Tag: mutations

Research shows how mutations in SARS-CoV-2 allow the virus to dodge immune defenses

The vast majority of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 clear the virus, but those with compromised immunity—such as individuals receiving immune-suppressive drugs for autoimmune diseases—can become chronically infected. As a result, their weakened immune defenses continue to attack the virus without being able to eradicate it fully. This physiological tug-of-war between human host and pathogen offers

As China vaccinates, makers say jab works against mutations

Chinese medics in Shanghai were given COVID-19 inoculations this week, as vaccine makers insisted their jab was effective against current virus mutations. China is racing to vaccinate millions ahead of the country’s Spring Festival travel rush. Pharma giant Sinopharm was given “conditional” approval for its vaccine candidate last week, and makers said they were confident

Cocaine addiction: Impact of genetic mutations elucidated

Cocaine addiction is a chronic disorder with a high rate of relapse for which no effective treatment is currently available. Scientists from the Institut Pasteur, the CNRS, Inserm and the Paris Public Hospital Network (AP-HP) recently demonstrated that two gene mutations involved in the conformation of nicotinic receptors in the brain appear to play a

Blood mutations could contaminate genetic analyses of tumors

Genetic mutations in blood cells that have made their way into tumors could be red herrings that mislead physicians looking for genetic changes in tumors that are helping to drive the cancer. This finding is significant because physicians could make misinformed treatment decisions. At the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting this week,

Tau mutations may increase cancer risk

Mutations to the protein tau, commonly associated with neurodegenerative disorders, may serve as a novel risk factor for cancer, according to results published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. “Our study revealed that the presence of tau mutations raises the risk of developing cancer,” said Fabrizio Tagliavini, MD, scientific

RB1 gene mutations underlie clinical resistance to CDK 4/6 inhibitor breast cancer therapy

A multi-institutional research team has identified what may be a novel mechanism underlying acquired resistance to CDK 4/6 inhibitor treatment for breast cancer. In their report published in the Annals of Oncology, the team—led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Institute Gustave Roussy in Paris, and Texas Oncology-Baylor Sammons Cancer Center/U.S. Oncology in Dallas—reports