PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

New software tool could help better understand childhood cancer

2025-07-01
(Press-News.org)

New cutting-edge software developed in Melbourne can help uncover how the most common heart tumour in children forms and changes. And the technology has the potential to further our understanding of other childhood diseases, according to a new study.

The research, led by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and published in Genome Biology, found the software, VR-Omics, can identify previously undetected cell activities of cardiac rhabdomyoma, a type of benign heart tumour.

Developed by MCRI’s Professor Mirana Ramialison, VR-Omics is the first tool capable of analysing and visualising data in both 2D and 3D virtual reality environments. The innovative technology aims to analyse the spatial genetic makeup of human tissue to better understand a specific disease.

Cardiac rhabdomyoma, usually detected during pregnancy or infancy, doesn’t cause health problems in most cases. But in some babies and children the tumours can grow and block blood flow to vital organs, causing respiratory distress, irregular heartbeat, obstructions and heart failure.

“When the tumours cause severe health complications, treatment options are limited and include surgically removing part of the heart, which may lead to further complications and death,” Professor Ramialison said. Unfortunately, it’s not well understood why these tumours form.”

To challenge her new software, Professor Ramialison and her team, including Denis Bienroth and Natalie Charitakis, analysed heart tissue from three children in Melbourne with cardiac rhabdomyoma. In a breakthrough, the research uncovered specific underlying features of the tumour that hadn’t been identified previously.

Professor Ramialison said the VR-Omics tool would help researchers to gain a better insight into the disease.

“VR-Omics generates 3D visualisations of the cells within human tissue based on large collections of patient data,” she said. This could allow for greater analysis of human tissue compared to other methods.”

Professor Ramialison also benchmarked the software against existing state-of-the-art methods, finding it performed better in all analysis steps.

“VR-Omics has a unique capacity to analyse large datasets, which allows it to explore new biological mechanisms in rare tissue sections, like those from cardiac rhabdomyoma,” she said. The technology will enable more biological discoveries that could help better understand many childhood conditions.”

Researchers from the Melbourne Centre for Cardiovascular Genomics and Regenerative Medicine (CardioRegen), the University of Konstanz in Germany, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW), University of Melbourne and Monash University also contributed to the findings.

Watch a video of the VR-Omics software.

Publication: Denis Bienroth, Natalie Charitakis, Dillon Wong, Yunhan C. Zhang, Sabrina Jaeger-Honz, Jialin Ding, Kevin I. Watt, Julian Stolper, Hazel Chambers-Smith, Duncan MacGregor, Bronwyn Christiansen, Celine Vivien, Adam T. Piers, Lisa N. Waylen, Lucas B. Hoffmann, Jessica Tang, Hue M. La, Mei R. M. Du, Monika Mohenska, Jose M. Polo, Sean Grimmond, Ethan Scott, Fernando J. Rossello, Enzo R. Porrello, Karsten Klein, Hieu T. Nim, David A. Elliott, Falk Schreiber and Mirana Ramialison. ‘Automated integration of multi‑slice spatial transcriptomics data in 2D and 3D using VR‑Omics,' Genome Biology. DOI: 10.1186/s13059-025-03630-6

Available for interview:

Mirana Ramialison, MCRI Group Leader, Transcriptomics and Bioinformatics

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Healthy lifestyle linked to lower diverticulitis risk, irrespective of genetic susceptibility

2025-07-01
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle—specifically, a diet rich in fibre but light on red/processed meat, regular exercise, not smoking, and sticking to a normal weight—is linked to a significantly lower risk of diverticulitis, finds a large long term study, published online in the journal Gut. What’s more, these 5 components seem to offset the effects of inherited genes, the findings indicate. Diverticulitis occurs when ‘pouches’ develop along the gut and become inflamed or infected in the wall of the large intestine (colon), explain the researchers. It’s a common cause of hospital admissions and a major reason for emergency colon surgery, they add. Genetic ...

Women 65+ still at heightened risk of cervical cancer caused by HPV

2025-07-01
Women aged 65 and above are still at heightened risk of cervical cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), suggest the findings of a large observational study published in the open access journal Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinical Medicine. But most guidelines currently recommend discontinuing screening for the disease in women aged 65+ if they have had previously normal smear tests. Yet global cases of cervical cancer have been rising among women in this age group, prompting the researchers to call for a policy rethink. Recent data from the World Health Organization indicate that ...

‘Inflammatory’ diet during pregnancy may raise child’s diabetes type 1 risk

2025-07-01
A diet high in foods with the potential to promote low grade inflammation during pregnancy may raise that child’s risk of developing type 1 diabetes, suggests Danish research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. This dietary pattern was associated with a 16% heightened risk for every unit increase in a dietary measure of inflammatory food intake, the findings show. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder characterised by the destruction of insulin-producing β-cells in the pancreas, necessitating lifelong ...

Effective therapies needed to halt rise in eco-anxiety, says psychology professor

2025-07-01
More must be done to address the growth in anxiety related to climate change, says a leading psychologist, before it becomes the next mental health crisis. In his book Understanding Climate Anxiety, Geoff Beattie documents how climate anxiety is on the rise, especially amongst young people. Yet support is limited and sufferers face stigma because of the polarised debate around whether the climate crisis even exists, he says. Understanding Climate Anxiety offers psychological tips and guidance ...

