A new clinical and preclinical study from the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center identifies the DNA roots of resistance to targeted cancer therapy, providing a possible strategy to address a vexing issue in cancer therapeutics. Results are published online ahead of print in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. We … Read more
RNA viruses, such as the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, are in a life-and-death race the moment they infect a cell. These viruses have only minutes to establish their replication machinery inside the host cell before the genetic instructions contained in their vulnerable RNA genomes – which are more fragile than DNA – would otherwise be … Read more
Cells zealously protect the integrity of their genomes, because damage can lead to cancer or cell death. The genome -; a cell’s complete set of DNA -; is most vulnerable while it is being duplicated before a cell divides. Cancer cells are constantly dividing, so their genomes are constantly in jeopardy. Researchers at Washington University … Read more
In a recent review published in Cellresearchers explored the role of endogenous retrovirus (ERV) reactivation in the aging process. Study: Is aging a “retro” perspective event? Image Credit: BLACKDAY/Shutterstock ERVs are reported to be viral remnants of infections among primates that transform into stable genetic components at the boundary between own cell-deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and … Read more
In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers performed an in silico analysis to estimate the relative risks of recently emerged severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants. Study: SARS-CoV-2 Omicron XBB.1.5 may be a cautionary variant by in silico study. Image Credit: Naeblys/Shutterstock Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic … Read more
Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have discovered a molecular pathway critical to the initiation of pancreatic tumors. The mechanism could also contribute to the disease’s high resistance to chemotherapy and its propensity for metastasis. The study, published on January 16, 2022 in Nature Cell Biology, found that pancreatic tumor-initiating … Read more
Researchers in the United States and Japan have discovered a new mechanism that links age-related cartilage tissue stiffening with the repression of a key protein associated with longevity. These findings enhance the understanding of mechanisms that lead to the deterioration of joints that causes osteoarthritis, according to the authors of a new study, published January … Read more
In a recent review published in Cellresearchers presented an overview of bacteriophage treatment, including mechanisms, types, design and applications of bacteriophage therapy. Study: Phage therapy: From biological mechanisms to future directions. Image Credit: Tatiana Shepeleva/Shutterstock Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been associated with significant morbidity and mortality globally, especially among lower-income nations, and AMR incidence has … Read more
A study of kidney organoids in a novel lab environment may have downstream implications for the treatment of polycystic kidney disease (PKD), an incurable condition that affects more than 12 million people worldwide. One key discovery of the study: Sugar appears to play a role in the formation of fluid-filled cysts that are PKD’s hallmark. … Read more
Myocarditis, a condition in which the heart muscle becomes inflamed, is a rare complication that can occur after mRNA COVID vaccination. It’s estimated that roughly 18 cases occur in every 1 million vaccine doses administered, making it so rare that it is challenging to find cases to investigate. In a new study by researchers from … Read more
