News • Research
CRISPR tool targets cancer and virus-infected cells precisely
A CRISPR-based tool called Cas12a2 can selectively eliminate cancer and virus-infected cells based on their RNA signature – with high precision and no off-target effects.
Search for: "DNA" - 250 articles found
News • mRNA-based strategy
Cystic fibrosis: new study identifies gene therapy
Now, a new study identified a gene therapy for individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) caused by a specific mutation and for whom there was no treatment available until now.
News • Targeted analysis
New technique maps cancer drug uptake inside living cells
A new analytical method could improve how cancer treatments are designed – by allowing scientists to track, for the first time, exactly where inside a living cell a drug accumulates.
News • Quicker diagnosis approach
New biosensor for detecting active tuberculosis
A research team is leading the development of a sensor that paves the way for the rapid, selective and cost-effective detection of active tuberculosis infection.
News • Focal cortical dysplasia
Lab-grown mini-brains shed light on childhood epilepsy
Why does the same genetic mutation cause FCDII in some patients but not in others? Researchers developed organoids to model a brain malformation responsible for drug-resistant epilepsy in children.
News • Methylation-sensitive editing by Cas9
Targeting tumour DNA with CRISPR variant
Researchers have taken an early but promising step toward a cancer therapy that targets and destroys tumor cells with high precision, using a variant of the DNA editing tool CRISPR.
News • Genetic CAD risk scores
Researchers link diabetes subgroups to coronary heart disease risk
Researchers have now investigated whether a person’s genetic predisposition to different diabetes subgroups can help assess the risk of developing coronary artery disease.
News • Biofilm-based resistance mechanism
Bacteria build “bunkers” to withstand antibiotic treatment
“The bacteria effectively hide in a bunker”: New research reveals a surprising mechanism used by Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa to protect themselves from antibiotics.
News • Microbial interactions
Gut bacteria interactions show promise as health and disease marker
To better distinguish between healthy and diseased gut microbiomes, scientists have created an index that tracks microbial behavior and signals conditions such as colorectal cancer.
News • (B)eating cancer
Bacteria to consume tumours from the inside out
A research team led by the University of Waterloo is developing a novel tool to treat cancer by engineering hungry bacteria to literally eat tumours from the inside out.
News • New sequencing technique
Classifying pediatric brain tumors with liquid biopsy and AI
Clues in the CSF: Researchers have developed the first high-precision method that can theoretically diagnose common brain tumors in children and adolescents without surgery.
News • Common comorbidity
Researchers find genetic link between type 2 diabetes and hypertension
Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure share a genetic link, new research from the UK and France shows. People with one condition are more likely to develop the other.
News • Cancer “chronotherapy”
Beating cancer by the clock: Why the time of day matters for radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is more effective when administered at the right time of day, according to new research. This discovery opens the door to cancer “chronotherapy”, the researchers hope.
News • Chronic neurological disorder
Researchers identify early signs of Parkinson's in the blood
Researchers report on decisive steps towards an early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease: a newly discovered biomarker in the blood could open a window of opportunity for future treatment.
Article • From observation to action
The rise of agentic AI in pathology
Computational pathology is becoming increasingly important in helping deliver precision medicine to a wider range of patients. Experts at the 37th European Congress of Pathology in Vienna discussed how algorithms can optimise laboratory workflows, generate stronger evidence for molecular tumour boards, and enhance clinical trial design.
News • Plasmid-specific ecological adaptation
How antimicrobial resistance spreads from gut bacteria to hospital superbugs
Researchers have uncovered how a high-risk class of genetic vectors can efficiently spread antibiotic resistance within the gut, enabling even highly virulent bacteria to acquire drug resistance.
News • Neurosciences
New insights on the onset of Huntington's disease
Why does Huntington’s disease begin at very different ages? Using advanced AI techniques, neuroscientists from the University of Barcelona found a way to better answer this question.
News • Exploring the mutational landscape
Colorectal cancer: DNA testing unlocks hereditary clues
DNA analysis of colorectal polyps provides important additional information on the development of these polyps and colorectal cancer, research finds. This leads to better diagnostics and treatment.
News • Intragenic complementation
Rare disease genetics: two wrongs actually can make a right, study shows
Scientists have overturned a long-held belief in genetics: that inheriting two harmful variants in the same gene always worsens disease. Instead, this can actually restore normal protein function.
Article • Personalised medicine
Gene-editing technologies: from lab to patient
Gene-editing technologies show great promise for medical treatments and research, with the potential to cure thousands of genetic diseases. At the 2025 World Medical Innovation Forum in Boston, leading experts explored the possibilities and challenges of these rapidly advancing tools. The case of Baby KJ Muldoon – an infant treated with a personalised CRISPR therapy developed in just seven…
News • Genetic risk-based approach
Enhancing breast cancer screening to save young women’s lives
Breast cancer screening for women under 50 isn't cost-effective – yet 1 in 5 diagnoses occurs in this age group. A new study suggests a personalised approach that could change this equation.
News • Historia pestilentiae
How volcanic eruptions brought the Black Death to Europe
From volcanic activity to the deaths of millions: Using climate data and documentary evidence, researchers have painted a detailed picture of how the Black Death pandemic reached Europe.
News • New insights on nosocomial pathogen
Research reveals ‘hidden movement’ of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a hospital-acquired bacterium that causes serious infections, can move from the lungs to the gut inside the same patient, raising the risk of sepsis, new research reveals.
Article • Affordable, sustainable – but underused
Low-field MRI: The imaging solution radiologists haven't learned to trust
At the 2025 ESMRMB Annual Meeting in Marseille, speakers made a strong case for what remains an outsider in radiology: low-field MRI. Despite its affordability, improved performance, and reduced environmental footprint, the technology continues to face scepticism – not from regulators or patients, but from radiologists themselves.
News • Genomic care in the NICU
World record for fastest whole genome sequencing paves the way for POCT usage
In the NICU, a few hours can mean the difference between unnecessary procedures and targeted, life-saving treatment. A new speed record for WGS opens new diagnostic possibilities.
News • Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Blood test for ME/CFS unveiled
Chronic fatigue (ME/CFS) affects millions worldwide, but is poorly understood and has long lacked reliable diagnostic tools. Now, a new blood test claims to diagnose the condition with 96% accuracy.
News • Study explores clinical potential of WGS
Whole genome sequencing could help 15,000 breast cancer patients per year, study finds
Breast cancer claims around 670.000 lives each year. Now, researchers propose that whole genome sequencing (WGS) could help many patients find better treatments or match them with clinical trials.
News • Integration sites across anatomical sites
Where HIV hides in the body (and how to find it)
HIV manages to persist in the body for decades after infection and treatment. Now, researchers discovered that the virus cloaks itself in the DNA of infected cells using unique DNA patterns.
News • Focus on methylation changes
Detecting tumour DNA in urine to identify bladder cancer
Researchers from the University of Birmingham’s Bladder Cancer Research Centre have found a new way of detecting tumour DNA in urine to identify bladder cancer.
News • Research
Stuttgart researchers enhance CRISPR for cellular analysis
University of Stuttgart scientists develop enhanced CRISPR technique that makes genetic loss-of-function analyses more efficient and reproducible for medical research.
News • Virology
HIV genome integration mechanism decoded by German researchers
German researchers discover how HIV selects genome integration targets using RNA:DNA hybrids as guides, revealing new therapeutic approaches for controlling viral reservoirs.
News • Bacterial buildup to myocardial infarction
Heart attacks may be triggered by infection, study finds
An unexpected trigger for heart attack: Researchers show that dormant bacteria can contribute to atherosclerotic plaques and fatal myocardial infarction, effectively making it an infectious disease.
News • Epigenetic biomarkers
Revealing risk of cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes greatly increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, anginas, and other coronary heart diseases. Therefore, biomarkers to predict individual risk are needed, experts say.
