Standard laboratory tests can fail to detect many disease-causing DNA changes. Now, a novel 3D chromosome mapping method can reliably reveal these hidden structural variants and lead to new discoveries.
Patients with weak heart function who receive stem cell therapy shortly after a heart attack are at lower risk of developing heart failure and related hospital stays compared with standard care, finds a clinical trial published by The BMJ today.
Cancer immunotherapy, especially using T cells, is showing a lot of promise in treating blood cancers. Bioengineered T cells, especially those equipped with chimeric antigen receptors (CAR-T cells), have revolutionized cancer treatment. But while they’ve delivered impressive results against certain blood cancers, they’ve struggled to make an impact in solid tumors, such as those in the breast, lung, and prostate.
Researchers have created a new type of drug molecule that can precisely destroy TERRA, an RNA molecule that helps certain cancer cells survive. Using advanced “RIBOTAC” technology, their compound finds TERRA inside cells and breaks it down without harming healthy molecules. This discovery could pave the way for a new generation of RNA-based cancer treatments, targeting the disease at its genetic roots rather than just its symptoms.
Two teams of researchers have developed a cell reprogramming technology that converts rogue disease-causing T cells from our immune system into protective Tregcells. These cells help ensure that the immune system doesn’t attack the body’s own tissues. The breakthroughs could usher in more personalized and targeted cell therapies for a host of autoimmune diseases.
A genomic test co-developed by Mayo Clinic and SkylineDx can identify whether people with melanoma are at low or high risk for cancer in their lymph nodes—a finding that could guide treatment decisions and help many people avoid lymph node biopsy surgery. The study results are published in JAMA Surgery.
Enabled by a new high-resolution mapping technique, the findings overturn a long-held belief that the genome loses its 3D structure when cells divide.
The influenza A virus (IAV) has been the cause of six major flu pandemics, responsible for 50 to 100 million deaths globally. In the U.S. alone, it is estimated that despite seasonally updated vaccines, IAV infections still lead to 140,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 to 52,000 deaths annually.
The promoter editing system could be used to fine-tune gene therapy or to more efficiently reprogram cells for therapeutic use.
A research team in Japan has developed an innovative system that can accurately detect genetic mutations in brain tumors within just 25 minutes. Genetic mutations are crucial markers for diagnosis of brain tumors.