Life Science News

RSS

Decoding the genetic roots of stroke and heart attack

In a new study published in the European Heart Journal, researchers at Karolinska Institutet show that genetic traits influence the cellular composition of atherosclerotic plaques, which over time will affect the risk of such lesions to cause a stroke or heart attack. The new knowledge can be used to improve the risk assessment and treatment of patients with atherosclerosis in the future.

20 Nov 2024

Researchers unlock cell density as a tool for building synthetic tissues

Genes aren't the sole driver instructing cells to build multicellular structures, tissues, and organs. In a new paper published in Nature Communications, USC Stem Cell scientist Leonardo Morsut and Caltech computational biologist Matt Thomson characterize the influence of another important developmental driver: cell density, or how loosely or tightly cells are packed into a given space.

20 Nov 2024

Researchers uncover hidden roles of accessory genes in SARS-CoV-2

Viruses are lean, mean, infection machines. Their genomes are tiny, usually limited to a handful of absolutely essential genes, and they shed extra genomic deadweight extremely fast.

20 Nov 2024

New approach to stabilize RSV protein could lead to better vaccines

In most people, the lung-infecting pathogens known as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV) trigger mild cold-like symptoms. But in infants and seniors, these viruses can cause severe pneumonia and even death.

20 Nov 2024

Study identifies DNA collisions driving genetic changes in cancer

Cancer researchers at the University of Chicago and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have discovered that mutations in certain genes can lead to the accumulation of DNA errors, resulting in a specific type of genetic change known as large tandem duplications (TDs) that can arise from the collision of two critical cellular processes: transcription and DNA replication.

20 Nov 2024

Barcoding small extracellular vesicles with new CRISPR-based system

Cell-to-cell communication through nanosized particles, working as messengers and carriers, can now be analyzed in a whole new way, thanks to a new method involving CRISPR gene-editing technology.

20 Nov 2024

Antibiotic activity altered by interaction with nanoplastics, new research shows

Nanoplastics significantly alter antibiotic interactions, reducing effectiveness and increasing resistance, posing serious implications for health and ecology.

20 Nov 2024

Diet shifts around the world may ease environmental pressures

Shifting our diets to be more sustainable can be a powerful way for each of us to address both climate change and global food insecurity, however making such adjustments at the large scales necessary to make a difference globally can be a delicate matter.

19 Nov 2024

Study reveals variability in polygenic risk scores for predicting heart disease

Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) are a cutting-edge tool in genetics, combining information from genetic markers across the genome to estimate a person's risk of developing certain diseases, such as coronary artery disease (CAD).

19 Nov 2024

Malaria crystal structure offers clues for more effective medications

Prof. Leslie Leiserowitz first became intrigued by malaria when he was a young boy in South Africa. His father, who scouted the continent in search of wood for the family business, brought back not only tales of elephants and gorillas but also skin rashes and ringing in his ears, side effects of the quinine he took to prevent malaria.

19 Nov 2024

Stilla Technologies with Source BioScience brings advanced genomics solutions to the UK market

Stilla Technologies, a global leader in digital PCR (dPCR) solutions, has announced a strategic partnership with Source BioScience, a leading UK-based genomics service provider.

From Stilla Technologies 19 Nov 2024

Innovative platform helps explore genetic links to 99 diseases

A new study introduces the Proteome-Wide Association Study Hub, an innovative and powerful tool designed to explore gene-disease connections across ninety-nine common diseases.

18 Nov 2024

New oral painkiller developed for chronic abdominal pain

University of Queensland researchers have developed a new class of oral painkillers to suppress chronic abdominal pain that is based on the peptide hormone oxytocin that drives childbirth contractions.

18 Nov 2024

Engineered virus-like particles evolve for superior gene delivery efficiency

Researchers developed a barcoded directed evolution system for engineered virus-like particles (eVLPs), creating a fifth-generation (v5) eVLP with enhanced production, transduction, and gene-editing efficiency. This system could pave the way for improved gene delivery vehicles in therapeutic applications.

17 Nov 2024

Specific redox protein identified as a critical regulator of ferroptosis

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich, in collaboration with colleagues at Tohoku University, have identified a specific redox protein as a critical regulator of ferroptosis - a form of regulated oxidative cell death.

15 Nov 2024

TB pathogen's surprising growth mechanism challenges bacterial biology

The rod-shaped tuberculosis (TB) bacterium, which the World Health Organization has once again ranked as the top infectious disease killer globally, is the first single-celled organism ever observed to maintain a consistent growth rate throughout its life cycle.

15 Nov 2024

Genomic surveillance could revolutionize the fight against antimicrobial resistance

During the COVID-19 pandemic, genomic surveillance proved vital in helping understand the evolution and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

15 Nov 2024

Rare STAT6 gene variant provides protection against severe asthma

Scientists at deCODE genetics, a subsidiary of Amgen, and collaborators have published a study in Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reporting a rare missense variant in STAT6 that protects against asthma.

15 Nov 2024

Evo model set to transform synthetic biology and disease diagnosis

A new study presents "Evo" – a machine learning model capable of decoding and designing DNA, RNA, and protein sequences, from molecular to genome scale, with unparalleled accuracy. Evo's ability to predict, generate, and engineer entire genomic sequences could change the way synthetic biology is done.

15 Nov 2024

UCLA researchers discover netrin1's unexpected role in spinal cord development

Scientists at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA have uncovered an unexpected role for the molecule netrin1 in organizing the developing spinal cord.

15 Nov 2024