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March 11, 2021
A team led by scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine has made a map identifying all the different RNA molecules that are derived from each gene in the brains of mice.
It is the first map that depicts this important layer of biological diversity, called isoform variation, by cell type and across brain regions for the whole genome, and it contributes to neuroscientists’ ambitious goal of an ultra-detailed atlas of the brain.
Isoform variation is a process that extends the versatility of DNA by enabling individual genes to give rise to multiple versions of a protein, each of which may have a different function. Genes, when active, are transcribed into RNA molecules, and isoform variation involves the dicing and splicing into alternate versions or isoforms of these RNA molecules, each corresponding to a distinct variant of a protein.
February 11, 2021
The discovery of an “Achilles’ heel” in a type of gut bacteria that causes intestinal inflammation in patients with Crohn’s disease may lead to more targeted therapies for the difficult-to-treat disease, according to researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian.
In a study published Feb. 5 in Cell Host and Microbe, the investigators showed that patients with Crohn’s disease have an overabundance of a type of gut bacteria called adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC), which
promotes inflammation in the intestine. Their experiments revealed that a metabolite produced by the bacteria interacts with immune system cells in the lining of the intestine, triggering inflammation.
February 9, 2021
Common fungi, often present in the gut, teach the immune system how to respond to their more dangerous relatives, according to new research from scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine. Breakdowns in this process can leave people susceptible to deadly fungal infections.
The study, published Feb. 5 in Cell, reveals a new twist in the complex relationship between humans and their associated microbes, and points the way toward novel therapies that could help combat a rising tide of drug-resistant pathogens.
The new discovery stemmed from work on inflammatory bowel disease, which often causes patients to carry larger than normal populations of fungi in their guts. These patients often develop strong antibody responses against mannan, a molecule common to a wide range of fungal species.
Gut fungi teach the immune system how to respond to their dangerous relatives
Common fungi, often present in the gut, teach the immune system how to respond to their more dangerous relatives, according to new research from scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine. Breakdowns in this process can leave people susceptible to deadly fungal infections.
The study, published Feb. 5 in
Cell, reveals a new twist in the complex relationship between humans and their associated microbes, and points the way toward novel therapies that could help combat a rising tide of drug-resistant pathogens.
The new discovery stemmed from work on inflammatory bowel disease, which often causes patients to carry larger than normal populations of fungi in their guts. These patients often develop strong antibody responses against mannan, a molecule common to a wide range of fungal species. However, Dr. Iliyan Iliev, associate professor of immunology in medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology a
Common fungi, often present in the gut, teach the immune system how to respond to their more dangerous relatives, according to new research from scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine. Breakdowns in this process can leave people susceptible to.