Nanai and Chukchi Found Intolerant to 'Mushroom Sugar'
A team of researchers from HSE University, the RAS Research Centre for Medical Genetics, and the Moscow State University Institute of Anthropology have examined the impact of the human genotype on the production of trehalase, an enzyme responsible for metabolising 'mushroom sugar'. The researchers examined 1,068 DNA samples collected from inhabitants of northern and Arctic regions of Russia and found that the overall risk of trehalase deficiency in certain indigenous northern populations can be as high as 60–70%. The paper has been published in Problems of Nutrition.
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Scientists Have Developed a Model of Malignant Prostate Tumour and Used It to Test Drug Efficacy
Researchers from HSE University and the Russian Ministry of Health National Medical Research Radiological Centre have successfully generated a three-dimensional laboratory model of prostate cancer and used the model for testing an anti-tumour drug. In the future, this approach has the potential to significantly enhance the efficacy of cancer treatment for patients. The study’s findings have been published in Cancer Urology.
Conserved microRNAs and Flipons Shape Gene Expression
An international team, including researchers of the HSE Faculty of Computer Science, has discovered a new mechanism of gene regulation in which microRNA assumes a central role. These non-coding molecules influence the DNA regions within genes that govern embryonic development. The study contributes to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the diverse genetic programs found in complex multicellular organisms. The paper has been published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
Research Finds Genes Associated with Most Aggressive Kidney Cancer
HSE researchers have found genes characteristic of the most aggressive subtype of clear cell renal carcinoma. Having studied data on tumour samples from 456 patients, Grigory Puzanov, research fellow at the HSE Faculty of Computer Science International Laboratory of Bioinformatics, identified cancer subtypes associated with either a favourable or unfavourable course of the disease. The paper is published in Scientific Reports.
Microfluidic Chip Used to Test Drug Toxicity
A team including HSE researchers has developed a way to use microfluidic chips to assess the toxic effects of drugs on humans. This device will help identify and minimise the side effects of drugs during the preclinical trial stage and reduce the need for animal experiments. The study is published in Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine.
Biologists Figure Out How Stem Cells Turn Into Other Types of Cells at Molecular Level
An international team of researchers including biologists from HSE University has developed a method that helps obtain information on changes in protein expression and properties during cells’ transition from one state to another. One of the most interesting transitions is the transformation of cells from undifferentiated stem cells to differentiated cells of various organs and tissues. The paper was published in Nature Communications.
Hormones Can Help Brain Recover after Injury
An international team of researchers including Alexander Tonevitsky, Professor at HSE’s Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, found that pituitary hormones may produce different effects on the left and right sides of the body following a traumatic brain injury. These differences can accelerate the development of motor disorders. Researchers are trying to determine whether treatment that blocks the corresponding hormones can counteract these effects. The results of the study were published in the journal eLife.
Researchers Find Therapeutic Targets to Fight SARS-CoV-2
Researchers from HSE University have developed new approaches for regulating the expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 enzymes, which play a crucial role in cell infection with SARS-CoV-2. The scholars discovered that small non-coding microRNA (miRNA) molecules are capable of performing a targeted decrease in ACE2 and TMPRSS2. The results of the study have been published in PLOS ONE journal.
Joint Seminar of HSE Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology and George Mason University
First-year undergraduate students of the HSE Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology took part in an online seminar at George Mason University (USA). The seminar was part of the Coronavirus Research Update summer course, taught by Professor Ancha Baranova.
The Sooner You Try to Make a Scientific Contribution, the Sooner You Will Manage to Do So
The Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry (IBCH RAS) is one of the institutes of the Russian Academy of Science involved in the development of new faculties at the HSE University. It is also where first-year biology students come for hands-on training in research laboratories, and, in some cases, internships. HSE News Service visited the Institute to speak with first-year students at a zoology workshop.
HSE Faculties of Chemistry and Biology and Biotechnologies to Open Joint Departments with RAS
The HSE Academic Council has approved the establishment of joint departments with five institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) at the new Faculties of Chemistry and Biology and Biotechnologies of HSE. Students will gain access to laboratory equipment and learn how to conduct research and develop new technology and medicines.