Researchers have adopted single-cell analysis to uncover the molecular underpinnings of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Their findings may have implications for targeted therapeutics.

Researchers report that indole-3-carbinol (I3C) – a natural compound found in broccoli – can be used to therapeutically target a gene (WWP1) known to play a role in several human cancers.

Speeding up the transformation of induced pluripotent stem cells into cardiomyocytes is of interest for researchers involved in regenerative medicine, and drug development for cardiac diseases.

Molecules from the immune system of a jawless parasitic fish could help lead the way to more effective treatments for multiple brain ailments, including cancer, trauma and stroke.

Scientists have developed a method with which an enzyme at work can be “photographed”, making it possible to better understand the function of important biomolecules.

ETH researchers have combined embryonic cells and liver cells in a new cell culture test. This combination lets them detect adverse effects that new medications may have on embryos early on in the drug development process.

The specificity of antibody binding is incredibly important for many research disciplines, yet sourcing the best antibody for your research can be a challenge. This is partly because not all suppliers validate their antibodies sufficiently. How much of a problem is this?

A significant minority of major depressive disorder patients don’t respond to currently available antidepressant medication. A newly approved treatment, based on the "club drug" ketamine, could change that. In a session at the British Neuroscience Association’s Festival of Neuroscience 2019, the potential mechanisms of ketamine’s antidepressant action were put under examination.

Given the complexity of cancer, it’s arguably unlikely that single molecules will work as clinically meaningful biomarkers for cancer. Today, biomarker discovery involves detecting patterns – characteristics or phenotypes that can be measured and monitored throughout a patient’s journey. Here, we look at two approaches being explored in this evolving field.

When developing diagnostic tests or evaluating results, it is important to understand how reliable those tests and therefore the results you are obtaining are. By using samples of known disease status, values such as sensitivity and specificity can be calculated that allow you to evaluate just that.

Running in parallel with advances in 3D cell culture is the growing use of human cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. Researchers are interested in testing drugs in the most physiologically relevant models possible, so it was only a matter of time before these two approaches converged – providing optimized systems for disease modeling and drug toxicity testing.

To improve cancer survival rates, pharma and biotech researchers must develop safe and effective therapies to treat not only primary tumors, but also metastatic growths and tumors that have acquired resistance.