News • Microsatellite instability
Predicting tumor MSI status for precision cancer treatments
Microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) tumors are associated with better clinical outcomes. A novel AI model for accurate MSI prediction could help battle gastric and colorectal cancers.
News • Predictive phenotypes
Ovarian cancer: new insights into immune landscapes
Defining four different immunologic subtypes of recurrent ovarian cancers, researchers pave the way for more personalized treatment.
News • Mitochondria-derived nuclear ATP surge
Pressed to the limit: New study explores cancer cell defense mechanism
How cancer cells survive the journey through the body to form metastases is still poorly understood. New insights into how cells survive intense physical stress could pave the way for new treatments.
News • Rapid exosome isolation and detection
Researchers develop at-home skin patch test for melanoma
Melanoma testing could one day be done at home with a skin patch and test strip with two lines, similar to Covid-19 home tests, according to University of Michigan researchers.
News • Proteomic-based score
AI measures tumor ‘stemness’ to predict cancer aggressiveness
A new AI-based tool measures cancer aggressiveness by analyzing the ‘stemness’ of tumors – their similarity to pluripotent stem cells. This could pave the way for new therapies.
News • Potential diagnostic medium
Saliva analysis could reveal risk of cancer, heart disease or Parkinson’s
Molecular markers in saliva could reveal the risk of a person developing major diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases, new research finds.
News • Tumor microenvironment in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Towards more personalized treatment of nose cancer
Molecular profiling of over 1,000 nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) tumours reveals distinct differences in tumour microenvironment of locoregionally advanced NPC, supporting personalised treatment.
News • Chromatin remodeling
New protein targets for cancer treatments
A research team at the University of Geneva has identified two new proteins that regulate gene expression, a discovery that could pave the way for new cancer and brain disorder treatments.
News • MRD assessment
Liquid biopsy to detect breast cancer relapse up to 5 years in advance
Newly developed technology can detect breast cancer relapses up to five years in advance. This advance could represent a turning point in post-treatment follow-up, the researchers hope.
News • Colorectal Cancer Screening
CT colonography proves more cost-effective than stool DNA tests
New research demonstrates CT colonography outperforms stool DNA testing in both clinical effectiveness and cost savings for colorectal cancer screening.
News • NHS rollout
Liquid biopsy: new ‘blood test-first’ approach for lung cancer
A new ‘liquid biopsy’ test can help fast-track lung cancer patients to receive targeted therapy up to two weeks earlier, while helping avoid further tests and treatments including chemotherapy.
News • Precision medicine
Melanoma: with 43,000 data points to tailored treatments
Using nine different molecular biological technologies, researchers were able to precisely measure the properties of a melanoma tumor in four weeks and enable a precise treatment decision.
News • Machine learning analysis
Cancer genomics: new ML tool weeds out false positives
A major challenge in cancer genomics is separating meaningful mutations from false positives. A new tool uses machine learning to significantly reduce these errors.
News • Promising protein analysis tool
New blood test to enable rapid diagnosis of rare genetic diseases
An Australian research team has developed a blood-based method of analysing thousands of proteins in a single, untargeted test. This potentially enables rapid diagnosis of many rare genetic diseases.
News • Intestinal disease diagnosis
Next-generation tools find infections missed by standard tests
A University of Liverpool study has used advanced genetic and genomic techniques to offer a major step forward in understanding and diagnosing infectious intestinal diseases.
Prof. Dr. Agnes Kant
‘Side effects are not a side issue’
Discovering knowledge about side effects needs to be faster and better. In her oration, Prof. Dr. Agnes Kant, Professor by special appointment of Innovation of Pharmacovigilance, calls for more research on side effects. She also pleads for a fund for independent research on side effects.
News • Exploring the role of colibactin
Research links bacterial toxin to colorectal cancer
The incidence of colorectal cancer in young adults has doubled over the last 20 years, with no known reason. Now, a new study links this mysterious trend to childhood exposure to a bacterial toxin.
News • Post-transplant care
Improving heart transplant monitoring with molecular tests
Molecular testing provides a more convenient, personalized way of monitoring of heart transplant recipients, according to insights shared at the Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the ISHLT.
News • Fibroblasts promote tumor growth and spread
Study explores reasons behind high aggressiveness of pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers, partly due to its tumor microenvironment, known as the stroma. Now, a study has identified a new key factor contributing to this feature.
News • Study on Staphylococcus aureus
Understanding bacterial antiviral defenses to tackle antibiotic resistance
In a new study, researchers show that the emergence of antibiotic resistance can be understood in the mechanism of how bacteria build up defences against being infected by viruses.
News • Actionable genetic variants
Look into "Viking Genes" shows benefits of personalised health insights
A research project investigating the genetics and health of volunteers from the Hebrides, Shetland or Orkney shows how distinct genetic populations can benefit from tailored screening programmes.
News • Circulating tumor DNA analysis
Liquid biopsy helps reduce chemotherapy in colon cancer patients
For patients, a liquid biopsy which checks for circulating tumour DNA of colon cancer, resembles a standard blood test. However, the method helps avoid chemotherapy for many, a new study finds.
Article • Congress preview
ECR 2025: Welcome to Planet Radiology!
Science, sustainability, and society – these are the three cornerstones of this year’s European Congress of Radiology (ECR) in Vienna, Austria. Following the motto “Planet Radiology”, the congress focuses on the environmental impact of diagnostic imaging while exploring ways to advance equitable global healthcare access.
News • Cell-free tumor DNA analysis
Liquid biopsy to unlock breast cancer treatments
New research highlights the potential of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis as a non-invasive method to identify actionable biomarkers for breast cancer, enabling individualized therapies.
News • Hyper-elevated RNAPII detection
New biomarker predicts aggressiveness of brain, breast cancer
Using a new technology and computational method, researchers have uncovered a biomarker capable of accurately predicting the aggressiveness of meningioma brain tumors and breast cancers.
News • Age-related cellular and molecular changes
How aging breast tissue shapes breast cancer risk
Researchers have created a landmark atlas of how healthy breast tissue ages, revealing key cellular, molecular, and genetic changes that may tip the balance toward breast cancer development.
News • Research on RAD51 biomarker
Next-generation sequencing for personalizing prostate cancer treatment
Certain gene alterations can serve as a prognostic and predictive biomarker for prostate cancer. Now, researchers confirm the feasibility of using NGS on this marker for precise patient stratification and treatment selection.
News • Pyroptosis propagation
Sepsis, or death by lethal message
Dying cells prick their neighbors with a lethal message. This may worsen sepsis, Vijay Rathinam and colleagues report. Their findings could lead to a new understanding of this dangerous illness.
News • Osteosarcoma research
Driver behind aggressive bone cancer identified
By analysing the largest collection of whole-genome data from osteosarcoma patients, researchers identified a driving mechanism behind the aggressive development of these bone cancer tumours.
News • Early-stage disease stratification
Predicting lung cancer outcomes with tumour DNA in the blood
A new personalised oncology platform has been tested to detect circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) in patients with lung adenocarcinoma before surgery, to predict their risk of cancer relapse.
News • Surprising insights
Research explains how tumor cells die after radiotherapy
Why does radiation therapy kill cancer cells from the same tumour in different ways? This has long remained poorly understood. Now, new findings open up opportunities to improve treatment.
News • Potential for neurodegeneration
Head injuries may activate dormant viruses, trigger neurodegeneration, study finds
More than just a sports injury: A new study shows that head trauma may activate latent viruses, leading to neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
News • Precision oncology research
Breast cancer chemotherapy receives boost from localised magnetic fields
Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a non-invasive method to improve the effectiveness of breast cancer chemotherapy while reducing its harmful side effects.
News • Inhibition of Sars-CoV-2 proliferation
New 'hairpin' tool stops coronavirus in its tracks
A new way to inhibit the proliferation of Sars-CoV-2 opens up new perspectives in the fight against this coronavirus and other viral diseases that still have no medical treatment.
