Molecular Pathology & Genomics

The big question: Are we entering a new era in which mRNA vaccines are the future?

In May, AstraZeneca began the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine, due to a “surplus of updated vaccines” that target new variants. Then in June, Moderna announced positive late-stage trial results for its single COVID/flu combination vaccine, mRNA-1083. On the back of this, we look at the future impact of mRNA vaccines.

Predicting the return of breast cancer

Dr Isaac Garcia-Murillas discusses a new blood test that can predict if breast cancer will return years before the disease shows on scans.

Study points to potential treatments for restless leg syndrome

Scientists have discovered genetic clues to the cause of restless leg syndrome. The discovery could help identify those individuals at greatest risk of the condition and point to potential ways to treat it.

My lab: stem cell transplant and cellular therapy lab

Advanced Specialist Biomedical Scientist Mel Green gives a guided tour of the stem cell transplant lab at Nottingham University Hospitals.

Telomere findings may offer insights

A new study shows that an enzyme called PARP1 is involved in repair of telomeres – the lengths of DNA that protect the tips of chromosomes – and that impairing this process can lead to telomere shortening and genomic instability that can cause cancer.

Beyond SARS-COV-2

Dr Jennifer Cane, a Postdoctoral Research Assistant, asks what sequencing respiratory viruses can tell us.

Microsatellite instability cancer tests

New US research compares the data of newly diagnosed cancer patients who received two different types of tests to determine their course of treatment.

Recent advances in biomedical science

Deputy Editor Andrew Blann summarises some articles recently published in the British Journal of Biomedical Science.

Car t-cell therapy

The immunotherapy tool that ushered in a new era in cancer treatment options.

Genetic method for identifying hundreds of disease agents

A new paper compares the pathogen-detecting ability of a next-generation sequencing (NGS) system — the Respiratory Pathogen Infectious Diseases/Antimicrobial Resistance Panel (RPIP) — with a previously studied NGS system and standard of care (SOC) diagnostic methods for samples obtained with bronchoalveolar lavage.

“Gene editing via CRISPR/cas9 can lead to cell toxicity and genome instability”

CRISPR/Cas9 is a commonly used, very precise, gene editing technique often known as “genetic scissors”.

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