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Molecules which bind to proteins that aggregate abnormally in neurodegenerative diseases could be promising drugs for these diseases. In this study, Zhang, Wu, Zhang, and Dang simulate the binding behavior of various molecules to screen for candidates which could be promising candidates for drug development.

Given an association between nicotine addiction and gene expression, we hypothesized that expression of genes commonly associated with smoking status would have variable expression between smokers and non-smokers. To test whether gene expression varies between smokers and non-smokers, we analyzed two publicly-available datasets that profiled RNA gene expression from brain (nucleus accumbens) and lung tissue taken from patients identified as smokers or non-smokers. We discovered statistically significant differences in expression of dozens of genes between smokers and non-smokers. To test whether gene expression can be used to predict whether a patient is a smoker or non-smoker, we used gene expression as the training data for a logistic regression or random forest classification model. The random forest classifier trained on lung tissue data showed the most robust results, with area under curve (AUC) values consistently between 0.82 and 0.93. Both models trained on nucleus accumbens data had poorer performance, with AUC values consistently between 0.65 and 0.7 when using random forest. These results suggest gene expression can be used to predict smoking status using traditional machine learning models. Additionally, based on our random forest model, we proposed KCNJ3 and TXLNGY as two candidate markers of smoking status. These findings, coupled with other genes identified in this study, present promising avenues for advancing applications related to the genetic foundation of smoking-related characteristics.

The authors compare RNA expression profiles across three human cell types following infection with MERS-CoV

In this article, the authors investigate the RNA expression differences between groups of chronic cocaine abusers and drug-free subjects.

A central challenge of cancer therapy is identifying treatments that will effectively target cancer cells while minimizing effects on healthy cells. To identify potential targets for treating a multiple myeloma, a frequently incurable cancer, Kochenderfer and Kochenderfer analyze RNA sequencing data from the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia to find genes with high expression in multiple myeloma cells and low expression in normal tissues

Here, seeking to better understand the genetic associations underlying non-small cell lung cancer, the authors screened hundreds of genes, identifying that KCNMB2 upregulation was significantly correlated with poor prognoses in lung cancer patients. Based on this, they used small interfering RNA to decrease the expression of KCNMB2 in A549 lung cancer cells, finding decreased cell proliferation and increased lung cancer cell death. They suggest this could lead to a new potential target for lung cancer therapies.

Caenorhabditis elegans xpa-1 and him-1 are orthologs of human XPA and human SMC1A, respectively. Mutations in the XPA are correlated with Xeroderma pigmentosum, a condition that induces hypersensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Alternatively, SMC1A mutations may lead to Cornelia de Lange Syndrome, a multi-organ disorder that makes patients more sensitive to UVinduced DNA damage. Both C. elegans genes have been found to be involved in protection against UV radiation, but their combined effects have not been tested when they are both knocked down. The authors hypothesized that because these genes are involved in separate pathways, the simultaneous knockdown of both of these genes using RNA interference (RNAi) in C. elegans will cause them to become more sensitive to UV radiation than either of them knocked down individually. UV protection was measured via the percent survival of C. elegans post 365 nm and 5.4x10-19 joules of UV radiation. The double xpa-1/him-1 RNAi knockdown showed a significantly reduced percent survival after 15 and 30 minutes of UV radiation relative to wild-type and xpa-1 and him-1 single knockdowns. These measurements were consistent with their hypothesis and demonstrated that xpa-1 and him-1 genes play distinct roles in resistance against UV stress in C. elegans. This result raises the possibility that the xpa-1/him-1 double knockdown could be useful as an animal model for studying the human disease Xeroderma pigmentosum and Cornelia de Lange Syndrome.

In this study, the authors analyze gene expression datasets to determine if there is a core set of genes dysregulated during nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

In this study, the authors use high-throughput virtual screening to design and evaluate a set of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors for binding affinity to the protein reverse transcriptase. These studies have important applications toward HIV therapies.

Childhood abuse has severe and lasting effects throughout an individual's life, and may even have long-term biological effects on individuals who suffer it. To learn more about the effects of abuse in childhood, Li and Yearwood analyze gene expression data to look for genes differentially expressed genes in individuals with a history of childhood abuse.