News • Tackling bacterial infections
Personalised phage therapy as alternative to antibiotics
The current rise in antibiotic resistance is once again sparking interest in phage therapy. Now, scientists developed a new tool that recommends the best possible phage cocktail for a given patient.
News • Insights into ribosome variants
What keeps antibiotic-resistant bacteria from taking over?
It would seem that developing antibiotic resistance would give bacteria an immense advantage over their non-resistant counterparts. So, why do they not become dominant? New research may provide an answer.
News • Incidentaloma detection
Liquid biopsy as diagnostic tool for pancreatic lesions
New research highlights the potential of liquid biopsy in diagnosing pancreatic incidentaloma - lesions which can occasionally signal pancreatic cancer in its earliest stages.
Article • Between good practice and financial pitfalls
Delivering molecular pathology at lower costs
Molecular pathology should become centralised in fewer labs to improve efficiencies and affordability, according to leading European experts.
Article • Molecular meets digital
Single-cell multiplex imaging: a powerful tool for digital pathology
Multiplex imaging can play a critical role in unravelling the tumour microenvironment. The potential and benefits of the emerging approach – a way to extract information from human tissue samples by visualising many more biomarkers than traditional microscopy – was highlighted in presentations during the 36th European Congress of Pathology in Florence, Italy. Speakers also discussed novel…
News • Irritable bowel syndrome
How genes determine the effectiveness of diets in irritable bowel syndrome
A European research team has now shown that dietary measures are more effective in IBS patients with defects in carbohydrate digestion genes than in those without these changes.
News • Microbiome research
Intensive research of intestinal microbiome: The vital role of small RNA in colonization
The gut microbiome varies from person to person in terms of the bacterial species represented and their colonization density. Segatella copri is the most prominent germ. Researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research goal to clarify its health significance.
News • Cancer treatment advances
USC study findings: early blood test forecasts survival rates in patients with metastatic prostate cancer
A new study found that measuring circulating tumor cells (CTCs), rare cancer cells shed from tumors into the blood, is a reliable way to predict later treatment response and survival prospects with metastatic prostate cancer.
News • DNA damage response
New insights into the DNA damage response
The study findings of a team from Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) in Bavaria, Germany help to broaden the conceptual view on the DNA damage response and to link it more closely with RNA metabolism.
News • Gene Therapy
Innovative gene therapy for hemophilia
Until now, those affected have had to inject the missing coagulation factor proteins themselves several times a week. Gene therapy now offers those affected the prospect of an improvement: the therapeutic agent is administered as a single intravenous injection.
News • AnWj blood group antigen
MAL: new blood group system discovered
Researchers identified the genetic background of the previously known but mysterious AnWj blood group antigen. The findings allow identification and treatment of patients lacking this blood group.
News • Multimodal analysis
Immunotherapy: tumour microenvironment holds clues to treatment success
Currently, it is difficult to predict whether a cancer patient will respond to immunotherapy or not. A new method to quantify the heterogeneity of the tumour microenvironment aims to improve this.
News • High-resolution cell scans
AI spots cancer and viral infections at nanoscale precision
Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence which can differentiate cancer cells from normal cells, as well as detect the very early stages of viral infection inside cells.
News • Neurometabolism
Huntington: New insights into disease progression
Researchers discovered a gene that might be a key factor in the progression of Huntington’s disease in organoids. The gene may contribute to brain abnormalities much earlier than previously thought.
News • Antibiotic resistance control
Better tracking of AMR hospital bacteria
Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant (AMR) bacteria are a major issue in hospitals. A new technique aims to effectively track all types of relevant microorganisms simultaneously.
News • Genome and transcriptome analysis
Colorectal cancer prognosis derived from genetic signatures
Can a look at a patient's DNA predict progress of their colorectal cancer? Findings from a new study could lead to improved possibilities for individualised therapies.
News • Promising study results
Cancer of Unknown Primary: on the way to targeted therapies
Metastases, but no sign of the original tumor: A large international study shows how this phantom cancer can nevertheless be treated.
News • Improving Alzheimer’s disease imaging
Diagnostic sensors overcome blood-brain barrier
Researchers were able to package fluorescent sensors for passage across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in mice. This holds promise to advance Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and treatment.
News • Fluorescence assay
A 'FAIRY' to rapidly determine virus infectivity
Researchers have developed a fluorescence assay for viral integrity (or FAIRY, for short), to quickly determine the effectiveness of countermeasures against a given virus.
News • HPV oncoprotein quantification
Urine test improves cervical cancer early detection
A new test shows promise in making cervical cancer screening more accessible and less invasive by detecting oncoproteins of the human papillomavirus (HPV) in urine samples.
News • Circulating tumor extracellular vesicles
Metastatic prostate cancer: better monitoring with new liquid biopsy method
A new study shows that extracellular vesicles shed by prostate cancer cells contain tumor-derived material that can be used as biomarkers of therapy response and resistance in metastatic disease.
News • Adaptive mutability
How bowel cancer flips the switch to avoid immune detection
Why does the immune system sometimes fail to control the development of bowel cancer? UK and Dutch researchers discovered how cancer cells use a genetic "switch" to evade detection.
News • Evolution and host-specific adaptation
Pseudomonas aeruginosa: origins of an epidemic pathogen
How do pathogenic bacteria evolve to become epidemic? To find out, researchers examined DNA data from almost 10,000 samples taken from infected individuals, animals, and environments around the world.
News • "Candycrunch"
AI and mass spectrometry to find cancer clues at lightning speed
Researchers have developed an AI model that increases the potential for detecting cancer through sugar analyses. The AI model is faster and better at finding abnormalities than current methods.
Article • Interactive VR worlds in healthcare
Metaverse in medicine: between potential and pioneering spirit
For many, the term “metaverse” evokes images of VR headsets and the rebranded company behind Facebook – but can the digital parallel universe provide actual benefits for healthcare? Dr Anke Diehl has studied the technology intensively and recognises significant potential for medical applications. However, the expert for digital transformation at Essen University Medicine, Germany, cautions…
News • Neuropathology
Technology offers new insights into pediatric brain tumors
A new study used new molecular analyses to unravel the biological mechanisms of pediatric brain tumors and refine their classification.
Article • Pros and cons of diagnostic techniques
Liquid biopsy vs. tissue biopsy: Getting the best of both worlds
Tissue biopsy and liquid biopsy can increasingly be used as complementary or alternative approaches, with advantages and limitations to each. While speakers at the recent 35th European Congress of Pathology in Dublin were quick to highlight that liquid biopsy was not about to replace tissue biopsy, the focus looked at the benefits and challenges of each through the lens of four expert speakers.
News • Heteroresistance
Researchers discover new mechanisms behind antibiotic resistance
A new study explores the phenomenon of heteroresistance in bacteria, which is a key driver of antibiotic resistance. Two new discoveries could impact the development of future AMR strategies.
News • Research on DNA danage
Surprise finding on cancer cell death to impact therapies
Chemotherapy kills cancer cells – but how? New research suggests that the mechanisms are different than previously understood. The finding will have implications for future cancer treatments.
News • Leukemia MRD after chemo
AML: Residual cancer testing as an important safeguard
Blood cancer cells can remain in the blood of AML patients, even after chemotherapy seemed successful. Testing for these residuals before blood cell donation is a vital precaution, a new study finds.
News • Opportunity for new treatment approaches
Atherosclerosis and cancer share surprising similarities, study finds
In cancer, cell deterioration can drive progression. A similar process happens in artherosclerosis, new research reveals. This finding could lead to new ways of combatting disease-causing plaque.
News • Gene-snipping bacterial defenses
CRISPR: a promising tool to fight antibiotic resistance, but...
Could the 'gene scissors' CRISPR be used to make resistant bacteria susceptible to first-line antibiotics again? According to new reseach, yes – but the experts also point out serious caveats.
