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NIH Record - National Institutes of Health
Stem cells look like green, blue red and yellow dots.

November 13, 2020

  • Dr. Erbelding on video screen

    Ethicists Discuss Covid Vaccine Issues

    By Rich McManus

    Ethicists consider the question, “In vaccine trials for Covid-19, is there an obligation to offer the first vaccine shown to be effective to all participants?”
  • Dr. Thomas Kosten

    In Pursuit of Vaccines Against Opioids

    By Carla Garnett

    Decades before the worldwide quest for a Covid-19 vaccine, longtime NIH grantee Dr. Thomas Kosten and collaborators were pursuing effective inoculation against another growing epidemic—opioid addiction.
  • Dr. Luke Gilbert

    Gilbert’s Research Paves Way for New Cancer Drugs

    By Dana Talesnik

    UCSF's Dr. Luke Gilbert heads a lab that models and maps which genes and genetic interactions may be driving cancer progression and response to treatment. Gilbert, the 2020 Wachtel cancer research award winner, recently discussed his work during a virtual NCI lecture.

  • How Can We Sleep Well During the Pandemic?

    By Marla Broadfoot

    Getting a good night’s sleep can be difficult under normal circumstances. But it can be even more challenging during a global pandemic, said Dr. Chandra Jackson, who studies the environment and sleep at NIEHS. “We are all undoubtedly affected by the pandemic and in different ways,” she said.
Stem cells look like green, blue red and yellow dots.

On the Cover

NIH scientists showed how ancient retroviral genes, or “junk DNA,” may play a role in helping stem cells decide to become neurons. The image shows stem cells in a petri dish. The blue dots represent cell nuclei. Green dots represent HERV-K, HML-2 viral envelope proteins encoded by junk DNA, while red dots represent the immune cell protein CD98HC. Interactions between the two proteins produced a yellow color. The study suggests that these interactions restrain stem cells from becoming neurons and that turning off HERV-K, HML-2 activity frees them.

Photo: NATH LAB, NINDS

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