Prostatic-specific antigen (PSA) is commonly used as a screening tool for prostate cancer but presents limited sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, research efforts are focused on searching for novel noninvasive diagnostic biomarkers.

Researchers at the University of Rochester have described a neuroimaging-based biomarker that could identify individuals with early psychosis, and improved their identification when it was added to a standard neurocognitive diagnostic test. In a group of roughly 160 participants in the Human Connectome Early Psychosis Project, individuals who were in the early stages of psychosis had stronger connections from the thalamus (a midbrain sensory processing area) to the cortex, but weaker connections between different cortical areas, than controls.

WD repeat domain 83 opposite strand (WDR83OS) encodes the 106-aa (amino acid) protein Asterix, which is a binding partner for CCDC47. More specifically, Asterix heterodimerizes with CCDC47 to form the protein associated with ER translocon (PAT) complex that specifically chaperones large proteins containing transmembrane domains.

Primary tumors arising in the gastrointestinal system, ovary or pancreas may spread and lead to secondary cancers such as metastatic omentum cancer.

Researchers from the U.K. have analyzed whole-genome sequencing data from 7,276 cases and 236,741 controls in the UK Biobank to perform gene-level and a variant-level exome-wide association study analysis to identify variants related to retinal detachment.

Many studies have linked the presence of specific bacteria to various diseases. But a general overgrowth of gut bacteria can be a symptom of different conditions, including colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease. A study counting gut microbiome proposes that microbial load, rather than the disease, could explain the presence of certain pathogens.

WDR45 is located on the X chromosome. Its pathogenic variants are associated with various neurodegenerative disorders that are predominantly reported in females and present a wide range of clinical phenotypes, from early-onset developmental delay to neurodegeneration and multiple epileptic syndromes.

Orofacial clefting is a common birth defect that affects 1 in 700 newborns, and includes cleft lip, cleft palate and cleft lip and palate, with a strong genetic component, thus being highly heritable. Researchers have identified new gene variants tied to orofacial clefting.