Newswise Feature Channel: Biotech

AI-Based Liquid Biopsy Shows Promise for Detecting Brain Cancer

Johns Hopkins Medicine — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 11:05:31 EST

A new liquid biopsy approach developed by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center investigators could revolutionize brain cancer detection by identifying circulating DNA fragments from tumors and immune cells in blood samples, potentially enabling earlier diagnosis.

Unlocking Tomato Sweetness: A Gene Boosts Flavor and Shelf Life

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 10:20:22 EST

Scientists have identified a key gene that regulates sugar metabolism and dramatically improves tomato fruit quality and resilience after harvest. The gene, known as SlVI, encodes a vacuolar invertase that plays a critical role in converting sucrose into glucose and fructose during fruit ripening. By knocking out SlVI, researchers achieved higher fruit sucrose levels, enhanced firmness, increased resistance to fungal infections, and an extended shelf life. These findings not only reveal new insights into sugar's dual role as both an energy source and signaling molecule but also open avenues for developing tastier and more durable fruits, addressing critical challenges in agriculture and food storage.

Metabolon Launches Microbiome Research Solution Combining New Microbiome Panel, Metagenomics Sequencing, and Multiomics Bioinformatics Tools

Metabolon, Inc. — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 09:50:29 EST

Metabolon Launches Microbiome Research Solution Combining New Microbiome Panel, Metagenomics Sequencing, and Multiomics Bioinformatics Tools

Tavo Biotherapeutics Announces Appointment of Seasoned Executives to Key Posts

Tavo Biotherapeutics — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 08:35:29 EST

---- Lukas Scheibler, Ph.D. to become Chief Research and Development Officer and Graham Cooper to become Chief Financial Officer ---- Additions to senior team will drive Tavo's strategy to develop new innovative therapeutics addressing critical unmet needs in glaucoma and retinal disease

Borrowing a Gene from the Burning Bush Plant Improves Oil Qualities in Bioenergy Crops

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 18:40:56 EST

Some plants produce oils with properties that are particularly good for biofuels, but not all of these plants are suitable for being grown on a large scale. To solve this dilemma, scientists modified the seeds of camelina and pennycress to produce the same type of oil made by the burning bush plant. The result is plants that produce nearly pure, high-quality oil with improved biofuel properties.

A Drug Dismantles a Metabolic Barrier to Anti-Tumor Immunity

Ludwig Cancer Research — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 18:40:49 EST

A Ludwig Cancer Research study has identified a specific mode of fat uptake by immune cells within tumors that serves as a metabolic checkpoint against anti-cancer immune responses.

Blackberries with No Thorns? Scientist Assembles Genome of a Blackberry in Major Step to Breed Better Fruit

University of Florida — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 18:20:07 EST

New UF blackberry varieties could provide a boon for farmers looking to rebound after the decline of Florida citrus and who see an opportunity to meet the growing demand for blackberries, which have soared in popularity in recent years.

Largest Osteoarthritis Genetic Study Uncovers Pathways to New Therapies and Repurposed Drugs

RUSH — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 18:05:43 EST

Researchers have uncovered multiple new genes and genetic pathways that could lead to repurposing hundreds of existing drugs for osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis.

Researchers Say a Genetic Mutation and Evolutionary Trick Makes Horses Athletic, Finding May Spur Treatments for Human Disease

Johns Hopkins Medicine — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 10:35:34 EST

How did horses become some of the greatest athletes in the animal kingdom? Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine may have found the answer, pinpointing a genetic mutation and evolutionary process that occurred millions of years ago, which appears to have optimized horses' speeds and stamina.

Anti-inflammatory Drug Reverses Periodontal Damage via Cellular Cleanup

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 08:30:26 EST

A recent study reveals that dimethyl fumarate (DMF), a compound already approved for other inflammatory diseases, can prevent and alleviate periodontal tissue damage. The research demonstrates that DMF significantly shifts immune cell behavior, promoting anti-inflammatory macrophages and restoring mitochondrial health by enhancing mitophagy--a cellular process that removes damaged mitochondria. The drug achieves this through regulation of Tu translation elongation factor (TUFM), a protein critical to mitochondrial function. This breakthrough suggests a new therapeutic approach for periodontitis by targeting mitochondrial quality control and immune modulation rather than relying solely on traditional plaque-removal strategies.

