Researchers at City of Hope have identified a new molecular target for treating pancreatic cancer, reports a Gastroenterology study published today. Led by Mustafa Raoof, M.D., M.S., City of Hope assistant professor of surgery, cancer genetics and epigenetics, scientists focused on transcription-replication conflicts (TRCs), which occur when the mechanisms responsible for gene expression and genome duplication collide. The clash disrupts cells’ ability to read and copy genes, leading to replication stress, a frequent phenomenon in pancreatic cancer. The added stress causes cells to make errors copying their DNA, enabling cancer to gain a foothold and spread. Overall, the experimental approach was most effective at killing cancer cells with high replication stress, a common phenomenon that occurs when the KRAS gene goes awry.

When faced with a potential threat, mice often freeze in place. Moreover, when two animals are together, they typically freeze at the same time, matching each other’s periods of immobility. In a new study, researchers found that coordination during fear looks different in males and females.