News • Ciliopathy reseach
Rare lung disease: genetics reveals cause of PCD
Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare inherited multi-organ condition, which can lead to inflammation of the airways and infections. Now, scientists have found what causes PCD.
News • Increased risk of infection
Researchers identify cause for immunodeficiency after stroke and heart attack
After a stroke or heart attack, the risk of infection is increased – however, why this happens was unknown. Now, researchers found a previously unknown cause – and a therapeutic approach.
News • Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumours
Understanding the development of AT/RT brain cancer in children
Unlike most tumours, atypical teratoid/rhabdoid (AT/RT) tumours develop very quickly. Now, researchers explored the mechanisms of these aggressive brain tumours that mainly affect young children.
News • Infection control
Study highlights transmission risk of resistant bacteria in hospital sinks
A new study identifies hospital sinks as a source of bacterial outbreaks, highlighting the vulnerability for contamination. The researchers also point out the difficulties in stopping such outbreaks.
Article • Pharmaceutical research
Boosting biomarker detection with digital pathology
Digital pathology can be used to great effect in pharmaceutical research: it can accelerate analyses, give deeper insights into cellular mechanisms, and enable better understanding of their role into clinical development. This potentially offers clearer predictions on how patients may respond to treatment and lead to personalized therapies.
News • Microbial influence on treatment
Study explores the role of bacteria in cancer
Bacteria can help – or hinder – the treatment of cancer. How this happens, however, is largely unknown. Now, researchers have mapped bacteria in cancer metastases to shed more light on their role.
News • Proof of Concept funding
New research to starve resistant bacteria
Researchers are developing novel active substances designed to cut off the nutrient supply of resistant bacteria, effectively starving them to death.
News • Bioinformatics
New tool identifies chromosomal instability in cancer cells
A new detection tool is designed to contribute to improving tumour research and classification by identification and quantification of chromosomal instability in the nuclei of cancer cells.
News • Chemotherapy and novel surgery technique
Study explores new approach to 'inoperable' pancreatic cancer
US oncologists are exploring a new combined chemotherapy and surgical approach to safely remove advanced pancreatic tumors that were previously considered inoperable.
News • Memory impairment
"Chemo brain": gamma waves may be key to protection
Researchers have now shown that a noninvasive treatment that stimulates gamma frequency brain waves may hold promise for treating memory impairment and other cognitive effects of chemotherapy.
News • Revealed by AI
Prostate cancer: more than just one disease
Artificial Intelligence has helped scientists reveal a new form of aggressive prostate cancer which could revolutionise how the disease is diagnosed and treated in the future.
Article • Proof-of-concept study
First test for the early detection of head and neck cancer being developed
Most head and neck tumours are discovered in late due in part to the fact that there is no established method for early detection. To close this gap, a team at oncgnostics, a biotechnology company based in Jena, Germany, is participating in a study which aims to develop an early detection test.
News • Metastasis susceptibility
How chronic stress spreads cancer
Chronic stress can have a significant impact on health, from an increased risk for heart disease to a greater susceptibility of cancer metastasis. New research points out the underlying mechanisms.
News • Pan-cancer proteogenomics
Characterizing the immune landscape in cancer
Researchers have unveiled a detailed understanding of immune responses in cancer, potentially paving the way for the development of new therapeutic strategies, the team hopes.
News • Persistence of K. pneumoniae and E. coli
Exploring long-time colonization with resistant enterobacteria
Once a patient’s body has been colonized by resistant bacteria, they can persist for a long time, a new study by the University and University Hospital of Basel shows.
News • Increasing cell visibility
Making cancer easier to find and destroy for the immune system
Researchers in Japan and the US have developed technology to robustly augment the amount of MHC class I molecules in cancer cells. This makes them easier to find and destroy for the immune system.
Article • Addressing an unmet need
MCED: a simple test for widespread early detection of cancer
Academic labs and biotech firms pioneer multi-cancer early detection with emerging technologies. Screening for multiple cancers with a simple blood or urinary draw could be a game-changer. Two research teams in particular have advanced the field.
News • Promising study in mice
Exploring the potential of mRNA technology for rare diseases
Coronavirus vaccines have showcased the possibilities of messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. Now, a research team aims to put it to use against a rare inherited metabolic disorder.
News • Contraception, wound healing, arthritis treatment
Three promising medical applications of nanoparticles
Contraception, wound healing, arthritis treatment: Here are three recent papers published in ACS journals that could expand the beneficial uses for nanoparticles, based on results in rats.
News • Point-of-care diagnostic platform
Inhalable sensors for early lung cancer detection
Using a new technology developed at MIT, diagnosing lung cancer could become as easy as inhaling nanoparticle sensors and then taking a urine test that reveals whether a tumor is present.
News • Noninvasive fetal screening
Blood test to identify genetic diseases in unborn babies
A research team from Denmark has developed an innovative screening test. With a blood sample from the expectant mother, they can scrutinize all the genes in the fetus.
News • "Gene scissors" vs. sickle cell disease
FDA approves first CRISPR/Cas therapy
It's an important milestone for gene editing technology: a novel treatment for sickle cell disease utilizing CRISPR-Cas9, has now received FDA approval – a first for this type of therapy.
News • CTC, ctDNA and exosomes in PCa management
Prostate cancer: Blood-based liquid biopsies yield valuable information
US researchers discuss three blood-based liquid biopsies, namely circulating tumor cells, circulating tumor DNA and tumor-derived exosomes, as they relate to prostate cancer management.
News • Using low-frequency electromagnetic fields
New method can detect early-stage breast cancer in two minutes
University of Waterloo researchers are pioneering a method to detect breast cancer in women early enough for them to receive life-saving treatment.
News • Biosensor
Wireless, handheld device to detect Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s biomarkers
A team of researchers has developed a handheld, non-invasive device that can detect biomarkers for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases. The biosensor can also transmit the results wirelessly.
Article • Latest advances
Lab-on-a-chip systems in 2023: The micro-lab revolution
Faster, more accurate and cost-effective testing: Experts outline the beginnings and evolution of “lab-on-a-chip” technology, and its benefits for advanced and next-gen operational platforms.
News • Good killer cells
Cellular immunotherapy: a new approach against cancer
Chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery – these are the three common forms of cancer therapy. Now, lymphoma specialists in Essen are investigating the possibility of a different approach.
News • Hybrid peptide-DNA nanostructures
Could artificial life forms be the medicine of the future?
What role should artificial life play in medicine? Researchers from Denmark and the US explore the potential of hybrid peptide-DNA nanostructures for diagnosing and treating diseases.
News • Infection treatment
Chemotherapy drugs to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria
A new class of antibiotics, based on proven drugs used in cancer treatment, is now being developed by researchers at Linköping University. They could be used against resistant bacteria.
News • BRCA mutation vs family history
Breast cancer: Genetic test may make women misjudge their risk
A genetic test for BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations may drive women to undergo breast cancer surgery, even though their risk might not even be drastically affected by this, a new study finds.
News • Tool for myeloid neoplasms
New test to identify risk of AML and related cancers
Using data from more than 400,000 individuals, researchers have created a platform for predicting the risk of developing blood cancers such as acute myeloid leukaemia over a 10-15-year period.
News • Advanced biosensor
Researchers engineer tumor-detecting bacteria
Scientists from the University of California San Diego and their colleagues in Australia have engineered bacteria that can detect the presence of tumor DNA in a live organism.
Article • Disaster victim identification
Radiology in DVI: distressing insights and “hidden gems”
Identifying victims of major disasters remains a significant challenge for investigators. Often, identification can take weeks or longer but new approaches are paving the way for greater accuracy and quicker identification whilst preserving the body without unnecessary invasive investigation. An expert session at ECR heard about how new imaging technology can help with disaster victim…
News • Promising application of "gene scissors"
Using CRISPR-Cas9 to treat anaemia
ETH Zurich molecular biologist Mandy Boontanrart is researching gene therapies that could be used to cure two of the most common types of inherited anaemia: beta thalassaemia and sickle cell anaemia.
