University of Minnesota Twin Cities researchers in the Department of Chemistry have created a new polymer to deliver DNA and RNA-based therapies for diseases. For the first time in the industry, the researchers were able to see exactly how polymers interact with human cells when delivering medicines into the body. This discovery opens the door for more widespread use...
by University Health Network Credit: CC0 Public Domain Princess Margaret scientists have revealed how stem cells are able to generate new blood cells throughout our life by looking at vast, uncharted regions of our genetic material that hold important clues to subtle biological changes in these cells. The finding, obtained from studying normal blood, can be...
KARLSRUHER INSTITUT FÜR TECHNOLOGIE (KIT) IMAGE: DNA IS EXPOSED TO UV RADIATION FROM LEDS TO STUDY HOW FAR THE PHOTOENERGY MIGRATES. CREDIT: (PHOTO: ARTHUR KUHLMANN, KIT) Ultraviolet light endangers the integrity of human genetic information and may cause skin cancer. For the first time, researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have demonstrated that DNA...
Studies identify bulk of genetic variation that influences blood cell traits Two large-scale genetic studies have identified the bulk of genetic variation that influences medically-important characteristics of our blood cells. Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and colleagues from 101 research institutions world-wide, have studied hundreds of thousands...
BY ALISA ZAPP MACHALEK You’ve probably heard news stories and other talk about CRISPR. If you’re not a scientist—well, even if you are—it can seem a bit complex. Here’s a brief recap of what it’s all about. In 1987, scientists noticed weird, repeating sequences of DNA in bacteria. In 2002, the abbreviation CRISPR was coined...
Examining individual molecules to detect the presence of disease in blood UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS ILLUSTRATION SHOWS THE MARRIAGE OF DNA NANOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOELECTRONICS.view more CREDIT: EATFISHDESIGN A new and quicker method of diagnosing diseases in patients has been created by researchers at the University of Leeds. The team has developed a system of examining individual...
Scientists have shown that currents measured in millionths of an amp kill bacteria by disrupting their outer membranes. The finding may inspire new antimicrobial technologies that use electricity to slow the spread of antibiotic resistant infections. New research suggesting that electricity can kill bacteria may have long-term implications for combating ‘superbugs.’ Scientists have known since...
UMEA UNIVERSITY ILLUSTRATION OF HOW THE PROTEIN SMAD7 ENHANCES THE DEVELOPMENT OF TUMORS BY REGULATING THE GENE EXPRESSION OF HDAC6 AND C-JUN. view more CREDIT: KEMAL AVICAN An increased awareness on a molecular level of what mechanisms prostate cancer cells use to become mobile and start spreading may in the long run provide new opportunities...
A cellular condition called oxidative stress can kill cancer cells. The finding that skin cancer cells evade such destruction using lipids acquired while passing through lymphatic vessels reveals a mechanism that boosts cancer spread. Barbara M. Grüner & Sarah-Maria Fendt PDF version The spread of cancer to distant parts of the body, such as to...
A study from Emory Vaccine Center provides insights into why the boost in immunity from seasonal flu vaccination lasts for months but not years, unlike some childhood vaccinations. The home base for immune cells that produce antibodies is the bone marrow. Seasonal flu vaccination does increase the number of antibody-producing cells specific for flu in...
