Study reveals genes that cause loss of lung function in active smokers
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a disease caused by cigarette smoking that reduces lung function and causes difficulty breathing. It is the third leading cause of death worldwide. Current treatments for COPD only affect symptoms, not progression. Identifying who is going to get COPD before they get it is key to figuring out how to intercept the disease at an early stage.
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have identified a panel of genes that are active in smokers and ex-smokers who experience faster loss of lung function over time. They believe these genes could be useful to predict which people are most at risk for smoking-related decline in lung function.
Researchers find new map revealing genes that control skeleton ANI | Updated: May 05, 2021 16:10 IST
Sydney [Australia], May 5 (ANI): Research led by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research has for the first time mapped the unique genetic profile of the skeleton s master regulator cells, known as osteocytes.
The study published today in Nature Communications outlines the genes that are switched on or off in osteocytes, a type of bone cell that controls how other types of cells make or break down parts of the skeleton to maintain strong and healthy bones. This new information provides a kind of genetic shortlist we can look to when diagnosing bone diseases that have a genetic component, says the study s first author Dr Scott Youlten, Research Officer in the Bone Biology Lab. Identifying this unique genetic pattern will also help us find new therapies for bone disease and better understand the impacts of current therapies on the skeleton
Scientists identify many genes that are important in fruit flies neuron development
Neurons result from a highly complex and unique series of cell divisions. For example, in fruit flies, the process starts with stem cells that divide into mother cells (progenitor cells), that then divide into precursor cells that eventually become neurons.
A team of the University of Michigan (U-M), spearheaded by Nigel Michki, a graduate student, and Assistant Professor Dawen Cai in the departments of Biophysics (LS&A) and Cell and Developmental Biology at the Medical School, identified many genes that are important in fruit flies neuron development, and that had never been described before in that context.
Researchers led by Indian-origin scientist identify genes that fight virus causing COVID-19
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Last Updated: Apr 17, 2021, 12:25 PM IST
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Synopsis
The study by scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in San Diego, California, was published in the journal Molecular Cell.
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As a next step, the researchers will look at the biology of SARS-CoV-2 variants that continue to evolve and threaten vaccine efficacy.
US researchers led by an Indian-origin scientist have identified a set of human genes that fight SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, a study that could help in understanding the factors that affect disease severity and suggesting possible therapeutic options.
Epigenetic endowment of every person has an impact on COVID-19 severity
COVID-19, caused by the infection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has changed people s behavioral patterns since the moment it became a global pandemic. To date, more than 136 million people have suffered from this disease, and more than 2.9 of these have lost their lives. The symptoms of the infection are varied, ranging from people with no clinical symptomatology to those who need hospital admission in the intensive care unit with the help from emergency assisted ventilation.
At the moment, the factors responsible for this wide range of clinical pictures are still unknown. Now, an article in