Bar-Ilan University Evolutionary Analysis Reveals Protein Adaptations that Shield Mammals from Aging and Disease

Bar-Ilan University — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 07:25:53 EST

A recent study led by Prof. Haim Cohen at Bar-Ilan University, in collaboration with Dr. Sagi Snir and PhD student Sarit Feldman-Trabelsi, explores why some mammals live much longer and healthier lives than others.

Revealing the Key Player in Oral Submucous Fibrosis: Could COMP Be the Solution?

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 06:00:31 EST

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a serious disease that impairs mouth functionality, often leading to restricted opening and a high risk of malignant transformation. New research has uncovered a crucial player in this disease: cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP).

Immunotherapy Before and After Surgery Improves Outcomes in Head and Neck Cancer

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 12:00:00 EST

Patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer who received the immune checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab before, during and after standard-of-care surgery had longer event-free survival without the cancer coming back and higher rates of substantial tumor shrinkage prior to surgery, according to the first interim analysis of a randomized, open-label phase 3 clinical trial led by investigators from Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

EZH2, via an Association with KDM2B, Modulates Osteogenic Differentiation of Root Apical Papillary Stem Cells

World Journal of Stem Cells — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 12:00:53 EST

BACKGROUNDStem cells from apical papilla (SCAPs) represent promising candidates for bone regenerative therapies due to their osteogenic potential. However, enhancing their differentiation capacity remains a critical challenge. Enhancer of z

L-Arginine From Elder Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Induces Angiogenesis and Enhances Therapeutic Effects on Ischemic Heart Diseases

World Journal of Stem Cells — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 12:00:52 EST

BACKGROUNDMesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapy may be a future treatment for myocardial infarction (MI). However, few studies have assessed the therapeutic efficacy of adipose tissue-derived MSCs (ADSCs) obtained from elderly patients

Rna Interference-Mediated Osteoprotegerin Silencing Increases the Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-Kappa B Ligand/Osteoprotegerin Ratio and Promotes Osteoclastogenesis

World Journal of Stem Cells — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 12:00:50 EST

BACKGROUNDIn vivo degradation of bone scaffolds is significantly influenced by osteoclast (OC) activity, which is orchestrated by the interplay between receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG). T

Hypoxic Endometrial Epithelial Cell-Derived microRNAs Effectively Regulate the Regenerative Properties of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

World Journal of Stem Cells — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 12:00:47 EST

Endometrial thickness plays an important role in successful embryo implantation and normal pregnancy achievement. However, a thin endometrial layer ( less than or equal to 7 mm) may have a significant effect on microenvironment tolerance, which is further rel

Stem Cell Therapy for Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: Clinical Progress with Exosomes and Gene Vectors

World Journal of Stem Cells — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 12:00:45 EST

Intervertebral disc degeneration is a leading cause of lower back pain and is characterized by pathological processes such as nucleus pulposus cell apoptosis, extracellular matrix imbalance, and annulus fibrosus rupture. These pathological

Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomal miR-199a-3p inhibits the MAPK4/NF-κB Signaling Pathway to Relieve Osteoarthritis

World Journal of Stem Cells — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 12:00:34 EST

BACKGROUNDThere is currently no effective treatment for osteoarthritis (OA), which is the most common joint disorder leading to disability. Although human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) are promising OA treatments, their u

Exosomal Mir-137-3p Targets UBE3C to Activate STAT3, Promoting Migration and Differentiation Into Endometrial Epithelial Cell of Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Under Hypoxia

World Journal of Stem Cells — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 12:00:28 EST

BACKGROUNDThin endometrium, leading cause of recurrent implantation failure and infertility, has been found to respond to exosomes. AIMTo investigate the efficacy of exosomes in addressing the issue of thin endometrium. METHODSRNA sequenc