Neuron-specific Methylome Analysis Reveals BRCA1 as a New Pathogenic Contributor to Alzheimer’s DiseaseOctober 23, 2017Whether it is for the billing of a new film, the release of an album, or in the understanding of the pathogenesis of a disease, figuring out who the contributors are and what role they play represents an important first step. In the case of the sporadic neurodegenerative disorder Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), we know that […]
The Hi’s and Lo’s of Cohesin’s Crafty Chromatin ConcertoOctober 18, 2017While solos are the key to some of your favorite tunes, a masterpiece as magnificent as chromatin conformation is hardly the work of a one-man band; instead, it takes an orchestra of histone modifications to complement and counterpoint cohesin´s sonorific solos. Now, a duet from the labs of Francois Spitz (Pasteur Institute, France) and Leonid […]
Gimme Shelterin! – TRF1 Gene Therapy Promotes Healthy AgingOctober 3, 2017One of the eternal anthems by The Rolling Stones proclaims “Gimme Shelter”, but given the band members apparent immunity to aging combined with a new article from the lab of Maria A. Blasco (CNIO, Madrid, Spain), should the song now proclaim, “Gimme shelterin”? The shelterin complex regulates telomerase activity and protects the telomeric regions at […]
CRISPR-Cas9 Embryo Editing…….Of Mice and Men!September 27, 2017Presumably after a day spent in a local tavern instead of writing and editing verse, the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns noted that “The best laid schemes of mice and men, Often go awry”. However, a new study of genome editing in the embryos of mice and men led by Kathy K. Niakan (Francis Crick […]
dCas9-SunTag-DNMT3A Causes a Total Methylation EclipseSeptember 26, 2017While it’s never a great idea to stare directly into the sun, a DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) eclipse brought to you by the SunTag system may just steal your eyes during its totality. This designer epigenome editing system comes to you from the labs of Margaret A. Goodell and Wei Li at Baylor College of Medicine […]
