Researchers have discovered a new gene expression mechanism in porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, or PRRS, virus — an important swine pathogen that costs the U.S. pork industry more than $600 million a year. The discovery provides a new avenue for scientists to explore strategies to control and prevent the disease. ...
A genetic mutation in Doberman pinschers that causes albinism in the breed has been found by researchers, a discovery that has eluded veterinarians and breeders worldwide up until now. "What we found was a gene mutation that results in a missing protein necessary for cells to be pigmented," said a researcher. "Some defects in this same gene cause a condition called oculocutaneous albinism in humans."...
RNA carried by new nanoparticles can silence genes in many organs, and could be deployed to treat cancer, researchers report. Up to this point, researchers have gotten the best results with RNAi targeted to diseases of the liver, in part because it is a natural destination for nanoparticles. But now, a team reports achieving the most potent RNAi gene silencing to date in nonliver tissues. ...
The analyzing of sperm cells to learn more about bird evolution and behavior is a new area of research. "To understand sexual infidelity in species, interpreting DNA is not enough. We also need to look at the shape and behavior of the sperm cells. Sperm research has opened up a completely new world to us," says one researcher. ...
A comprehensive study of associations between genetic variation and human metabolism will improve our understanding of the molecular pathways underlying common complex diseases such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Researchers have linked 145 genetic regions with more than 400 molecules involved in human metabolism. ...
Plant scientists find fatty acid desaturating enzymes link up to pass intermediate products from one enzyme to another. Getting plants to accumulate high levels of more healthful polyunsaturated fatty acids, or unusual fatty acids that could be used as raw materials in place of petroleum-derived chemicals in industrial processes, are a few possible outcomes. ...
After the markets closed Friday, Amgen and AstraZeneca announced that their top psoriasis contender, brodalumab, scored a win in Phase III, with a large majority of patients in both dosage arms clearing the bar on a standard measure for efficacy. ...
The rind is the boundary layer between a cheese and its environment. It hosts a variety of microorganisms that comprise the microbiome: a symbiotic community whose members perform different tasks. Some break down proteins and fats on the rind, for example, creating volatile sulphur and ammonia compounds that are responsible for the intensive odour of some types of cheese. ...
A genetic cause of a facial disorder known as hemifacial microsomia (HFM) has been discovered by scientists. The researchers find that duplication of the gene OTX2 induces HFM, the second-most common facial anomaly after cleft lip and palate. HFM affects approximately one in 3,500 births. While some cases appear to run in families, no gene had been found to be causative -- until now. ...
UCLA brainchild ImaginAb has hauled in another $21 million in venture cash to advance its antibody-re-engineering technology, a biotech approach to imaging that the company believes will help personalize treatments for cancer and immune disease. ...
Considered as an obsolete theory for many years, the transmission of acquired traits has returned to the forefront of debate thanks to the development of epigenetic research. In this context, a team of researchers has described how in Paramecia, mating types are transmitted from generation to generation through an unexpected mechanism. A Paramecium can acquire a new mating type that will be inherited...
The once-vibrant market for biotech IPOs is steadily dying down amid so-so debuts and tepid stock performances, a climate that led Agile Therapeutics to scale back its ambitions and Radius Health to postpone its offering altogether. ...
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Amid concerns that its planned buyout of AstraZeneca would deal a blow to U.K. R&D, Pfizer has teamed up with a host of British universities to collaborate on rare-disease drugs. ...
Merck KGaA has long said it's not affraid to spend big on bolstering its pipeline, and part of the German drugmaker's value-creation plan is a sizable investment in biosimilars. ...
Scientists have long been searching for a way to harness patients' immune systems to attack their own cancer, and researchers may have figured out just the way to do it. ...
A new molecular circuit that controls longevity in yeast and more complex organisms has been identified by a study. Researchers also suggest a therapeutic intervention that could mimic the lifespan-enhancing effect of caloric restriction, no dietary restrictions necessary. The team looked for answers in the ISW2 protein, and found that its absence alters gene expression involved in DNA damage protection....
The largest metagenomic search for antibiotic resistance genes in the DNA sequences of microbial communities from around the globe has found that bacteria carrying those vexing genes turn up everywhere in nature that scientists look for them. The findings add to evidence showing just how common and abundant those resistance genes really are in natural environments. ...
After cancer spreads, finding and destroying malignant cells that circulate in the body is usually critical to patient survival. Now, researchers report that they have developed a new method that allows investigators to label and track single tumor cells circulating in the blood. This advance could help investigators develop a better understanding of cancer spread and how to stop it. ...
The entire heart muscle in young children may be capable of regeneration. In young mice 15 days old, cardiac muscle cells undergo a precisely timed spurt of cell division lasting around a day. This previously unobserved phenomenon contradicts the long-held idea that cardiac muscle cells do not divide after the first few days of life. ...