A study led by researchers at the School of Medicine has identified a biological marker in children that appears to predict an autism diagnosis early in life.

Rat spinal cords control neural function in biobots

Whiteflies are among the most important agricultural pests in the world, yet they have been difficult to genetically manipulate and control, in part, because of their small size. An international team of researchers has overcome this roadblock by developing a CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing protocol that could lead to novel control methods for this devastating pest.

If a virus penetrates a cell, the immune system reacts immediately and produces the signalling protein interferon. This protein activates hundreds of highly specialised defence mechanisms in all surrounding cells, which can inhibit various steps in the replication of the virus. Even though these so-called interferon-stimulated genes form the backbone of the innate immune system, the mechanisms of action of only a few of them are understood as yet.

The structure of enzymes determines how they control vital processes such as digestion or immune response. This is because the protein compounds are not rigid, but can change their shape through movable “hinges.” The shape of enzymes can depend on whether their structure is measured in the test tube or in the living cell. This is what physicochemists at the University of Bonn discovered about YopO, an enzyme of the plague pathogen. This fundamental result, which has now been published in the journal Angewandte Chemie, is potentially also of interest for drug research.

Energy conservation may be a major function of sleep, according to new study in worms

Thrive Earlier Detection has a clear, straightforward vision: help find cancers as early as possible, when they are most likely to be cured, by using a simple blood test.

MLL-r is a cancer-driving gene fusion, like ALK and TRK. But unlike its brethren, which have led to targeted therapies for various cancers, the MLL-r has eluded researchers for decades. Early data from a small leukemia trial give the first clue to how to treat patients with this mutation, long thought to be undruggable.

On April 14, shares of Iovance Biotherapeutics jumped 17%, thanks to three magic words in the title of an abstract the company said will be presented at this week’s virtual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR): “durable complete responses.”

Grail has been doling out new evidence for its cancer-detecting blood test at a steady clip over the past year. At last year’s gatherings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the European Society for Medical Oncology, the company offered up clinical data showing its diagnostic could spot the signs and location of multiple early-stage cancers before they grow and spread to the rest of the body.