Luiz O.F. Penalva PhD Awarded CPRIT Grant to Study Glioblastoma (GBM)

August 20, 2020

PROJECT SUMMARY Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and most aggressive brain tumor type among adults with a 14 months average patient survival. Despite all genomic efforts in recent years, novel therapies based on GBM common mutations and alterations have been disappointing. To build an alternative route, we have been focusing on oncogenic RNA binding [...]

Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering: Scaffold Architecture and Matrix Strain Modulate Mesenchymal Cell and Microvascular Growth and Development in a Time Dependent Manner

August 18, 2020

2020 CMBE Young Innovators issue Gennifer Chiou, Elysa Jui, Allison C. Rhea, Aparna Gorthi, Solaleh Miar, Francisca M. Acosta, Cynthia Perez, Yasir Suhail, Kshitiz, Yidong Chen, Joo L. Ong, Rena Bizios, Christopher Rathbone & Teja Guda Abstract Background Volumetric tissue-engineered constructs are limited in development due to the dependence on well-formed vascular networks. Scaffold pore size […]


Genome Biology: The RNA-binding protein SERBP1 functions as a novel oncogenic factor in glioblastoma by bridging cancer metabolism and epigenetic regulation (Bishop & Penalva Labs)

August 6, 2020

Adam Kosti 1 2, Patricia Rosa de Araujo 1 2, Wei-Qing Li 1 3, Gabriela D A Guardia 4, Jennifer Chiou 5, Caihong Yi 1, Debashish Ray 6, Fabiana Meliso 4, Yi-Ming Li 3, Talia Delambre 1, Mei Qiao 1, Suzanne S Burns 1, Franziska K Lorbeer 1, Fanny Georgi 1, Markus Flosbach 1, Sarah Klinnert 1, Anne Jenseit 1, Xiufen Lei 1, Carolina Romero Sandoval 1, Kevin Ha 6, Hong Zheng 6, Renu Pandey 1, Aleksandra Gruslova 7, Yogesh K Gupta 1, Andrew Brenner 8, Erzsebet Kokovay 2, Timothy R Hughes 6 9 10, Quaid D Morris 6 9 11, Pedro A F Galante 12, Stefano Tiziani 13, Luiz O F Penalva 14 15 Abstract Background: RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) function as master regulators […]


PNAS: Necroptosis-based CRISPR knockout screen reveals Neuropilin-1 as a critical host factor for early stages of murine cytomegalovirus infection

August 3, 2020

Rebecca K Lane 1, Hongyan Guo 2, Amanda D Fisher 1, Jonathan Diep 3, Zhao Lai 4 5, Yidong Chen 5 6, Jason W Upton 7, Jan Carette 3, Edward S Mocarski 8, William J Kaiser 9 Abstract Herpesviruses are ubiquitous human pathogens that cause a wide range of health complications. Currently, there is an incomplete understanding of cellular factors that contribute to herpesvirus infection. Here, we report an antiviral necroptosis-based genetic screen to identify novel […]




Laboratory Equipment: Coronavirus Makes Changes That Cause Cells Not to Recognize it

July 28, 2020

With an alarm code, we can enter a building without bells going off. It turns out that the SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has the same advantage entering cells. It possesses the code to waltz right in. On July 24 in Nature Communications, researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San […]


ABC Spain: They discoverd how the coronavirus camouflages itself to infect cells

July 27, 2020

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is capable of camouflaging itself to trick cells into entering them without causing any alarm. This is the conclusion of a study carried out by researchers at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio), published in “Nature Communications.”