A new study has revealed that bile duct cells can switch to become normal liver cells to help repair the liver after severe damage. Understanding how this back-up system is controlled could pave the way for new liver therapies, say the scientists from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University...
Category: <span>Genetics</span>
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New gene therapy treatment routes for motor neurone disease uncovered in new study
Scientists investigating the genetic causes and altered functioning of nerve cells in motor neuron disease (MND) have discovered a new mechanism that could lead to fresh treatment approaches for one of the most common forms of the disease. The team, based in the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), investigated a mutation in one particular...
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10 Years of GWAS Discovery: Biology, Function, and Translation
Main Text Introduction Here, we review the remarkable range of discoveries that genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have facilitated in population and complex-trait genetics, the biology of diseases, and translation toward new therapeutics. In the introductory sections, we provide a background for this review, summarize its scope and layout, and revisit the scientific rationale for GWASs....
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Researchers Refute Study That Claims CRISPR Causes Unexpected Mutations
IN BRIEF A study published earlier this year warned scientists of potential complications with CRISPR/Cas9, but after review by researchers at another institution, the findings of that study are being brought into question. It remains to be seen whether the original study will be corrected or retracted, but this development highlights the importance of peer...
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One virus may protect against type 1 diabetes, others may increase risk
Doctors can’t predict who will develop type 1 diabetes, a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system destroys the cells needed to control blood-sugar levels, requiring daily insulin injections and continual monitoring. Now, a new study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has found that viruses in the intestines may...
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New technology to manipulate cells could help treat Parkinson’s, arthritis, other diseases
A groundbreaking advancement in materials from Northwestern University could potentially help patients requiring stem cell therapies for spinal cord injuries, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritic joints or any other condition requiring tissue regeneration, according to a new study. “It’s important in the context of cell therapies for people to cure these diseases or regenerate...
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Well-known protein stimulates insulin secretion in pancreatic cells, surprising scientists
A study published online in The FASEB Journal demonstrated that a protein complex (Gbeta5-RGS) commonly known for halting cellular functions may actually stimulate insulin secretion in pancreatic cells. This discovery offers insights into new treatment strategies for conditions where the body is unable to produce sufficient levels of insulin, such as diabetes. “Once again, Gbeta5-RGS proteins continue...
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Barrier proteins in tumors are possible key to immunotherapy success
By comparing variations in protein expression in tumor samples from a single melanoma patient, researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center say their findings have the potential to reveal some of the mechanisms underlying response or resistance to immunotherapy drugs. The “proof of concept” findings, published online Feb. 13,...
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New insight into how telomeres protect cells from premature senescence
Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have further uncovered the secrets of telomeres, the caps that protect the ends of our chromosomes. They discovered that an RNA molecule called TERRA helps to ensure that very short (or broken) telomeres get fixed again. The work, which was recently...
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Researchers chart pathway to ‘rejuvenating’ immune cells to fight cancers and infections
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital immunologists have discovered how immune cells called T cells become “exhausted”—unable to do their jobs of attacking invaders such as cancer cells or viruses. The finding is important because patients treated with immunotherapies against cancers are often non-responsive or experience a relapse of their disease, and it has been suggested...