Article • Sustainability
The challenge of "greening" medical technologies
Under the impulse of the European Commission, the in vitro diagnostic industry is developing emerging technologies to implement sustainable practices in medical laboratories. As sustainability has been a growing priority of the European Union (EU) in the last decade, ‘the medical technology sector, particularly the IVD sector, must comply with European legislation in this field like all other…
News • Real-time tumor profiling
AI tool decodes brain cancer’s genome during surgery
Scientists have designed an AI tool that can rapidly decode a brain tumor’s DNA to determine its molecular identity during surgery — critical information that can guide treatment decisions.
News • Multi-ancestry polygenic score
Dataset diversity improves heart disease risk prediction
By using genetic data on multiple traits from people of non-European ancestry, scientists have improved the accuracy of polygenic scores in predicting disease risk for all.
News • Methylation pattern analysis
cfSort: New tool could improve liquid biopsy
A research team at UCLA has made an important advancement to address one of the major challenges in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) testing, also known as liquid biopsy.
News • Precision oncology
Genomic sequencing benefits only 5% of cancer patients
Genomic sequencing panels as part of personalised cancer treatment have been found to only benefit one in 20 patients they are currently used for, according to a study by CNIO.
News • Counteracting neuroinflammation
Multiple sclerosis: Why women get better when pregnant
Women suffering from multiple sclerosis temporarily get much better when pregnant. Researchers have now identified the beneficial changes naturally occurring during pregnancy.
News • MCED for 50+ cancer types
Multi-cancer blood test shows real promise
A trial of a new blood test for more than 50 types of cancer correctly revealed two out of every three cancers in more than 5,000 people who had visited their GP with suspected symptoms.
News • HSNCC treatment stratification
Head and neck cancer: using organoids for personalized therapy
Researchers from the Organoid group (Hubrecht Institute) and UMC Utrecht have developed a biobank with organoids derived from patients with head and neck cancer (HNC).
News • Independent genes
Cancer: Study sheds light on mysterious DNA rings
Tumors sometimes seem to take on a life of their own, with cancer genes “striking out” in ring shapes. An international research team has new insights into this phenomenon.
News • Research on mini organs
Organoids bring new insights into liver cancer
Dutch scientists have revealed new scientific insights into the features of fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC), a rare type of childhood liver cancer.
News • Genetics & Viruses
"Gene scissors" in human cells inhibit viral infections
Scientists at the University of Applied Sciences Krems (IMC Krems) show that CRISPR-Cas9 can also be used to inhibit viruses such as adenoviruses in cell cultures.
News • Genetics & Neuroscience
Improvement of stroke diagnosis and treatment through specific genes
Genes are full of clues about a person's health and might also show the way for stroke recovery.
News • Oncology & health informatics
Colon cancer: AI tool predicts survival, treatment response
A new artificial intelligence model could bring much-needed clarity to doctors delivering prognoses and deciding on treatments for patients with colorectal cancer.
News • Prevention of blood cancer
Research identifies new target that may prevent blood cancer
An international coalition of biomedical researchers has determined a new way to measure the growth rate of precancerous clones of blood stem cells that one day could help doctors lower their patients' risk of blood cancer.
News • Chemotherapy, testicular cancer
Gene scissors find target for testicular cancer therapy
Bonn researchers uncover contribution of protein degradation processes to cisplatin resistance in germ cell tumors: Cisplatin is used successfully in the chemotherapy of testicular cancer.
News • Protein controls resistance
Targeted approach holds promise to improve chemotherapy
Chemotherapy resistance is a main cause of treatment failure and death in cancer patients. Researchers from Brussels found how cancer cells protect themselves from the aggressive treatment.
News • Blood cancer research
Novel disease models for multiple myeloma
A team of scientists has successfully generated genetically defined mouse models for two subtypes of multiple myeloma. This will contribute to a better understanding of how the disease develops in humans.
Article • Cervix, vulva and vagina
More certainty with methylation tests for early detection of cancer
A second-generation lab test for early detection of cervical cancer is the most recent addition to Oncgnostics’ portfolio. In particular, the company’s solution will help women in countries with limited cancer screening. Moreover, new research on the early detection of vulval and vaginal cancer might soon enable the development of tests for these cancers.
News • Model organisms evolved too far
How lab bacteria became 'estranged' from their real-life counterparts
A model organism used in laboratories for the past 100 years has evolved so extensively that it may no longer be fit for purpose, according to a new study on bacterial strain Escherichia coli K-12.
News • Personalised medicine
DNA-matching medication reduces side effects by 30%
According to an international group of researchers led by Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), patients experience 30% fewer serious side effects when medication doses are tailored to their DNA.
News • Reduced postoperative complications
Colorectal cancer surgery: gut microbiota helps healing
In a promising study, Canadian researchers have shown for the first time in mice that modifying intestinal flora before surgery could reduce postoperative complications in colorectal cancer patients.
News • Researchers improve DNA cut-and-paste technique
Increasing safety for "gene scissors" CRISPR-Cas9
A new approach on the genetic tool CRISPR-Cas9 could reduce the risk of unwanted mutation, making it safer for use in humans, Dutch researchers have found.
News • Strand-seq
AI analysis of cancer mutations: a promising step towards new therapies
Combining single-cell data with a self-learning algorithm reveals how structural changes in chromosomes can trigger cancer. This could pave the way for personalized cancer treatments.
News • Hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer
Lynch syndrome: AI improves colorectal cancer screening
Researchers have now found that artificial intelligence (AI) can improve the effectiveness of colonoscopy in the presence of Lynch syndrome.
News • Patient-derived whole-tumor cell culture model
Breast cancer: New method finds the right therapy
Swedish researchers have developed a method that should be able to predict whether a patient with breast cancer will benefit from a particular treatment or not.
News • Potential and pitfalls of CRISPR
Gene therapies raise difficult legal and ethical questions
New advanced therapies can alleviate or cure chronic diseases. But medical progress, such as the gene editing tool CRISPR, raises the question of how rights should be protected and balanced.
News • Promising reseach results
Using artificial DNA to kill cancer
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have used artificial DNA to target and kill cancer cells in a completely new way. The method showed promising results against various cancers in lab tests on mice.
News • MCED test
Groundbreaking new method for multi-cancer early detection
An international study shows that a new method can easily find multiple types of newly formed cancers at the same time – including cancer types that are difficult to detect with comparable methods.
News • Microbial keratitis prevention
'Smart contact lenses' to detect eye infections
A pioneering ‘smart contact lens’ to test the eye in a quick, non-invasive way could prevent deaths caused by fungal eye infections in developing countries.
News • High-sensitivity blood test
New cancer testing method to make regular monitoring affordable
Scientists from Singapore discovered a novel low-cost method of testing for cancers. The test sequences heated clinical samples to isolate cancer-specific signatures found in a patient’s blood.
News • Precision medicine
Localising BRCA gene mutations to better treat ovarian cancer
An international team highlights the importance of localising BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations for the treatment of ovarian cancer.
Article • Early detection approach
Multi-cancer blood tests could shake up screening
New tests can identify over 50 types of cancer and boost detection of traditionally elusive cancers from tumour DNA in blood, researchers showed at the ESMO congress in September. These multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests in development can spot common cancer signals and predict where the signal comes from in the body, results from a prospective investigation suggest.
News • Tumor location as important growth factor
New molecular microscopy uncovers breast cancer spread
Researchers have created a tool that maps how breast cancer grows in previously unseen detail, and highlights how the cells around the tumour may be the key to controlling the spread of disease.
News • CLL types with distinct biological and clinical features
Whole genome profiling reveals new leukaemia subgroups
A collaborative study has defined five new subgroups of the most common type of blood cancer, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), and associated these with clinical outcomes.
