Researchers have discovered a long noncoding RNA whose function was previously unknown that turns out to play an important role in promoting the body s immune response against cancer and holds promise for enhancing the efficacy of anti-cancer immunotherapy.
By Bill Hathaway
May 6, 2021
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Epithelial and two types of immune cells, Langerhans Cell (red) and Dendritic epidermal T cells (green), coordinate spacing on the surface of the skin for optimal defenses against injury and infection. (Courtesy Greco Lab)
As the human body’s largest organ, the skin is responsible for protecting against a wide range of possible infections on all fleshy surfaces, from head to toe. So how exactly does the skin organize its defenses against such an array of threats?
A new Yale study shows that the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin, is comprised of an army of immune cells that station themselves at regular intervals across the skin’s vast expanse to resist infection. When necessary, the researchers found, these immune system soldiers are able to reposition themselves to protect vulnerable areas.
Skin and immune cells coordinate defenses against assault yale.edu - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from yale.edu Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Panoramic RNA Display by Overcoming RNA Modification Aborted Sequencing (PANDORA) is a new RNA sequencing method developed by scientists from the University of California, Riverside (UCR). Unlike Pandora’s box which refers to a source of endless complications or trouble arising from a single, simple miscalculation this Pandora, may be a source of opportunity as it can help discover numerous modified small RNAs that were previously undetectable.
The researchers have published their method and findings in the journal
“Although high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has greatly advanced small non-coding RNA (sncRNA) discovery, the currently widely used complementary DNA library construction protocol generates biased sequencing results,” wrote the researchers. “This is partially due to RNA modifications that interfere with adapter ligation and reverse transcription processes, which prevent the detection of sncRNAs bearing these modifications. Here, we present PANDORA-seq (p
Cells are full of RNA intermediate molecules used to synthesize proteins from DNA in complex and diverse forms, such as ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and transfer RNA (tRNA). Small noncoding RNAs, including micro RNA (miRNA) and tRNA-derived small RNA (tsRNA), are known to contribute to many conditions, such as cancer and neurological diseases. These small RNAs contain many RNA modifications.
Known to be abundant in mammalian somatic cells, miRNA control the kinds and amounts of proteins the cells make. They are by far the most-studied class of small RNA molecules.
The use of high-throughput RNA sequencing has led to the discovery of many functional small noncoding RNAs. The method traditionally relies on the construction of complementary DNA (cDNA) libraries for deep sequencing of small noncoding RNAs with adapter ligation, followed by reverse transcription. This works well for some RNA species, such as miRNAs, but has inherent limitations with some small noncoding RNAs that bear speci