Researchers studied how cancer cells repair DNA breaks that occur at TA-repeat sequences within extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA), circular fragments that often carry amplified oncogenes like MYC. Using cell lines including COLO320DM, HeLa-derived clones and engineered mouse neural stem cells, the team found that a repair mechanism called microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ) helps preserve these ecDNA elements and the growth advantage they give cancer cells.
nature.com
· 2026-09-23
A mouse study led by Cambridge researcher Menna Clatworthy found that immune cells activated during intestinal infections, such as those caused by Citrobacter rodentium bacteria and the parasitic worm Schistosoma mansoni, travel to the meninges surrounding the brain. There, the cells take up long-term residence and mount a faster, stronger response when the same infection recurs more than a month later, indicating they retain a memory of the original illness.
nature.com
· 2026-09-15
Researchers studying mice found that rising testosterone levels during puberty appear to suppress the type of lung inflammation associated with asthma. This offers a possible biological explanation for why many boys who suffer from asthma in childhood see their symptoms diminish or disappear after puberty, a pattern long observed but poorly understood.
nature.com
· 2026-08-25
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