This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Malignant renal cell carcinoma accounts for approximately 2% of cancer cases worldwide, and kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) is the most common subtype. Tumor angiogenesis is an important prognostic indicator and therapeutic target for KIRC. However, the specific angiogenesis subtypes in KIRC and their epigenetic regulation mechanisms are not well defined. In a recent multi-omics study, researchers analyzed these subtypes in patients using published molecular datasets. Angiogenesis scores calculated based on a 189-gene molecular signature were correlated with several prognostic indicators in over 500 patients. The five genes that contributed most to the scores (MMRN2, CLEC14A, ACVRL1, EFNB2, and TEK) were also associated with overall survival. Clustering analysis based on 183 of the signature genes identified two angiogenesis subtypes among the patients..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"A recent case study reports the apparent benefits of classical homeopathy for people with varying severities of psoriasis. Their conclusion: a more holistic approach that goes beyond skin clearance might be one solution for certain sufferers of the disease. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting more than 125 million people worldwide. In addition to its effect on the skin, psoriasis can take a psychological toll due to its appearance. And if tied to systemic inflammation, it can even cause serious morbidity or death. Modern treatment options for psoriasis, such as the use of biologics, are designed to block the inflammatory factors that give rise to disease symptoms. While generally effective, these agents can actually weaken a patient’s immune system, making their prolonged use risky. That has many researchers exploring alternative routes for treatment that go beyond clear skin to achieve a better quality of life..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

During development a single totipotent cell gives rise to the vast array of cell types present in the adult human body, yet each cell has essentially the same DNA sequence. As cells differentiate, distinct sets of genes must be coordinately activated and repressed, ultimately leading to a cell-type specific pattern of gene expression and a particular cell fate. In eukaryotic organisms, DNA is packaged in a complex protein super structure known as chromatin. Modification and reorganization of chromatin play a critical role in coordinating the cell-type specific gene expression programs that are required as a cell transitions from a pluripotent stem cell to a fully differentiated cell type. Epigenetics refers to such heritable changes that occur in chromatin without altering the primary DNA sequence. This class will focus on the role of epigenetic regulation with respect to developmental fate and also consider the fact that the epigenetic mechanisms discussed have broad implications, including how seemingly normal cells can be transformed into cancerous cells.
This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Epigenetic DNA modifications, like methylation, heritably alter gene expression without changing the genetic code. Aberrant epigenetic alterations and dysregulated methylation often drive cancer development. Identifying such alterations could lead to new cancer biomarkers or treatment targets. Colorectal cancer in particular could benefit from epigenetic biomarkers, as it is the third deadliest cancer globally and has limited early detection methods. In a recent study, researchers screened methylation databases of colorectal cancer patients, and they honed in on HAND2, a transcription factor whose promotor region was frequently methylated in these patients. In the lab, experiments demethylating HAND2 reverted its expression in cultured colorectal cancer cells. Demethylation of HAND2 inhibited pro-cancer behavior — proliferation, invasion, and migration — in these cells. HAND2 demethylation also suppressed tumor growth relative to controls in tumor xenograft experiments..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Epigenetics - our epigenome - controls how our genes behave without altering their sequence. Just about everything affects it, from nutrition, drugs, and toxins to child rearing, culture, and society. Many diseases, from obesity to addiction to cancer, can be linked to epigenetic modifications. Furthermore, throughout development and life, from conception to death, the exposures you have will not only affect your own epigenome, but potentially also your child’s, and your grandchild’s. This rapidly expanding field of biological, physiological, sociological, and psychological research could be key to discovering why, and more importantly how, we are the way we are.