Article • Detecting several different diseases
Multiplex diagnostics: next-generation techniques for new challenges
With the rise of syndrome-style infections, co-infections and the current antimicrobial resistance challenges, the need for multiplexed diagnostics is now more important than ever.
News • New treatment approach
Colon cancer: Overcoming chemotherapy resistance
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers. A team from the University of Geneva has found an alternative for patients who have developed resistance to chemotherapy treatments.
News • 'Synthetic origin' theory of SARS-CoV-2 debunked
Was the coronavirus engineered in a lab? Experts cast doubt on new analysis
Research presented in a new preprint suggests that SARS-CoV-2 might have been artificially created in a laboratory. Experts from Würzburg have reviewed the paper – and remain unconvinced.
News • Leukemia research
How 'chameleon cancers' change their colors to survive treatment
Some leukemias evade treatment by changing their appearance and identity through changing the read-out of their DNA, a new study has found.
News • CSCC study finds distinct subgroups
Cervical cancer: major new clue to understanding aggressiveness
Scientists have discovered that cervical cancer can be divided into 2 distinct molecular subgroups – one far more aggressive than the other – as part of the largest ‘omics’ study of its kind.
News • Children’s cancer
Rhabdomyosarcoma: Blood tests could offer smarter treatment
A simple 'liquid biopsy' blood test could help guide the treatment of children with the cancer rhabdomyosarcoma, a new study reports.
Article • Prediction for breast, ovarian, cervical, and endometrial carcinoma
New test detects four women’s cancers from cervical screening samples
What if a test analysing cervical cells from a gynaecological swab could be used to detect four different female cancers at an early stage and also predict cancer risk over a healthy woman's lifetime? Researchers at the EUTOPS Institute in Innsbruck, Austria, are developing tests to do just that for breast, ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancer detection.
News • Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma
Promising new treatment for deadly pediatric tumor
Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare pediatric tumor. For more than 40 years there has not been any new development regarding treatment. Research led by Prof. Dr. Anton Henssen at Charité University Berlin has now identified a new therapeutic option, using a drug that is currently under investigation for other types of cancer.
News • Conference attendance
New lab systems for virology showcased at ESCV 2022
Dutch global DNA/RNA technology solutions provider MolGen B.V., participates in the 24th Annual Conference of the European Society for Clinical Virology (ESCV) held in Manchester, UK.
News • Streptococcus pneumoniae
Technique helps discover whether bacteria are antibiotic resistant
A new study could one day help health workers determine whether bacteria of the species Streptococcus pneumoniae, which cause meningitis, are resistant to antibiotics.
News • Precision oncology
What's new in cancer therapy?
Researchers from the University of Bern and Inselspital provide an overview of the latest technologies in precision oncology. Translating these into clinical application is still a major challenge.
News • Desperate cancer cells
How tumors mutate their way out of a crisis (and become drug-resistant)
Researchers discovered that cancer cells mobilize a SOS response when they are desperate to resist anticancer drugs. The team also came up with an anti-SOS approach that blocked the mechanism in mice.
News • Tumor identification in CUP patients
Cancer of unknown primary: comprehensive molecular analysis can improve therapy
A considerable proportion of patients suffering from cancer of unknown primary (CUP) could benefit from comprehensive molecular analysis and molecularly-informed targeted therapies.
Video • Clonal somatic mutations
How does cancer grow? Genetic mapping gives new insight
Researchers from the UK and Sweden have found that individual prostate tumours contain a previously unknown range of genetic variation.
News • Genome instability
Gene editing via CRISPR/Cas9 can lead to cell toxicity
Researchers identify critical spots on the genome where gene editing could cause an unwanted response, and they provide recommendations for safer approaches.
News • Spit take
Portable diagnostic detects SARS-CoV-2 RNA and antibodies
The prototype device combines eRapid and SHERLOCK technologies into a single, postcard-sized system that can simultaneously detect the presence of both SARS-CoV-2 RNA and antibodies in a patient’s saliva.
News • Cardiomyopathy research
Genetic defects can cause heart failure
Cardiomyopathy is not a uniform disease. Rather, individual genetic defects lead to heart failure in different ways, an international consortium reports.
News • Rare but dangerous infectious disease
New target to combat Melioidosis
Researchers have identified an enzyme that is a promising new therapeutic target to combat the dangerous bacterial disease melioidosis.
News • Novel disease therapies
"Soft” CRISPR may offer fix for genetic defects
A new approach makes use of natural DNA repair machinery and provides a foundation for novel gene therapy strategies with the potential to cure a large spectrum of genetic diseases.
News • Not just for bitcoin
Blockchain can secure and store genomes
Blockchain is a digital technology that allows a secure and decentralized record of transactions. Now, researchers leveraged blockchain to give individuals control of their own genomes.
News • Nanochannels
Groundbreaking: Nanofluidic scattering microscopy
To develop new drugs, detailed knowledge about nature’s smallest biological building blocks is required. A new microscopy technique that allows proteins, DNA and other tiny biological particles to be studied in their natural state.
News • AI approach to colorectal tumors
Deep learning identifies molecular patterns of cancer
A new AI platform can analyze genomic data extremely quickly, picking out key patterns to classify different types of colorectal tumors and improve the drug discovery process.
News • Genetics research
Chromosomes: How the 'extra X factor' is putting men at risk
Around one in 500 men could be carrying an extra X or Y chromosome – most of them unaware – putting them at increased risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis and thrombosis.
News • Low-cost
Paper-based microfluidics enables rapid prototyping
Researchers have developed a novel way to fabricate diagnostic devices using paper-based microfluidics that can be rapidly prototyped and scaled for manufacturing.
News • UV sterilization
Ultraviolet disinfection against Covid-19: Study gives new insights
UV radiation is one of the go-to methods for preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2. But what UV dosage kills the virus? What wavelength? How long? A new study answers many of those questions.
Article • Clinical computational tools
Managing cancer more effectively
Computational approaches are being applied on enormous amounts of data from sequencing technologies to develop tools to help clinicians manage cancer more effectively.
News • Healing support
Bioprinting for bone repair improved with genes
An international team of engineers is bioprinting bone along with two growth factor encoding genes that help incorporate the cells and heal defects in the skulls of rats.
Article • AI and DL to drive precision medicine
Diving into medical big data
Big data is transforming diagnosis and medical care, but the critical challenge remains over how to equally apply the benefits it delivers across real-world clinical settings, according to industry expert Prof Benoît Macq.
Sponsored • Pathogen detection
MolGen introduces high quality DNA/RNA extraction kits for efficient high throughput testing
SARS-CoV-2 has heavily impacted global society with high pressure on public health and economics. MolGen is proud to assist in relieving some of the pressure and support the testing framework.
News • cfDNA to assess tumours
Recurrent breast cancer: liquid biopsy improves detection, monitoring
Liquid biopsy performed on serum samples taken from breast cancer patients can provide increasingly accurate information on progression and enable earlier detection of recurrence.
News • RYR1-associated disorder
New approach to treating severe congenital myopathy
The diagnosis is rare, but devastating – children with congenital muscle disorders often never learn to walk. Now, researchers from Basel present a possible therapeutic approach for the first time.
Article • Cancer diagnostics
Bringing liquid profiling to the clinic
Liquid profiling is offering clear benefits in terms of cancer diagnostics and targeted therapy, but challenges remain in bringing it into the clinic.
News • Genetic dystrophy repair
Using mRNA to improve muscle strength
An ECRC research team has introduced CRISPR-Cas9 into human muscle stem cells for the first time using mRNA, thus discovering a method suitable for therapeutic applications.
News • From decades to days
Single test for over 50 genetic diseases cuts diagnosis
A DNA test has been shown to identify a range of hard-to-diagnose neurological and neuromuscular genetic diseases quicker and more-accurately than existing tests.
