Check out the latest Genomics Week in Brief – full of intriguing news and research from the genomics space!
Top stories from the past week:
- New immunotherapy delivery approach delivers cargo directly to cells in the tumour microenvironment and eradicates advanced colorectal cancer in mice (Frontiers in Oncology).
- Researchers show that hydrocarbon-stapled peptides can block the FOXP3 protein-protein interaction that is essential for regulatory T cell function. The finding could lead to novel immunotherapies aimed at amplifying the immune response in a number of diseases (PNAS).
- Genetics analysis explains how time-restricted feeding affects metabolism in mice, revealing that energy release is the key mechanism behind why late-night eating can lead to weight gain (Science).
- In the largest study of its kind, researchers identify 42 genetic variants linked to dyslexia (EurekAlert).
- Proteogenomics offers new information on the molecular classification of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). The multi-omics study highlights the potential for proteomics data to improve patient stratification (Nature).
- The transcription factor, TBX20, has been identified as a vital component of any cardiac reprogramming cocktail. The finding could improve the efficiency of therapies for heart attack patients and help translate direct cardiac reprogramming to the clinic (EurekAlert).
- The protein MTCH2 has been found to be essential for shuttling proteins into the mitochondrial membrane, adding to fundamental cell biology knowledge and offering new potential avenues for cancer research (Science).
- Study reveals that stem cell-derived neurons from veterans with PTSD react differently to stress compared to those without. The finding demonstrates how our genetics can impact the risk of developing such conditions after trauma exposure (Nature).
- Computational tool, CAPITAL, enables accurate analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing datasets and is able to identify novel disease-associated genes that could not be picked up in earlier comparative methods (Nature).
- Meta-analysis of GWAS reveals the influence of host genes on the skin microbiome, with 30 candidate genes identified as being involved in innate immune signalling, environmental sensing, cell differentiation, proliferation and fibroblast activity (Nature).
- A new gene, P300, has been implicated in the treatment-resistant brain cancer glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The gene allows cells that have been damaged by radiation therapy to recover and could offer a new target for future research (Nature).
- Researchers uncover a meiotic driver family that has persisted in our genomes for over 100 million years, challenging previously held beliefs about these “nasty” genes (EurekAlert).
In other news:
- EcoOmics – the largest omics dataset to date for any polar ecosystem – provides an open-access resources for scientists to uncover the processes driving Arctic climate change (PLOS Biology).
- A transferable DNA structure known as a “borg” is found to play a key role in balancing atmospheric methane. The finding could help us fight the effects of climate change (Nature).
