Cancer cells can shrink or super-size themselves to survive drug treatment or other challenges within their environment, researchers have discovered. Scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, combined biochemical profiling technologies with mathematical analyzes to reveal how genetic changes lead to differences in the size of cancer cells – and how these changes could … Read more
An international consortium co-led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center immunogeneticist Rubén Martínez-Barricarte, PhD, has discovered a new genetic disorder that causes immunodeficiency and profound susceptibility to opportunistic infections including a life-threatening fungal pneumonia. The discovery, reported Jan. 20 in the journal Science Immunology, will help identify people who carry this in-born error of immunity (IEI). … Read more
photo: Sergey Ryzhov (Shutterstock) Eggs used to be one of the cheapest protein sources out there. Back when they cost $2 a dozen, the 84 grams of protein in a carton of extra-large eggs worked out to just 48 cents per 20 grams of protein. But thanks to the recent bird flu outbreak and various … Read more
In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, a team of researchers from the United States used electronic health records to characterize the incidence, biomarkers, attributes, and severity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reinfections and evaluated the association between reinfections and long coronavirus disease (COVID). Study: SARS-CoV-2 Reinfection is Preceded … Read more
A stroll through a grocery store used to include lots of packages touting the sought-after term “low fat.” Years later, it was replaced with exciting-looking “low carb” claims. These days, “high in protein” is a benefit you’ll see touted on lots of products, whether they’re protein powder, bone broth, salty snacks or just about anything … Read more
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have shown that zebrafish can provide genetic baz1b clues to the evolution of social behaviors in humans and domesticated species. The research, published in iSciencelooked at genetically modified zebrafish that fail to make the baz1b protein. The results suggest the gene is not only at the cornerstone of … Read more
In a recent study published in the journal Science Translational Medicineresearchers reported that long-term anosmia following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could be a result of persistent T-cell mediated inflammation occurring in the olfactory epithelium even after the elimination of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 ) from the olfactory tissue. Study: Persistent post–COVID-19 smell … Read more
Using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system, UT Southwestern researchers corrected mutations responsible for a common inherited heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in human cells and a mouse model of the disease. Their findings, published in Science Translational Medicinemay one day provide hope to an estimated 1 in 250 people worldwide who suffer from this … Read more
A fundamental principle of molecular biology governs how proteins are made within the cell, which happens in two stages called transcription and translation. During transcription, information stored in DNA is copied into messenger RNA (mRNA). Then during translation, the ribosomes assemble proteins one amino acid at a time based on the instruction specified on the … Read more
In healthy vision, a gene called PRPH2 provides instructions to make a protein called peripherin 2 (PRPH2), which plays a key role in the normal functioning of photoreceptors that detect light and color and which line the back of the eye. When there are mutations in the PRPH2 gene, the result can be macular dystrophy, … Read more