Highlights

Newsroom highlights for October 2019

Published in Fundamentals - Fundamentals October 2019

Gene Coding Error Found in Rare, Inherited Form of Lung-Scarring Disorder Linked to Short Telomeres

human telomeres in cells

By combing through the entire genetic sequences of a person with a lung-scarring disease and 13 of the person’s relatives, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they have found a coding error in a single gene that is likely responsible for a rare form of the disease and the abnormally short protective DNA caps on chromosomes long associated with it.

In Mice: Transplanted Brain Stem Cells Survive Without Anti-Rejection Drugs

GRPs confocol in brain

In experiments in mice, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they have developed a way to successfully transplant certain protective brain cells without the need for lifelong anti-rejection drugs.

Nanoparticles Wiggling Through Mucus May Predict Severe COPD

Watch the video of nanoparticles

In a proof-of-concept experiment, researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have successfully used microscopic man-made particles to predict the severity of patients’ chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by measuring how quickly the particles move through mucus samples. The technique, say the researchers, could eventually help doctors deliver more effective treatments sooner.