Another week of exciting genomics research and news summarised here for you in the latest Genomics Week in Brief.
Top stories from the past week
- An international team has revealed how osteocytes form dendrites that help maintain bone health. (Wang et al, 2021)
- CHOP researchers have developed a new class of CAR-T cell that target previously untargetable cancer drivers. (Yarmakovich et al, 2021)
- Researchers have uncovered genes that enable plants to live in extreme desert environments. (Eshel et al, 2021)
- A recent study has linked a gene, called MEF2, to cognitive resilience in the elderly. (Barker et al, 2021)
- Researchers at Penn Medicine have used sophisticated methods to explore titin mutations in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. (McAfee et al, 2021)
- A new machine-learning model has been shown to use clinical and genomic data to predict the effectiveness of immunotherapy in cancer patients. (Chowell et al, 2021)
- George Washington University researchers have identified a molecule that blocks immune cells from entering and killing breast tumours. (Sun et al, 2021)
- A recent preclinical study has shown that a gene therapy that targets the substantia nigra substantially boosts the benefits of levodopa. (González-Rodríguez et al, 2021)
- Researchers have developed a new tool, SECRiFY, that can investigate the secretability of several hundred thousand protein sequences at once. (Boone et al, 2021)
- A new study has found that whole-genome sequencing from a single blood test can pick up 31% more cases of rare genetic disorders than standard testing. (Schon et al, 2021)
- Researchers have used genomics to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships between neuroendocrine tumours within single patients. (Elias et al, 2021)
- A recent study has identified an RNA molecule that suppresses prostate tumours. (Ghildiyal et al, 2021)
In other news
- Members of the European Platform for Neurodegenerative Diseases (EPND) have announced that they will establish a collaborative platform for efficient sample and data sharing to accelerate the discovery and validation of biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases. (Alzheimer Europe, 2021)
- The Center for Data Driven Discovery in Biomedicine (D3b) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has received critical government support for genetic research of paediatric tumours. (CHOP, 2021)
- Penn Medicine has been awarded a $9.5 million grant from The Warren Alpert Foundation (WAF) to continue its efforts to increase diversity in genetic counselling. (Penn Medicine, 2021)
Image credit: canva