development

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today the publication of new research findings in the journal Nature describing the discovery and validation of the role of the gene Sort1 in the development of cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction (MI). This work was done with collaborators at University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) School of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and the Broad Institute. The collaborative effort combined genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and RNAi technology to identify and validate novel genes as targets for new therapies for heart disease.

6 Aug 2010

WaferGen launches SmartChip System for discovery, validation of biomarkers

WaferGen Biosystems, Inc., a leading developer of state-of-the-art genomic analysis systems, today announced it has launched the breakthrough WaferGen SmartChip Real-Time PCR System, the next-generation Real-Time PCR system for discovery and validation of biomarkers, or gene expression patterns, on a single platform. The SmartChip System is designed to provide accurate, highly sensitive and high-throughput gene expression profiling capabilities to researchers, clinicians and pharmaceutical companies.

6 Aug 2010

Arcelis immunotherapy effective in treating autoimmune diseases: Study

Argos Therapeutics today announced that its Arcelis immunotherapy targeted at diabetes demonstrated potential for preventing and treating the disease in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, according to a peer-reviewed article published in Molecular Therapy.

4 Aug 2010

Enzon second-quarter loss from continuing operations reduces to $5.4 million

Enzon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced its financial results for the second quarter of 2010. For the second quarter of 2010, Enzon reported a loss from continuing operations of $5.4 million or $0.09 per diluted share, as compared to a loss of $19.7 million or $0.43 per diluted share for the second quarter of 2009.

4 Aug 2010

microRNA protects red blood cells from oxidant stress: Study

Pediatric researchers have discovered a new biological pathway in which small segments of RNA, called microRNA, help protect red blood cells from injury caused by chemicals called free radicals. The microRNA seems to have only a modest role when red blood cells experience normal conditions, but steps into action when the cells are threatened by oxidant stress.

2 Aug 2010

Bio-Path commences dosing in Liposomal Grb-2 Phase I cancer study

Bio-Path Holdings, Inc.,, a biotechnology company with drug development operations in Houston, Texas, announced today that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase I study of its cancer drug candidate, Liposomal Grb-2 (L-Grb-2 or BP-100-1.01), in patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML), Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) or Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS).

30 Jul 2010

Loss of key nerve cells cause Parkinson's disease: Research

Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a molecular pathway responsible for the death of key nerve cells whose loss causes Parkinson's disease. This discovery not only may explain how a genetic mutation linked to Parkinson's causes the cells' death, but could also open the door to new therapeutic approaches for the malady.

29 Jul 2010

Affymetrix launches QuantiGene ViewRNA Assay formats

Affymetrix, Inc. today announced the launch of QuantiGene® ViewRNA Assay formats, which enable a new era of "in situ multiplex gene expression analysis" by allowing drug screening of native cells and advancing the pace of biomarker disease research and stem cell studies. These in situ assays enable researchers to visualize gene expression in individual cells at an unprecedented level of sensitivity and speed.

22 Jul 2010

Thymosin beta 4 improves neurological functional outcome after embolic stroke: Researchers

RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced a research team from the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI, reported that Thymosin beta 4, administered to rats after embolic stroke, improved neurological functional outcome compared to control animals.

20 Jul 2010

Study compares denture stomatitis genes with whole transcriptome for salivary biomarker analysis

The goal of the study was to compare whole-transcriptome, mucosal gene expression in Candida albicans (a parasitic fungus that can infect the mouth) associated chronic denture stomatitis to that of healthy oral mucosa and perform proteomic analyses of potential salivary biomarkers. Denture stomatitis is a condition in which the mucosa underneath a denture becomes inflamed and sometimes painful.

16 Jul 2010

QR Pharma to present positive clinical data from mechanism of action study in MCI at ICAD 2010

QR Pharma, Inc., a developer of novel drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD), is presenting a poster today on positive clinical data from its recent mechanism of action study in mild cognitive impaired (MCI) patients at the International Congress on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD 2010).

15 Jul 2010

Fluidigm's IFC platform products help perform digital-PCR measurements on single gene

Utilizing Fluidigm Corporation's Dynamic Array™ and Digital Array™ integrated fluidic circuits (IFCs), Stanford University researchers to have discovered a much larger spectrum of differences between individual cells than has previously been demonstrated. Among these differences are the communication capabilities that emerge from the interactions of genetic circuitry that mediates cell-to-cell communication.

2 Jul 2010

Regulus Therapeutics, sanofi-aventis partner to develop and commercialize microRNA therapeutics

Regulus Therapeutics Inc. and sanofi-aventis announced today that they have entered into a global, strategic alliance to discover, develop, and commercialize microRNA therapeutics. The alliance represents the largest microRNA partnership formed to date, valued at potentially over $750 million, and includes a $25 million upfront fee, a $10 million future equity investment subject to mutual agreement on company valuation, and annual research support for three years with the option to extend two additional years.

22 Jun 2010