Sponsored • Liquid handling
Revolutionising Molecular Diagnostics With PurePrep TTR
With micro-organisms and viruses constantly developing, mutating, and evolving, diagnostics must adapt just as rapidly. Advanced laboratory technology and instruments are undeniably a prerequisite for best practice in life sciences and biotechnology.
News • Cancer therapy
Chemo after breast cancer surgery? Gene expression test to help decision
Physicists from Leipzig University have developed gene expression tests to examine whether additional chemotherapy is necessary and really effective after breast cancer surgery.
News • New drivers and biomarkers
Cancer: Mapping mutation 'hotspots' reveals key players
Researchers have identified a previously unrecognized key player in cancer evolution: clusters of mutations occurring at certain regions of the genome.
News • Sweating the small stuff
Wearable measures key stress hormone
Researchers have developed a smartwatch that assesses cortisol levels found in sweat. The device opens new possibilities for personal health monitoring.
News • Diagnostic
Potential therapeutic target for lung cancer
Scientists reported the key role of histone acetylation-regulated long noncoding RNA termed as lysosome cell death regulator (LCDR) in tumor survival, providing a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for lung cancer.
News • Glioblastoma
Blood test for brain tumors possible
Researchers at the University of Sussex are one step further to developing a blood test capable of diagnosing the most aggressive form of brain tumour.
News • Potential game-changer
Telling Covid-19 apart from influenza
Researchers have developed a diagnostic for Sars-CoV-2 that is capable of differentiating between Covid-19 and the garden-variety bug with fast turnaround.
Article • Precision medicine
Liquid biopsy: the ‘next frontier’ for cancer detection?
Mark Nicholls reports from the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) virtual Festival, with four expert speakers discussing the role of liquid biopsy in cancer detection.
News • Pathogen analysis
Unlocking epidemic prevention with affordable genome sequencing
A worldwide consortium aims to equip researchers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with cheap and accessible methods for sequencing large collections of bacterial pathogens.
News • Covid-19 protection
Needle-free coronavirus vaccine enters clinical trial
Safety trials are underway for a Cambridge-led vaccine that could be used as a booster targeting Covid-19 virus variants and relatives that threaten future coronavirus pandemics.
Sponsored • DNA extraction chemistry
Providing innovative molecular workflows to empower future diagnostics
Founded in 2018 as a DNA extraction chemistry company, Dutch company MolGen entered the market operating within the agricultural sector. At first, the company’s founders, Maarten de Groot, Wim van Haeringen and Niels Kruize, focused solely on this one industry, mainly developing and marketing advanced bulk chemistry kits for DNA/RNA extraction. These testing products and solutions successfully…
News • COVID-19
Chewing gum could reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission
In experiments using saliva samples from COVID-19 patients, the gum, which contains the ACE2 protein, neutralized the virus.
News • Laboratory equipment
MolGen opens new UK office
DNA / RNA extraction technology, system, products and kits for human and animal diagnostics, agriculture, aquaculture, pharma and biotech solutions provider MolGen B.V., announces the recent opening of its UK office. The new office is located at 6th Floor, South Quay Building, 189 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9SH. This expansion will enable the company to meet the rapidly increasing demand for…
News • Finding solutions
$ 1.8 million to stop AMR
Experts predict that without intervention, the problem of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections could be catastrophic by 2050, killing nearly 10 million people each year.
News • DNA analysis
Should all babies have their genome sequenced at birth?
Genomics England, a government owned company, recently announced a pilot programme of whole genome sequencing to screen for genetic diseases in 200,000 healthy seeming newborns. But should every newborn baby have their whole genome sequenced? Experts debate the issue in The BMJ. Extensive clinical evidence has shown that screening for genetic diseases saves lives, and research has shown that it…
Article • NGS solution
Using liquid biopsy to detect recurrent breast cancer earlier
An innovative collaboration has been formed in the UK between academic researchers and industry to develop a rapid integrated liquid biopsy platform for early detection of recurrent breast cancer. Breast cancer specialists Professor Charles Coombes, who is Professor of Medical Oncology at Imperial College London (ICL), and Professor Jacqui Shaw, Head of the Department of Genetics and Genome…
News • NGS-based diagnostics
Collaboration on early detection of recurrent breast cancer
Together with Imperial College London (‘Imperial’), molecular diagnostics company DNAe has been awarded a UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) by Innovate UK to support development of its next generation sequencing (NGS)-based diagnostic platform for use in cancer monitoring. The KTP program connects innovative businesses with academic experts who can help them deliver their ideas. This…
News • 'CRyPTIC' research
Global tuberculosis study identifies genetic causes of drug resistance
Using cutting-edge genomic sequencing techniques, researchers at the University of Oxford have identified almost all the genomic variation that gives people resistance to 13 of the most common tuberculosis (TB) drug treatments. The Comprehensive Resistance Prediction for Tuberculosis International Consortium (CRyPTIC) research project has collected the largest ever global dataset of clinical M.…
News • Cancer research
How to break through a tumor's protective shield
The immune system protects the body from cancer. To protect healthy body cells from its own immune system, they have developed a protective shield: the protein CD47 is a so called "don’t eat me" signal, which tells the immune cells to stand back. Tumor cells exploit this CD47-based protection strategy for evading the immune system, by increasing presentation of CD47 on their cell…
Article • Disaster victim identification
Will CT scanning in post-mortem examinations mark the end of the scalpel?
Post-mortem CT (PMCT) increasingly supports pathologists, radiologists and forensic investigators particularly in cases of gunshot fatalities, mass casualties, decomposed and concealed bodies, fire deaths, diving deaths, non-accidental injury cases, and road traffic deaths, in which CT can indicate a pattern of injuries. In Dublin this August, the post-mortem (autopsy) technique was discussed…
News • For discoveries of receptors for temperature and touch
Nobel Prize in Medicine goes to David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2021 was awarded jointly to two scientists who made important discoveries regarding our receptors for temperature and touch. Our ability to sense heat, cold and touch is essential for survival and underpins our interaction with the world around us. In our daily lives we take these sensations for granted, but how are nerve impulses initiated so that…
News • DNA damage causes AML
Cancer chemotherapy side-effects on blood cell development
By analysing secondary acute myeloid leukaemias, researchers at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) Barcelona have detected mutations caused by platinum-based chemotherapies in cells that were healthy at the time of treatment. Treatment with chemotherapies influences the development of blood cells, favouring clonal hematopoiesis from cells with pre-existing mutations. The study has…
News • Prevention of toxic DNA lesions
Promising mechanism to stop Huntington's progression
A new mechanism that stops the progression of Huntington’s disease in cells has been identified by scientists at the University of Cambridge and University College London (UCL), as part of their research groups at the UK Dementia Research Institute. Researchers say the breakthrough study, published in Cell Reports, could lead to much needed therapies for the rare genetic disease, which is…
News • Regulatory issues
Genetic data privacy, the GDPR, and research needs: a delicate balance
The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has created a great deal of uncertainty about how key requirements should be interpreted. This means that collaborators in international genetic research projects do not always agree on fundamental issues such as whether they are processing personal data, consent requirements under the GDPR and on what basis genetic data can be transferred…
Article • Precision oncology
Personalized health and genomics: Minimizing collateral damage
A solid diagnosis has always been the first step on any patient’s journey to health. However, diagnostic categories are necessarily oversimplifications. In the last decades, medical professionals and scientists have begun to uncover the true variability in patients’ physiological and biochemical make-up that is the principal cause for individual variations in the way diseases present…
Article • Omics in cancer care
Personalizing laboratory medicine
To avoid adverse reactions, personalised laboratory medicine can help to predict a patient’s drug response. Investigations based on DNA and other omics technologies – e.g. genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics – along with microarray technologies, is making a particularly valuable contribution to cancer care, in which personalised approaches are becoming possible through…
News • Brain cancer
Malignant Gliomas: Novel therapy may improve survival
A novel therapy engineered by Northwestern Medicine investigators improved progression-free and overall survival for patients with newly diagnosed malignant gliomas, according to results from a recent phase I clinical trial.
