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6 days ago | 
azolifesciences.com | Lexie Corner |Pooja Toshniwal Paharia
Reviewed by Lexie CornerA study published in Advanced Healthcare Materials describes the bioengineering of three-dimensional (3D) kidney glomerular microtissues that replicate the glomerular filtration barrier (GFB) structure and mechanical environment. The model was developed to support studies of podocyte-related diseases by simulating biomechanical forces important to podocyte health.
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6 days ago | 
azolifesciences.com | Lexie Corner |Pooja Toshniwal Paharia
Reviewed by Lexie CornerA recent study in Nature Plants examined the genetic regulation of endosymbiotic gene transfer (EGT) in plants. Researchers found that deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) double-strand break repair (DSBR) pathways reduce gene transfer from cell organelles to the nuclear genome. In contrast, deficiencies in DSBR pathways—specifically in DNA ligase IV (LIG4) and DNA polymerase theta (POLQ) mutants—led to a marked increase in EGT frequency.
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1 week ago | 
azolifesciences.com | Lexie Corner |Pooja Toshniwal Paharia
Reviewed by Lexie CornerA recent study published in Cancer Gene Therapy examined the genetic contributions of mesenchyme homeobox 2 (MEOX2) and switch/sucrose non-fermentable-related matrix-associated actin-dependent regulator of chromatin subunit B1 (SMARCB1) in lung cancer. The results suggest that MEOX2 is associated with tumor growth promotion, while SMARCB1 appears to act as a tumor suppressor.
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1 week ago | 
azolifesciences.com | Lexie Corner |Pooja Toshniwal Paharia
Reviewed by Lexie CornerA recent study published in Nature Genetics reports a genome-wide association study (GWAS) aimed at identifying genetic factors linked to long-term effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), also known as post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). The study found that variants of the forkhead box P4 (FOXP4) gene are associated with an increased risk of PASC.
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1 week ago | 
azolifesciences.com | Lexie Corner |Pooja Toshniwal Paharia
Reviewed by Lexie CornerA recent study in Nature Communications investigated how pre-analytical factors affect the transcriptome of blood-based extracellular RNA (exRNA, or cell-free RNA) biomarkers. The researchers established guidelines for blood collection tube type, RNA purification methods, and processing time to help optimize exRNA profiling. These recommendations aim to support both researchers planning exRNA studies and manufacturers evaluating new products.
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2 weeks ago | 
azolifesciences.com | Lexie Corner |Pooja Toshniwal Paharia
Reviewed by Lexie CornerA recent review in FEBS Letters explores the role of autophagy in cancer and protein conformational disorders. Autophagy helps maintain cellular homeostasis. In cancer, it can suppress tumor growth in early stages but promote tumor survival in advanced stages. In protein diseases, autophagy clears toxic protein aggregates from cells and tissues.
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2 weeks ago | 
azolifesciences.com | Lexie Corner |Pooja Toshniwal Paharia
Reviewed by Lexie CornerA recent study in Nature Communications highlights a key challenge in single-cell proteomics: protein leakage. Focusing on murine tracheal cells, the research team examined how leakage can skew protein quantification and, by extension, the biological insights derived from these studies. By identifying and removing permeabilized cells, those that have lost proteins due to membrane damage, from analysis, researchers can significantly improve data quality and reliability.
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3 weeks ago | 
azolifesciences.com | Lexie Corner |Pooja Toshniwal Paharia
Reviewed by Lexie CornerA new study in Nature Communications explores how variance quantitative trait loci (vQTLs) and variance polygenic scores (vPGSs) can improve the genetic assessment of blood cell phenotypes. By using vQTLs to construct vPGSs, researchers stratified individuals by genetic variability in specific traits.
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3 weeks ago | 
azolifesciences.com | Lexie Corner |Pooja Toshniwal Paharia
Reviewed by Lexie CornerA recent study published in npj Science of Food explored how black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) can serve as a sustainable biorefinery, converting organic waste, specifically expired pet food, into biodiesel and livestock feed. Image Credit: HWall/Shutterstock.comThis environmentally friendly and cost-effective approach transforms low-value biomass into high-value resources while also reducing carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions commonly associated with microbial waste processing.
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3 weeks ago | 
azolifesciences.com | Lexie Corner |Pooja Toshniwal Paharia
Reviewed by Lexie CornerIn a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Hepatology, researchers explored the importance of the intestinal transmembrane protein TM6SF2 in the progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), particularly when triggered by a high-fat diet (HFD). Researchers highlight a growing body of evidence linking gut health to liver function, pointing to TM6SF2 as a potential therapeutic target in MASLD management.
