University of Toronto researchers have uncovered how bacterial viruses protect their progeny in order to maximize their reach. The phenomenon, described in a study published in Nature, relies on viral proteins to fine-tune structures on the surface of the bacterial host cell and is widely conserved—pointing to a previously unknown parallel between microbial and human immunity.

The researchers dubbed their discovery the anti-Kronos effect, after the Greek god who ate his children.

Researchers have long known that once a cell is infected by a virus, it can block subsequent reinfection by the same or closely related viruses. This process, called superinfection exclusion, was first described in bacteriophages, the viruses that infect bacteria.

A new study by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine brings hope for a more personalized approach to treating estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer, the most common type of this cancer. The team identified a biomarker in preclinical ER+ breast cancer models that indicates that the tumor is more likely to respond to treatment with CDK4/6 inhibitors.

The findings support further clinical studies to determine whether this marker may help identify patients who could benefit from CDK4/6 inhibitors. The study appears in Science Translational Medicine.

ER+ breast cancers rely on estrogen to grow and are typically treated by endocrine therapies that block the effects of estrogen. To improve outcomes, drugs called CDK4/6 inhibitors, such as abemaciclib and ribociclib, are added to endocrine therapy to prevent relapse.

A new chromatin isolation technique reveals how signaling pathways reshape DNA-bound proteins, offering insight into potential targets for precision therapies.

Two bacteria working in harmony show powerful antitumor effects. The approach could transform treatment for immunocompromised patients. A research team led by Professor Eijiro Miyako at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), working in collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo Co

You are mostly but not entirely human. If we crunch the numbers, 8% of your genome actually comes from viruses that got stranded there. This viral detritus is a souvenir from our evolutionary past, a reminder that viruses have been with us from the very beginning.

Usually, this 8% of your DNA—the viral bits—are kept silent. Scientists call it part of the “dark matter” in your genome.

Now scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have published a first look at a key viral protein. In a study published in Science Advances, LJI researchers revealed the first three-dimensional structure of a protein from one of these ancient “human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs).”