Scientists are highlighting long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as promising targets in the effort to overcome one of cancer treatment’s most persistent challenges: therapeutic resistance. A comprehensive review published in Genes & Diseases examines how these RNA molecules can influence resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy and explores their potential for improving treatment outcomes.

A new review in Genes & Diseases highlights FTO, an enzyme involved in RNA modification, as a potentially important biomarker and therapeutic target across gastrointestinal cancers. The article brings together current understanding of FTO in gastric, liver, colorectal and pancreatic cancers, revealing a complex role in which the enzyme can both promote and suppress cancer progression depending on biological context.

A new review in Genes & Diseases highlights Piezo channels as important biological links between mechanical forces and the cellular processes that shape the face, move teeth and influence oral health. The article focuses on Piezo1 and Piezo2, mechanosensitive ion channels that convert physical forces into cellular signals throughout the craniofacial skeleton and periodontal tissues.

A review published in Genes & Diseases highlights the prostaglandin E2 receptor subtype 4 (EP4) as an important regulator of inflammation and a promising therapeutic target for a wide range of inflammatory and inflammation-related diseases. By examining the diverse actions of the PGE2–EP4 signaling pathway, the article demonstrates how targeting this receptor could provide more precise approaches to controlling inflammation.

A deeper understanding of mitochondrial function could create new opportunities for treating triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat forms of breast cancer. The complex relationship between mitochondrial dynamics, energy metabolism and cancer-cell survival is revealing potential targets that could support more personalized treatment strategies.

A new review published in Genes & Diseases highlights the expanding potential of DNA-based vaccines as a flexible platform for preventing infectious diseases, treating cancer and strengthening preparedness for future disease outbreaks. The article charts the evolution of DNA vaccination from early concepts in the 1990s to increasingly sophisticated technologies with applications across infectious disease, oncology and precision medicine.

Dr. Botond Roska, a former student and visiting professor at Semmelweis University, has received the António Champalimaud Vision Award for his achievements in developing optogenetic therapy to restore vision. He shared the award, one of the world’s most prestigious honors in vision research, with French American ophthalmologist and researcher José-Alain Sahel. The world-renowned researcher, who lives in Switzerland, has collaborated with Semmelweis University for 15 years and believes this joint work has contributed to his achievements. In an interview with our website, he also discussed the current state of research into treating certain forms of blindness, when a therapy that partially restores vision could become more widely available, and the results of a five-year research project conducted jointly with the university that has just concluded.