Check out the latest Genomics Week in Brief – full of intriguing news and research from the genomics space!
Top stories from the past week:
- A new method, called “PAthreader”, has been proposed that can predict protein structures and folding patterns (Nature).
- A study has revealed that the diagnostic yield of exome sequencing for cerebral palsy is similar to that of other neurological disorders, strengthening calls to use this diagnostic test in the clinic (JAMA).
- The accuracy of the current test used to assess the success of gene editing in human embryos has been called into question, according to a recent published study (Nature Communications).
- Researchers have developed a new method to sensitise metastatic breast tumours to immunotherapy through reprogramming of the tumour microenvironment (Cancer Discovery).
- A new study has provided insights into how T cells recognise and fight cancer cells – information that could be used to improve immunotherapy treatments (Nature).
- Researchers have identified the genetic variants that have allowed those native to the Amazon to resist Chagas disease (Science Advances).
- Researchers have used CRISPR to create mouse models of bipolar disorder, in the hopes of further understanding the condition and finding treatments (Nature).
- Researchers have identified a novel protein that promotes cancer cell migration and metastasis (Molecular Cancer).
- The oncogenic metabolite fumarate has been seen to play a role in kidney cancer, by causing mitochondrial damage that leads to the excretion of mtDNA and a subsequent immune reaction (Nature).
- Scientists have identified a new class of drugs that could be used against COVID-19, even in strains that have displayed drug resistance previously (Nature).
- Whole exome sequencing has revealed a novel genetic variant responsible for the rare skin disorder, Harlequin Ichthyosis (Frontiers in Paediatrics).
In other news:
- A plan has been launched that details how the United Kingdom can become a “science and technology superpower” by 2030. The Science and Technology Framework focuses on creating new jobs, increasing funding and hones in on topics such as artificial intelligence (UK Government).
- Scientists have announced that mice embryos have been successfully created using genetic material from two male parents. Some of these embryos grew into healthy offspring after implantation in the uterus of a female mouse (Nature).
- The first non-hormonal, non-surgical treatment for endometriosis is to be trialled in 100 women in Edinburgh and London. If successful, this will be the first time in over four decades that a new class of drug has been approved for the condition (University of Aberdeen).
