A little-known tissue composed of a cluster of immune cells could offer novel insights into the development of neurological disorders. Meninges' immune system changes with age and neurodegeneration. Are they protecting the brain or fueling disease? Mapping and analyzing the so-called ectopic lymphoid structures (ELSs) in the meninges at different ages in preclinical models of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's may help clarify whether they are good, bad, or ugly, as in the iconic film by Sergio Leone.
The largest genome-wide association study to date of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome has identified eight genetic loci that are significantly associated with the chronic debilitating condition. Onset of ME/CFS often is traced back to an infection and four of the loci involve genes that are expressed in response to viral or bacterial infections.
Although congenital aortic valve disease (AVD) is one of the most prevalent types of congenital heart disease, affecting 1% to 2% of the population, the understanding of the molecular genetics and mechanisms underlying the disease remains limited.
An experimental gene therapy based on the prime editing technique could become an effective treatment for alternating hemiplegia of childhood, a severe and currently incurable rare disease. David Liu’s lab at the Broad Institute, the inventor of this gene edition methodology, together with scientists from The Jackson Laboratory, successfully reversed the effects of five mutations associated with this disorder in a mouse model.
An experimental gene therapy based on the prime editing technique could become an effective treatment for alternating hemiplegia of childhood, a severe and currently incurable rare disease. David Liu’s lab at the Broad Institute, the inventor of this gene edition methodology, together with scientists from The Jackson Laboratory, successfully reversed the effects of five mutations associated with this disorder in a mouse model.
The human genome has yielded another round of secrets with the publication of two back-to-back papers in Nature on July 23, 2025. Both studies re-sequenced probands from the open-access 1000 Genomes Project, which was one of the first projects to sequence individuals from diverse populations.
Opus Genetics Inc. has entered a strategic partnership with the Global RDH12 Alliance to advance Opus’ gene therapy program for patients with vision loss due to retinol dehydrogenase 12 (RDH12) gene mutations.
The human genome has yielded another round of secrets with the publication of two back-to-back papers in Nature on July 23, 2025. Both studies re-sequenced probands from the open-access 1000 Genomes Project, which was one of the first projects to sequence individuals from diverse populations. While one paper “goes very deep and tries to reconstruct a few genomes to basically near completion,” the other specifically looked at structural variants in a larger number of genomes. Together, they give new insights into genome variation.
Researchers have identified bi-allelic variants in the POPDC2 gene as the cause of a rare inherited cardiac syndrome characterized by sinus node dysfunction, atrioventricular (AV) conduction defects and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability and autism, is caused by silencing of the Fmr1 gene, leading to a lack of the FMRP protein, which regulates protein synthesis in neurons. One key pathway affected by FMRP loss is the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) signaling pathway, where activation of mGluR5 leads to excessive translation of several proteins involved in synaptic plasticity.
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