More to science: working as a Research Funding Manager
This piece was originally published on the BioMed Central blog network, part of Springer Nature. Read more
‘Volcanic’ nanotherapy
In order to stack nanoclusters of oxygen-rich zinc peroxide in a way that allows it to be used for cancer therapy, researchers simulate a natural phenomenon, which usually results from underwater volcanic eruptions, inside the lab. Read more
Beating cancer with smarter use of radiation?
Cancers infect different tissues, and so they manifest differently, in various types, and require different treatments or sometimes a combination of treatments. Throw in variability among patients as a factor, and it’s even more complicated. It’s the reason why numerous studies are carried out every year to try and gauge the most effective therapy for different cancer types. Read more
Cancer clones- mixing and spreading
The trajectory of tumor cells during metastasis can be influenced by many factors, including the physical environment and the genetic makeup of metastatic clones. In high-grade serous ovarian cancer, there are limited barriers in the intraperitoneal space, allowing for extensive spreading and mixing of tumor cells. A recent article published in Nature Genetics explores these different patterns of clonal evolution in metastatic ovarian cancer using a combination of bulk and single cell sequencing. Read more
APOBEC3A takes the lead
A paper published online today in Nature Genetics reports that the DNA-specific cytidine deaminase APOBEC3A (or A3A) is likely to be the major driver of APOBEC-mediated mutagenesis in human cancer. This finding is somewhat surprising because another deaminase, APOBECA3B (or A3B), has been considered the more likely mutator based on previous studies. Gene expression levels of APOBEC3B as well as mutagenic signatures in certain cancer types, such as breast cancer, have been consistent with a primary role for A3B in cancer-related mutagenesis. However, results of a recent paper by Serena Nik-Zainal et al. called this into question by showing that breast cancer samples from individuals with germline APOBEC3B deletions showed high levels of mutations consistent with APOBEC-dependent mutagensis. Read more
Lindau: Winning the war
At this summer’s 64th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, 37 laureates spent a week with 600 young scientists from almost 80 countries to share their ideas, experiences and knowledge. Discussions revolved around global health, the latest findings in cancer and Aids research, challenges in immunology, and future approaches to medical research. All of the lectures can be viewed on Lindau’s Mediatheque website. Read more
As gene therapy technologies blossom, ddRNAi tries to take root
Before there was Twitter, there was Facebook, and before that, Friendster. And who can forget MySpace? There’s a similar trend of successive usurping technologies in the fast-moving quest to develop therapeutics capable of modifying the genome. Since the late nineties, we’ve witnessed the rise of several gene-silencing approaches, from “antisense” oligonucleotides and RNA interference (RNAi) to the latest targeted genome-editing techniques, such as those based on zinc finger nucleases or CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) technology. These rapid developments raise the stakes for companies that have wagered on a particular gene-silencing approach. Read more
New classification system proposed for breast cancer types
Since the late 1970s, clinicians have distinguished breast cancers types according to the presence or absence of certain receptors that sit on the surface of these tumor cells. Depending on the receptors found—namely, the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)—a doctor can get a better sense of the prognosis and which treatments might work. Read more
Focus on TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis
Nature Genetics is pleased to present today the first installment of our Focus on TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis. Read more
Preview to the 7th Genomics of Common Diseases
The 7th annual The Genomics of Common Diseases conference is taking place this weekend, from September 7-10, in Keble College, Oxford University. At this conference, we seek to represent a top selection of the latest research characterizing the genetic basis of a range of common diseases. Read more
