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Scientists from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have recently uncovered the mechanisms of how RNA polymerase II performs intrinsic cleavage reaction to proofread RNA transcriptions, shedding light on how mis-regulation of accurate transcription can lead to diseases including cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

New research from Rice University indicates that mindless switching between digital devices is associated with increased susceptibility to food temptations and lack of self-control, which may result in weight gain.

A new study assessing genetic and survey data from 620,000 individuals found that the 18 most highly-studied candidate genes for depression are actually no more associated with it than randomly chosen genes.

The difficulty in spotting minute amounts of disease circulating in the bloodstream has proven a stumbling block in the detection and treatment of cancers that advance stealthily with few symptoms. With a novel electrochemical biosensing device that identifies the tiniest signals these biomarkers emit, NJIT researchers are hoping to bridge this gap.

In a new study, researchers use an analogy to explain how transcription factors function: reading of genes is like a train ride. The cellular machinery that reads the genetic information sets off like a train at the beginning of a gene, and only when the train reaches its final destination, the end of the gene, can it produce the corresponding protein.

Measuring the concentration of placental growth factor (PlGF) in a woman’s blood enables doctors to diagnose pre-eclampsia on average two days sooner. This was associated with significant improvements in outcomes for women. The test will be made available throughout England.

The heterogeneity of cells within tumors is a hallmark of almost all cancers, and represents a significant challenge to effective therapy. Therefore, a high-throughput technique was assessed as a way of characterizing the metabolism of individual cancer cells.

HIV-positive people treated with antiretroviral therapy who had high levels of autoantibodies also had increased levels of Staphylococcus aureus products in their blood, raising new possibilities of a "leaky gut" mechanism in HIV pathology.

Skin-inspired electronics which conform to the skin, have been designed to allow for long-term, high-performance, real-time wound monitoring in users.

By capturing more cancer cells than blood draw screening, this device could help doctors understand a tumor’s biology and make decisions about treatment.