News • Identificación de mutaciones tumorales
El aprendizaje automático impulsa la medicina personalizada del cáncer
El laboratorio de Genómica Biomédica del IRB Barcelona (Institute for Research in Biomedicine) ha desarrollado un método computacional que identifica las mutaciones causantes del cáncer para cada tipo de tumor.
News • Tool to identify tumour mutations
Machine learning fuels personalised cancer medicine
The Biomedical Genomics laboratory at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) Barcelona has developed a computational tool that identifies cancer driver mutations for each tumour type. This and other developments produced by the same lab seek to accelerate cancer research and provide tools to help oncologists choose the best treatment for each patient. The study has been published in the…
News • MSI tumors
Vaccination against hereditary colorectal cancer shows promise
Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center and Heidelberg University Hospital have for the first time been able to delay the development of hereditary colorectal cancer with a protective vaccination. Mice with a hereditary predisposition to colorectal cancer survived significantly longer after vaccination than unvaccinated animals. Combining the vaccination with an anti-inflammatory drug…
News • Mechanical inactivation
'Nano traps' to lock up and neutralize viruses
To date, there are no effective antidotes against most virus infections. An interdisciplinary research team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now developed a new approach: they engulf and neutralize viruses with nano-capsules tailored from genetic material using the DNA origami method. The strategy has already been tested against hepatitis and adeno-associated viruses in cell…
News • Unprecedented improvements
Gene therapy 'reprograms' cells to reverse AADC deficiency
A novel method of gene therapy is helping children born with a rare genetic disorder called AADC deficiency that causes severe physical and developmental disabilities. The study, led by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and The Ohio State University College of Medicine, offers new hope to those living with incurable genetic and neurodegenerative diseases.
News • Sample-to-answer workflow
Partnership for Covid-19 test solution
SpeeDx Pty, Ltd. and MolGen announced the signing of an agreement to collaborate on supply and distribution of clinical diagnostics products and instrumentation across Europe and Asia Pacific. The partnership links specimen handling, nucleic acid extraction, assay set-up, amplification, and results reporting in a seamless integration of the companies technologies. “This partnership capitalises…
Video • Handheld rapid testing
New tech to diagnose infections in minutes - without a lab
The idea of visiting the doctor’s office with symptoms of an illness and leaving with a scientifically confirmed diagnosis is much closer to reality because of new technology developed by researchers at McMaster University. Engineering, biochemistry and medical researchers from across campus have combined their skills to create a hand-held rapid test for bacterial infections that can produce…
News • Oncology early detection tool
Blood test for 50+ types of cancer promising for screening
Final results from a study of a blood test that can detect more than 50 types of cancer have shown that it is accurate enough to be rolled out as a multi-cancer screening test among people at higher risk of the disease, including patients aged 50 years or older, without symptoms. In a paper published in the cancer journal Annals of Oncology, researchers report that the test accurately detected…
News • Corona and EBV
Long Covid symptoms likely caused by Epstein-Barr virus reactivation
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation resulting from the inflammatory response to coronavirus infection may be the cause of previously unexplained long Covid symptoms—such as fatigue, brain fog, and rashes—that occur in approximately 30% of patients after recovery from initial Covid-19 infection. The first evidence linking EBV reactivation to long Covid, as well as an analysis of long Covid…
News • Longevity
One for all: Convergent mechanism of ageing discovered
Researchers have discovered folate metabolism as a fundamental process for ageing. This could provide a new opportunity to improve human health during ageing on a broad basis.
News • Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)
Cutting-edge approach to fighting deadly form of pancreatic cancer
By 2030, the most lethal form of pancreatic cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), is projected to become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Not only are therapeutic options limited, but nearly half of PDAC patients who have their tumors removed surgically experience disease recurrence within a year, even with chemotherapy. For more advanced stages,…
Article • dPCR and HSAFM
Low-cost technique for missed genetic mutations
A new low-cost method targeting genetic mutations often missed by existing diagnostic approaches has been developed. Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in the United States noted that most rearrangement mutations implicated in cancer and neurological diseases fall between what can be detected by DNA sequence reads and optical microscopy methods. The new technique combines…
News • Oncology meets history
Medieval cancer rates much higher than previously thought
CT scanning used to uncover remnants of malignancy hidden inside medieval bones provides new insight into cancer prevalence in a pre-industrial world. The first study to use x-rays and CT scans to detect evidence of cancer among the skeletal remains of a pre-industrial population suggests that between 9-14% of adults in medieval Britain had the disease at the time of their death. This puts cancer…
News • Cost-effective and efficient
Thanks to shrub, 'undruggable' cancer protein becomes druggable
A chemist from Purdue University has found a way to synthesize a compound to fight a previously "undruggable" cancer protein with benefits across a myriad of cancer types.
News • Regeneration research
Scientists uncover how our skin repairs itself
University of Manchester scientists have cast new light on how our skin repairs itself, bringing the possibility of regeneration of the organ a step closer. The study team, funded by the Medical Research Council and Helmut Horten Foundation, showed the activation of specific parts of the DNA leading to better division of human skin cells. The study is published in Nucleic Acid Research.
News • Cancer research
'Gene ferry' improves immune therapies
Genetically enhancing a patient's immune cells by adding therapeutic genes to them outside the body is regarded as a promising new treatment approach in oncology. However, the production of these therapeutic cells using viruses is not only expensive but time-consuming. Researchers at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have developed an innovative non-viral vector that can efficiently…
News • Reverse genetics system
SARS-CoV-2: An easier and quicker way to analyse mutations
SARS-CoV-2 is the virus responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic. We know that mutations in the genome of SARS-CoV-2 have occurred and spread, but what effect do those mutations have? Current methods for studying mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome are very complicated and time-consuming because coronaviruses have large genomes, but now a team from Osaka University and Hokkaido University have…
News • Biomarker research
"Jumping" genes might protect against AML and other blood cancers
New research has uncovered a surprising role for so-called “jumping” genes that are a source of genetic mutations responsible for a number of human diseases. In the new study from Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI), scientists made the unexpected discovery that these DNA sequences, also known as transposons, can protect against certain blood cancers. These…
News • CRISPR-Cas9
An 'on-off switch' for gene editing
Over the past decade, the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system has revolutionized genetic engineering, allowing scientists to make targeted changes to organisms’ DNA. While the system could potentially be useful in treating a variety of diseases, CRISPR-Cas9 editing involves cutting DNA strands, leading to permanent changes to the cell’s genetic material. Now, in a paper published online in Cell,…
News • Mitochondria research
Colorectal cancer: Mutations in overlooked DNA could have huge impact on survival
DNA errors in the cell’s energy ‘factories’ increases the chances of survival for people with bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, according to a new study. Studying how DNA errors (mutations) can drive cancer development, as well as help it adapt and evolve, has been a key focus of cancer research. But much of that focus has been on DNA found in the cell’s nucleus. Experts say…
News • Protection from bacteria, fungi, viruses
Antimicrobial technologies – how do they work?
Antimicrobial technologies such as coatings and textiles containing silver and copper are helping people during the Covid-19 pandemic by ensuring that whatever they touch, whether that is a door handle or their own mask, is free from live SARS-CoV-2 particles. But how exactly do these antimicrobial technologies work? How can a silver, copper or even polymeric coating kill microorganisms such as…
News • SARS-CoV-2 detection and sequencing
'Nirvana': Fast, portable test diagnoses Covid-19, tracks variants
Clinicians using a new viral screening test can not only diagnose Covid-19 in a matter of minutes with a portable, pocket-sized machine, but can also simultaneously test for other viruses—like influenza—that might be mistaken for the coronavirus. At the same time, they can sequence the virus, providing valuable information on the spread of Covid-19 mutations and variants. The new test, dubbed…
