Non-Coding RNA: 2011 Editor’s FavoritesJanuary 11, 2012Understanding of non-coding RNAs grew by leaps and bounds in 2011, but the more that we learn; the more we get the feeling that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Take a look at some of our favorite articles from the last year that highlights the variety of roles that non-coding RNA play. […]
Chromatin: 2011 Editor’s FavoritesJanuary 11, 2012Chromatin definitely left it’s mark in 2011, making big advances with applications in cancer, stem cell, environmental, and autism research, just to name a few. Check out our favorite chromatin articles from 2011 to help you get ready for what’s coming in 2012. Histone Harm from Nickel Exposure It’s been known for a while that […]
Valproic Acid Derivatives and Cisplatin: Better TogetherJanuary 10, 2012Like PB&J or Brangelina, some things are just better together. Now a new study suggests that combining derivatives of the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor valproic acid with the chemotherapy drug cisplatin may kill human lung cancer cells better than either drug alone. HDAC inhibitors such as valproic acid show great promise as treatments for a […]
MiRNA Workout Helps Lower HypertensionJanuary 10, 2012Getting the heart pumping with a little exercise is good for the body—it lowers blood pressure and helps fight off heart disease. That makes getting fit a popular New Year’s resolution, but still no one really understands the molecular mechanism that’s behind the scenes. Now, reports show that exercise’s benefits may be due to its […]
5fC & 5caC Follow Up Strong in 5hmC SequelDecember 14, 2011Life was simpler back when there were only four bases. Nowadays researchers studying DNA methylation have to keep track of four methylCytosine derivatives alone, and the research is just starting to heat up. The last couple of years the TET family of proteins has proven effective at catalyzing 5-methylcytosine (5mC) into 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), apparently as […]
Databases for EpigeneticistsDecember 13, 2011The holidays have come a little early for epigeneticists! Nucleic Acids Research just published papers on several databases that put a wealth of information on various epi-phenomena right at your fingertips. Chances are, at least one of these has info that will make your research life a whole lot easier. HIstome The Histone Infobase (HIstome), […]
EpiGenie Review: Non-coding RNAs and miRNAs in CancerDecember 9, 2011Based on the latest research, the cancer::non-coding RNA conncection is undeniable. It’s just all the specifics around things like miRNA regulation that are still left to be understood. While dedicated epigenetics investigators are hard at work solving those mechanistic riddles, we’ve decided to take a look back at what’s been learned so far. Here are […]
Hypermethylated Pockets within Hypomethylated Genomic Regions Defines Cancer CellsDecember 5, 2011What makes a cell become a cancerous? We’d all love to know that, right? Well, new research has gotten a little bit closer to figuring out key epigenetic differences between cancer and normal genomes. It turns out that the DNA methylation patterns of these cells differ drastically, no surprise there, but it’s the genomic context […]
EpiGenie Review: DNA Methylation in CancerNovember 28, 2011DNA Methylation definitely has a major role in cancer, but with the all of the different tissue types and cancer variations, it’s been nearly impossible to define exactly what that role is. That hasn’t stopped dedicated researchers from chipping away at the task, though…or EpiGenie from covering it. Check out the advances in understanding DNAm […]
Chromatin Altering Enhancers Help Genes Escape lncRNA SilencingNovember 23, 2011This holiday season, you may not be able to escape the big family dinner table, and the aunts and uncles that drink too much and bring up old arguments. But researchers at Temple University report that some genes can escape from the stranglehold of silencing that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) impose. And they do it […]