A combination of genetic shuffling and evolutionary selection of near-identical genetic sequences among specific bat and pangolin coronaviruses may have led to the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and its introduction into humans, a new study suggests. The results also showed that the virus’ entire receptor binding motif (RBM), a component that plays a key role in…
From bacteria-made insulin that obviates the use of animal pancreases to a better understanding of infectious diseases and improved treatments, genetic engineering of bacteria has redefined modern medicine. Yet, serious limitations remain that hamper| progress in numerous other areas. A decades-old bacterial engineering technique called recombineering (recombination-mediated genetic engineering) allows scientists to scarlessly swap pieces…
The addition of the monoclonal antibody therapy Trastuzumab to radiotherapy did not reach the protocol objective of a 36% reduction in the ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence rate for women with HER2-positive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) on the NRG Oncology clinical trial NSABP B-43. The trial did find a statistically non-significant, modest (19%) reduction in…
A team of researchers led by Swansea University have developed new technology to monitor cholesterol in brain tissue which could uncover its relation to neurodegenerative disease and pave the way for the development of new treatments. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, shows the major locations…
An individualised and family-based physical activity and dietary intervention reduced the plasma LDL cholesterol concentration of primary school children, a new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows. The findings of the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) Study ongoing at the University of Eastern Finland were published in the European Journal of…
The German Research Foundation (DFG) has approved a new proposal for a collaborative research centre (CRC) under the leadership of the Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine (IEKM) at the University Heart Centre Freiburg ยท Bad Krozingen. The CRC 1425 “The heterocellular nature of cardiac lesions: Identities, interactions, implications” will be funded by the DFG with…
Cambridge, UK, May 2020 – Genestack Ltd. today announced that its flagship multi-omics data catalogue, curation and integrative search product, Omics Data Manager (ODM), has been licensed and implemented by AstraZeneca. Genestack’s ODM is an enabling technology providing a central hub for organising and querying multi-omics data from multiple sites, including transcriptomics and proteomics. Curation…
Mucus is the first line of defence against bad bacteria in our gut. But could it also be part of our defence against diseases of the brain? Bacterial imbalance in the gut is linked with Alzheimer’s disease, autism and other brain disorders, yet the exact causes are unclear. Now a new research review of 113…
AURORA, Colo. (May 29, 2020) – Researchers at the University of Colorado College of Nursing and the School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology at the Anschutz Medical Campus found that the use of nitrous oxide (N2O) as a pain relief option for individuals in labor is safe for newborn children and laboring individual, and converting…
WASHINGTON – A Georgetown University Medical Center clinical trial investigating the cancer drug nilotinib in people with Alzheimer’s disease finds that it is safe and well-tolerated, and researchers say the drug should be tested in a larger study to further determine its safety and efficacy as a potential disease-modifying strategy. The results of the small,…