Researchers from Aarhus University are behind a new method for detecting important proteins in, for example, a blood sample. By using tiny nanopores and nanobodies, they have identified markers that are indicators of COVID-19 and breast cancer, respectively, with impressive precision and sensitivity. With this technology, the future may hold fast and accurate disease diagnosis using a simple blood test. The discoveries could bring us closer to improved healthcare.
Researchers have created a radical new view of how immune cells recognise threats such as viruses. The discovery could be used to design better vaccines and to gain a deeper insight into autoimmune diseases and allergies.
A research team from the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and iNANO at Aarhus University has used an in vitro selection technique to develop an RNA molecule that recognizes and binds the Spike protein from SARS-CoV-2 with very high specificity and strength. The hope is that the new molecule, known as an RNA aptamer, can help improve diagnostics and treatment of COVID-19.
A paper from Jørgen Kjems and colleagues published in Nature Communications presents a new method to determine the full-length sequence and isoform variation of a class of RNAs called circular RNAs. The study is conducted in human and mouse brains and shows that many circRNAs exist in a large number of different version and that a special class of exons, previously linked to autism, are enriched in circRNAs.
A so-called circular RNA molecule, which is thought to be carcinogenic, is not present in cancer cells after all. A Danish research team has published the new results in Nature Communications.
A new paper from Jørgen Kjems' group at iNANO and MBG describes how expression of non-coding RNA changes during epileptic seizures in rodents. The authors found that inhibiting a specific set of microRNAs (miRNAs) by antisense technology reduced seizure frequency in a mouse model, suggesting that these RNA molecules could serve as possible targets for future epilepsy therapy.
Experiments using mice have led to new research results showing that the amount of microRNA-128 has a great impact on the musculoskeletal system. If the level of microRNA-128 is increased, it leads to lower neuron activity and can thereby help reduce uncontrolled movements in connection with epilepsy or Parkinson’s disease. MicroRNA-128 can similarly be decreased to boost the neuron activity.
A scientific collaboration led by researchers at iNANO/Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Aarhus University and the Department of Chemistry at the University of Copenhagen has resulted in the construction of a synthetic DNA nanopore capable of selectively translocating protein-size macromolecules across lipid bilayers.
Danish and American researchers have found a novel subclass of small RNA molecules involved in the regulation of gene expression.
In collaboration with an Australian research group, a research team at Aarhus University has characterised a hitherto unknown and revolutionary way by which cells can regulate the formation of proteins. This involves an overlooked circular RNA molecule in human cells and a well-known microRNA. The discovery may contribute to a better understanding of the cell regulation of genes and hence for the development of cancer and other diseases.
Along with researchers from Australia and Norway, a research team at Aarhus University has found a new, simple and non-invasive method to diagnose oral cancer at an early stage, one of the most important parameters for successful treatment of the cancer.
A new research centre dreams of making a difference for patients with e.g. diabetes, fatty liver, renal fibrosis and atherosclerosis. With DKK 60 million from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, centre leader Professor Jørgen Kjems can now open an interdisciplinary centre for RNA medicine research at Aarhus University, which over a period of 6 years will develop more effective types of treatment for metabolic diseases.
The research initiative LifeTime represents more than 50 European universities, including Aarhus University. A new Perspective article in Nature, co-authored by Jørgen Kjems from iNANO and MBG, outlines LifeTime's vision of how to revolutionize healthcare through personalised, cell-based interceptive medicine.
Professor Jørgen Kjems and the consortium Virofight has received funding from the EU FET-OPEN program to advance novel antiviral treatment. Instead of targeting virus-specific proteins or enzymes by small molecules as done by current antivirals, the Virofight project will develop DNA-based nano-shells that engulf and neutralize entire viruses. This novel approach has the potential to help fight multiple viruses with one generic approach.
One of the major challenges of reopening the community, during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, is having access to a rapid and reliable test for SARSCoV2 infection. With fundings from Independent Research Fund Denmark Professor Jørgen Kjems will, in collaboration with researchers from DTU and Rigshospitalet, develop a method that can detect the virus at very early stages of infection and, at the same time, predict the severity of clinical symptoms the patient may suffer.
Professor Jørgen Kjems from MBG and iNANO will collaborate with researchers from Health, the University of Copenhagen and the Danish Serum Institute, and with DKK 25 millions from the Carlsberg Foundation they will develop methods for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infections. The goal is at the same time to equip the world to better withstand future viral epidemics.
Jørgen Kjems, professor at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and iNANO, receives the Novo Nordisk Prize 2018 for his interdisciplinary pioneering studies of how the DNA's biological cousin, RNA, plays a key role in cell regulation and has a huge potential in future disease treatment.
The potential for the research now being addressed by the Center for Multifunctional Biomolecular Drug Design (CEMBID) at Aarhus University is enormous. The goal is to create a new generation of drugs that can be used to diagnose and treat cancer and atherosclerosis - which together represent two thirds among the causes of death globally.
A new basic research centre – CellPAT – will identify how cells ‘talk’ to each other, and thereby make it possible to prevent or correct the type of communication errors that lead to illness
The Carlsberg Foundation has awarded Jørgen Kjems DKK 6.1 million to develop a new method that can "translate" the total content in a specific food to digitized information in the form of DNA sequences.
Professor Jørgen Kjems has been appointed director of the Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Centre (iNANO) for a three-year period. He has been an integrated part of the management at the centre for a number of years, both as a founding member of iNANO and as acting director since 2014..
Newly formed European-led consortium working towards new understanding and treatment breakthroughs for epilepsy receives 11.5 Million funding by European Union. Jørgen Kjems from the Department of Molecular Biology/iNANO is head of the research group from Aarhus participating in the consortium.
Jørgen Kjems and Ken Howard are awarded a three-year grant of DKK 9,8 million from The Danish Council for Strategic Research for a project that focuses on the development of new drugs for cystic fibrosis and inflammatory bowel disease.