Epigenetics has consequences for medicine, pregnancy, childcare, law and how we live on an everyday basis. This book will provide a comprehensive introduction to the mechanisms and real-life consequences of epigenetics, and will arm the reader with the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions about the future of epigenetics in modern society. This is a call for serious consideration about the effects of epigenetics on society.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"The expression of human genes is partially modulated by epigenetic mechanisms. There is a dramatic epigenetic transformation during transition of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) to specialized cells and the reprogramming of somatic cells to become induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Aberrant epigenetic changes can contribute to carcinogenesis and other disorders. The histone demethylase Jumonji domain-containing protein-3 (JMJD3) regulates the trimethylation of histone H3 on lysine 27 (H3K27me3), which is an important epigenetic event associated with transcriptional silencing. JMJD3 function has been studied in relation to immune diseases, cancer, and tumor development. Recent studies have suggested that JMJD3 also plays a major role in cell fate determination of pluripotent and multipotent stem cells. JMJD3 specifically enhances self-renewal ability and reduces the differentiation capacity of ESCs and multipotent stem cells..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with the misfolding of two major proteins, causing the accumulation of toxic protein aggregates. Amyloid-β aggregates extracellularly, forming plaques, and Tau aggregates intracellularly, forming neurofibrillary tangles. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are important for the regulation of Tau’s function, but an imbalance in PTMs may lead to abnormal Tau function and aggregation. While methylation is an important PTM for Tau in its physiological state, the lysine methylation signature changes in Tau’s pathological form. These alterations may affect the intramolecular forces within the Tau molecule, resulting in altered conformations, and methylation can also interact with other PTMs, affecting Tau function and stability. Although more investigation is needed, it appears that in addition to post-translational methylation, DNA methylation also affects Tau regulation..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This course provides a foundation for understanding the relationship between molecular biology, developmental biology, genetics, genomics, bioinformatics, and medicine. It develops explicit connections between basic research, medical understanding, and the perspective of patients. Principles of human genetics are reviewed. We translate clinical understanding into analysis at the level of the gene, chromosome and molecule; we cover the concepts and techniques of molecular biology and genomics, and the strategies and methods of genetic analysis, including an introduction to bioinformatics. Material in the course extends beyond basic principles to current research activity in human genetics.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Does skeletal muscle have a memory? That’s the question researchers from the UK set out to answer in one of their most recent studies. Their finding: Yes, muscle memory is real. But it’s not quite the same type of memory you might be thinking of. This is memory of previous muscle growth—even after a period of muscle loss. The implications for athletes looking to bulk up is clear. But the results could also clue clinicians in on how to help patients retain muscle mass into older age. The researchers analyzed more than 850,000 sites on human DNA, discovering distinct patterns in how genes in these regions were chemically marked or unmarked during periods of exercise or no exercise. One cluster of genes lost its tags during muscle growth following exercise, kept them off after a period of no exercise, and lost even more during a second exercise period. Known as an epigenetic modification, this “untagging of DNA” is associated with switching gene expression on..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Psychology is designed to meet scope and sequence requirements for the single-semester introduction to psychology course. The book offers a comprehensive treatment of core concepts, grounded in both classic studies and current and emerging research. The text also includes coverage of the DSM-5 in examinations of psychological disorders. Psychology incorporates discussions that reflect the diversity within the discipline, as well as the diversity of cultures and communities across the globe.Senior Contributing AuthorsRose M. Spielman, Formerly of Quinnipiac UniversityContributing AuthorsKathryn Dumper, Bainbridge State CollegeWilliam Jenkins, Mercer UniversityArlene Lacombe, Saint Joseph's UniversityMarilyn Lovett, Livingstone CollegeMarion Perlmutter, University of Michigan

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Explain the basic principles of the theory of evolution by natural selectionDescribe the differences between genotype and phenotypeDiscuss how gene-environment interactions are critical for expression of physical and psychological characteristics

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Autophagy is the process by which healthy cells degrade and recycle waste material. Researchers are finding that this vital function is interrupted in different forms of cancer, including brain cancer. A new review describes how researchers are repairing broken autophagy pathways in tumors using microRNAs, or miRNAs. miRNAs are small non-coding RNA molecules that regulate a variety of cellular processes— including autophagy. Understanding the molecular targets of miRNAs and their function is crucial, as it could lead to the development of new therapies for patients with brain tumors..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Does skeletal muscle have a memory? That’s the question researchers from the UK set out to answer in one of their most recent studies. Their finding: Yes, muscle memory is real. But it’s not quite the same type of memory you might be thinking of. This is memory of previous muscle growth—even after a period of muscle loss. The implications for athletes looking to bulk up is clear. But the results could also clue clinicians in on how to help patients retain muscle mass into older age. The researchers analyzed more than 850,000 sites on human DNA, discovering distinct patterns in how genes in these regions were chemically marked or unmarked during periods of exercise or no exercise. One cluster of genes lost its tags during muscle growth following exercise, kept them off after a period of no exercise, and lost even more during a second exercise period. Known as an epigenetic modification, this “untagging of DNA” is associated with switching gene expression on..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"TRF2 is a protein in charge of protecting the endcaps of chromosomes known as telomeres. But increasing evidence suggests that TRF2 also carries out important non-telomere-related functions, including DNA repair and transcription regulation. To better understand these functions, researchers recently mapped out where else TRF2 sites might exist. ChIP-Seq assays of fibrosarcoma cells revealed extra-telomeric TRF2 sites throughout the genome, which were highly enriched in DNA sequences with the potential to form G-quadruplexes, a DNA structure formed by G-rich sequences with a specific pattern, known to play a critical role in gene expression. TRF2 bound tightly to these sites, and further experiments revealed that TRF2 occupancy resulted in altered mRNA expression in nine target genes. Because naturally occurring intracellular G-quadruplexes are difficult to detect, TRF2 binding may serve as a new tool to specifically detect these regions..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Pop quiz: When does learning begin? Answer: Before we are born. Science writer Annie Murphy Paul talks through new research that shows how much we learn in the womb — from the lilt of our native language to our soon-to-be-favorite foods.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"A fundamental law of genetics states that offspring do not inherit traits from their parents that were acquired in response to environmental conditions. Recent research in the field of epigenetics, however, is turning this principle on its head. Several recent studies have come to the remarkable conclusion that unhealthy diets in males can contribute to the development of metabolic diseases in their offspring. Even when those offspring are raised with healthy diets_._ Now, a study has identified small RNAs as the molecules responsible for the transmission of these disorders. For a long time scientists thought that inheritance of traits only occurred via DNA being passed from parent to offspring. It is now clear, however, that the experiences of one generation can have an effect on the next. When parents have a high-stress lifestyle or an unhealthy diet, for example, chemical modifications can occur on genes that are then passed to their children. This is termed ‘epigenetic inheritance..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.