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Focused on genome integrity, this postdoc investigates the cellular repair systems that keep DNA intact—and what happens when they break down.Image credit:Rishi Kumar Jaiswal, ©iStock.com, Alexey BrinQ | Write a brief introduction to yourself including the lab you work in and your research background. My name is Rishi Kumar Jaiswal, and I am working as a senior research scientist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. My research explores how cells repair damaged DNA to maintain genome stability. By combining molecular biology and structural techniques, I aim to uncover how errors in DNA repair contribute to cancer development and…

Credit: Iuliia Isaieva/Getty Images Distinct psychiatric disorders share common genomic factors more broadly than current thinking suggests, according to a genomic analysis led by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder and Mass General Brigham. The research, published in Nature, analyzed data of more than one million people diagnosed with at least one of 14 psychiatric disorders, along with the genomic data of five million healthy controls and found that some disorders, though biologically different, may share genetic factors that underlie these disorders. These findings have broad implications for diagnosis, classification, and the development of new drugs for these conditions.…

Initial focus on epilepsy could drive progress in aging and healthspan therapeutics targeting the mTOR pathway. US biotech Aeovian Pharmaceuticals today secured a $55 million Series B funding round to advance its lead program in a rare form of epilepsy – a move that could ultimately shape how longevity-linked mTOR biology is therapeutically harnessed in aging and healthspan. The oversubscribed round, led by Luma Group, will fund completion of a Phase 2 proof-of-concept study of AV078, a selective mTORC1 inhibitor in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC)-related refractory epilepsy. Also backed by longevity-focused investors like Hevolution and Apollo Health Ventures, Berkeley, CA-based…

Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have developed a novel artificial intelligence (AI) tool that not only identifies disease-causing genetic mutations but also predicts the type of disease those mutations may trigger. The machine learning model, called V2P (Variant to Phenotype), is designed to accelerate genetic diagnostics and aid in the discovery of new treatments for complex and rare diseases. In a newly published paper in Nature Communications, co-senior and co-corresponding authors Yuval Itan, PhD, Avner Schlessinger, PhD, and colleagues reported on the development and evaluation of V2P. The team showed that V2P’s predictions were able…

Mangroves evolve simple traits, such as having small cells with thick walls, to survive in saltwater, an environment that is toxic to other plants.Image credit:©iStock, Marcela KoyamaSaltwater is typically lethal for plants. As sea levels rise, agricultural crops in coastal regions are especially susceptible to damage, so scientists are racing to find solutions to this problem. One strategy is to look for ways to engineer plants to be more resilient against saltwater. To this end, Adam Roddy, a plant biologist at New York University, seeks to better understand what allows mangroves—the only plants that can live in saltwater—to thrive in…

The educational content in this post, elaborated in collaboration with Danone Research & Innovation, was independently developed and approved by the GMFH publishing team and editorial board. Recent estimates suggest that, over the next three decades, the global population aged 65 and over is set to more than double, reaching 1.5 billion individuals. Evidence has been accumulating that the gut microbiome changes with age, with a decline in diversity linked to frailty in later life. But we still do not know much about why some people achieve extreme longevity. In a recent study, an international team of scientists led by…

Credit: 3D rendering of human cell. anusorn nakdee / iStock / Getty Images Plus For more than a decade, T cell-based immunotherapies have transformed cancer treatment, offering durable responses in diseases once considered untreatable. Yet despite their success in select cancers, most solid tumors remain resistant. One persistent barrier has been a surprisingly basic gap in knowledge: how the T cell receptor (TCR) itself is activated at the molecular level. New research from The Rockefeller University now challenges long-standing assumptions about this foundational immune receptor. By visualizing the TCR in a membrane environment that closely mimics its natural setting, researchers…

Bold move aims to scale blood-based diagnostics globally as demand for earlier, more accessible Alzheimer’s disease detection accelerates ALZpath, Inc, leading developer of innovative diagnostic tools and solutions for Alzheimer’s, and medtech company Siemens Healthineers have signed a licensing agreement aimed at expanding global access to blood-based diagnostic testing for Alzheimer’s disease, marking a significant step toward more scalable and accessible neurodegenerative disease detection. Under the agreement, Siemens Healthineers will license ALZpath’s high-performing, proprietary pTau217 antibody for use in the development of a pTau217 assay designed for its Atellica immunoassay systems [1].  The test will be added to Siemens Healthineers’…

Candida [Ashraf Ibrahim, PhD] Candida species are an increasing cause of invasive fungal disease, particularly in hospitalized and immunocompromised populations. Not only is the arsenal of antifungal medicines and vaccines limited, but emerging resistance—most notably among Candida auris and Candida albicans—contributes to increasing morbidity and mortality rates. There is an urgent need for new therapeutic strategies targeting Candida infections. Now, the Lundquist Institute (TLI) and Vitalex Biosciences announce that they will move forward in the development of the second-generation fungal vaccine candidate known as VXV‑01—up to and including Phase I clinical evaluation. VXV-01 is built on the Therapeutic & Laboratory…

Researchers found that injuries sustained during menstruation took three times longer to recover from than injuries that occurred on non-bleeding days.Image credit: © iStock.com, skynesherMonthly hormone fluctuations associated with the menstrual cycle affect multiple aspects of women’s bodies, from metabolism and the cardiovascular system to neuromuscular functions.1 Because the menstrual cycle has such a significant effect on physiology, researchers have long wondered how it affects female athletes and their risk of injury.In a new study, researchers followed 33 professional female football (soccer) players over the course of four athletic seasons in Spain’s Liga F, tracking their periods and injuries.2 The scientists…