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 study has shown how changes in gene dosage can influence an individual’s risk of allergies (Immunity).
- A team of researchers have come together in an effort to create the first Chinese pangenome reference (Nature).
- An RNA nanoparticle treatment can prevent multiple myeloma cells from further mutating and progressing (PNAS).
- Researchers have developed a new method for early cancer detection. The technique involves mapping gene expression markers using small samples, making the process more efficient (Nature Chemical Biology).
- Artificial intelligence has been used to identify new drugs that could combat age-related diseases (Nature Communications).
- Scientists have revealed how ‘shattered’ chromosomes are reassembled in cancer cells (Nature).
- Genetic risk factors for the so-called ‘Viking disease’ – a condition that causes fingers to be permanently bent – have been identified (Molecular Biology and Evolution).
- Increased expression of the IGF2BP2 protein leads to disease progression in bowel cancer (Molecular Cancer).
- Scientists have published the first ‘Ageing Fly Cell Atlas’ which investigates ageing processes in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster (Science).
- Nine new genes have been identified that contribute to type I diabetes risk (American Journal of Human Genetics).
- Researchers have created a new tool – named GASPACHO – that captures gene expression changes during the innate immune response. The tool has been used to identify genetic mechanisms that impact COVID-19 susceptibility (Nature Genetics).
- Scientists have mapped the evolution of E. coli’s outer capsule – pointing towards a new drug target to combat infection (Nature Communications).
- The DYRK1A gene has been seen to promote SARS-CoV-2 infection. Moreover, knocking out this gene reduced activity of the infamous ACE2 receptor (PLOS Biology).
In other news:
- Scientists have, for the first time, created so-called ‘synthetic human embryos.’ The work could be revolutionary in genetics research, however it raises a number of ethical questions (Guardian).
- The AI chatbot, ChatGPT, is capable of making accurate medical diagnoses, according to a recent study (JAMA).
- Lastly, dinosaur fossils found on the Isle of Wight have been identified as an entirely new species (Guardian).
