New evidence about the role of the RSK family of protein kinases in cancer has cut through conflicting experimental data to demonstrate they have different functions and that the RSK4 isoform is a promoter of drug resistance and metastasis in lung and bladder cancer.

A study led by researchers at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, La Trobe University, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, and the University of Melbourne has used a novel optical color-coding barcoded cancer cell tracking strategy to investigate metastatic heterogeneity in breast cancer.

In infectious disease research, most of the research into genetic determinants of susceptibility to infection and disease severity are focused on the host. For COVID-19, for example, the delta variant’s infectivity, and how likely infection is to lead to severe disease, is the focus of an intense research agenda. But host genetics, too, contribute to the consequences of infections. An ongoing study into the host genetics of SARS-CoV-2 infection has identified 13 such factors that affected either the likelihood of contracting SARS-CoV-2, or the severity of disease, gleaned from the data of 50,000 infected persons and 2 million controls.

Targeting viral condensates could be a valuable strategy for developing fast-acting, specifically targeted drugs with a potential broad spectrum of activity against pathogenic viruses, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), by targeting proteins critical for condensate formation, according to an international collaborative study.

Scientists have found a rare genetic variant carried by 1 in 3,000 people, which they say has a larger impact on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes than any other genetic defect identified to date.

Translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) is an immunomodulator that initiates development of an inflammatory milieu in the tumor microenvironment, where TCTP regulates high myeloid-derived suppressor cell activity, researchers have reported.

In infectious disease research, most of the research into genetic determinants of susceptibility to infection and disease severity are focused on the host. For COVID-19, for example, the delta variant’s infectivity, and how likely infection is to lead to severe disease, is the focus of an intense research agenda. But host genetics, too, contribute to the consequences of infections. An ongoing study into the host genetics of SARS-CoV-2 infection has identified 13 such factors that affected either the likelihood of contracting SARS-CoV-2, or the severity of disease, gleaned from the data of 50,000 infected persons and 2 million controls.

Brain plasticity has been postulated to be mainly mediated by neurons. Now, investigators led by Nathalie Rouach at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, College De France have demonstrated the role of astrocytes in mediating brain plasticity.

Separate research groups have reported new insights into the process of neurogenesis during development and adulthood, respectively. Their papers appeared in the July 6, 2021, online issue of Cell Reports.