Nature-friendly farming boosts biodiversity and yields but may require new subsidies

2025-07-01
Farming methods that support nature improve both biodiversity and crop yields but more extensive measures may require increased government subsidies to become as profitable as conventional intensive agriculture. That is the finding of the first comprehensive on-farm trials of their kind in the UK, which were led by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and Rothamsted Research. This four-year study across 17 conventional, commercial farms in southern England not only trialled various agroecological methods but also – for the first time – the financial viability for businesses. It showed that incorporating nature-friendly practices within farming – agroecology ...

Against the odds: Endometriosis linked to four times higher pregnancy rates than other causes of infertility, new study reveals

2025-07-01
(Paris, France, Wednesday, 2 July 2025) A landmark 30-year study of over four million women in England has revealed that women with endometriosis-associated infertility are significantly more likely to become pregnant compared to those with infertility from other causes.[1] Presented today at the 41st Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), the findings offer renewed optimism for millions of women living with endometriosis who are hoping to conceive.   Endometriosis is a long-term ...

Microplastics discovered in human reproductive fluids, new study reveals

2025-07-01
(Paris, France, Wednesday, 2 July 2025) New research presented today at the 41st Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) reveals the presence of microplastics in human reproductive fluids, raising important questions about their potential risks to fertility and reproductive health.[1] Researchers examined follicular fluid from 29 women and seminal fluid from 22 men, both of which play critical roles in natural conception and assisted reproduction. A range of commonly used microplastic polymers, including polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polystyrene ...

Family ties and firm performance: How cousin marriage traditions shape informal businesses in Africa

2025-07-01
A new study published in the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal examines how long-standing cultural practices, specifically cousin marriage traditions, continue to influence business outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa's informal economy. Researchers Saul Estrin (London School of Economics), Tomasz Mickiewicz (Aston University), and Peng Zhang (University of Sheffield) analyzed survey data from over 3,000 informal entrepreneurs across eight African countries. They explored how pre-colonial family structures—especially the practice of marrying within the extended family—affect ...

Novel flu vaccine adjuvant improves protection against influenza viruses, study finds

2025-07-01
ATLANTA — Influenza hemagglutinin subunit vaccines are more effective and offer better cross protection against various influenza virus challenges when combined with a mucosal adjuvant that enhances the body’s immune response, according to a study by researchers in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University. The study published in the journal ACS Nano shows that immune cell-derived extracellular vesicles, specifically those from mature bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (which are crucial for immune responses), rather than those from immature dendritic cells, are potent mucosal adjuvants for influenza hemagglutinin vaccines. The influenza hemagglutinin ...

Manipulation of light at the nanoscale helps advance biosensing

2025-07-01
Traditional medical tests often require clinical samples to be sent off-site for analysis in a time-intensive and expensive process. Point-of-care diagnostics are instead low cost, easy-to-use, and rapid tests performed at the site of patient care. Recently, researchers at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology reported new and optimized techniques to develop better biosensors for the early detection of disease biomarkers. People have long been fascinated with iridescence of peacock feathers, appearing to change color as light hits them from different angles. With ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Economic evaluation of wastewater surveillance for COVID-19 testing in long-term care settings

Announcing Deep Origin as a sponsor of ARDD 2025

Cancer cells ‘power up’ when literally pressed to the limit

Huge hidden flood bursts through the Greenland ice sheet surface

The brain shapes what we feel in real time

New study confirms post-pandemic surge in gut-brain disorders

Through the shot glass, and what can be found in liverworts

Stepping for digital rewards

Developing next-generation analytical technique for gene and cell doping and ensuring ethics and fairness in sports

Debunking a life-threatening myth: "Tongue swallowing prevention" maneuvers delay CPR and might contribute to brain injury or death for collapsed athletes

Female pilots perform better under pressure, study finds

Hydroquinone-buffered covalent organic frameworks for long-term photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production

From coal to chemicals: Breakthrough syngas catalysis powers green industrial future

AI detects the stiffness of cancer cell exosomes: DGIST develops deep learning-based lung cancer diagnostic technology

Positive ethnic identity fosters STEM career aspirations

Wildlife show wide range of responses to human presence in U.S. national parks

Great Tits show early signs of splitting up: Oxford researchers uncover social clues to bird 'divorce'

From the lab to the hand: nanodevice brings personalized genomics closer to reality

Women politicians receive more identity-based attacks on social media than men, study finds

Idaho National Laboratory accelerates nuclear energy projects with Amazon Web Services cloud and AI technologies

Kavraki elected to European Academy of Sciences

UK teens who currently vape as likely to start smoking as their peers in the 1970s

Higher ultra processed food intake linked to increased lung cancer risk

Exercise rehab lessens severity, frequency + recurrence of irregular heart rhythm (AF)

Deep heat beneath the United States traced to ancient rift with Greenland

Animals in national parks remained wary of human footprint during 2020 COVID shutdown

Stevens INI receives prestigious contract to advance women’s brain health

Fulbright funds OU professor’s biodiversity research

Antiviral treatment fails to slow early-stage Alzheimer’s

Can African countries meet 2030 childhood immunization goals?

[Press-News.org] New software tool could help better understand childhood cancer