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Study reveals association between ribosomal DNA copy number and disease risk

Ribosomal DNA (rDNA) is present in hundreds of copies in the genome, but has not previously been part of genetic analyses.

15 May 2024

Scientists discover new insight into the genetic pathway of neuroblastoma

Scientists have discovered a new insight into the genetic pathway of childhood cancer, offering new hope for tailored treatments.

15 May 2024

Understanding public perception of polygenic embryo screening for IVF

Three out of four U.S. adults support the use of emerging technologies that estimate a future child's likelihood of developing health conditions influenced by multiple genes -; such as diabetes, heart disease, and depression -; before an embryo is implanted during in vitro fertilization (IVF), according to a new public opinion survey led by researchers at Harvard Medical School.

15 May 2024

Research quantifies impact of childhood obesity on long-term health and life expectancy

New research being presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Venice, Italy (12-15 May) has, for the first time, quantified the impact of different aspects of childhood obesity on long-term health and life expectancy.

15 May 2024

Cardiovascular burden of TTR gene variant among Black carriers across mid to late-life

The key contribution of this study was to provide more accurate estimates of cardiovascular risk across mid to late life, compared to previously existing analyses.

15 May 2024

New study reveals brain clearance of toxins is reduced during sleep and anesthesia

The adipose-neural axis plays an important role in arrhythmogenesis.

15 May 2024

Genetic link identified between inflammatory bowel disease and Parkinson's disease

The researchers found, as expected from prior studies that LRRK2 is associated with IBD-PD and discovered new associations as well.

15 May 2024

New study identifies 17 genes driving clonal hematopoiesis in aging blood cells

Scientists have discovered 17 additional genes that drive the abnormal overgrowth of mutated blood cells as we age. The findings, published today (14 May) in Nature Genetics, provide a more complete view of the genetic factors behind clonal hematopoiesis – a process associated with ageing and linked to increased risks of blood cancers.

15 May 2024

More than 20,000 volunteers join effort to accelerate dementia drug development

More than 20,000 volunteers have been recruited to a resource aimed at speeding up the development of much-needed dementia drugs. The cohort will enable scientists in universities and industry to involve healthy individuals in clinical trials to test whether new drugs can slow the decline in various brain functions including memory and delay the onset of dementia.

15 May 2024

Metabolomics study finds biomarkers predicting autism in newborns

A study in Communications Biology utilized metabolomics in newborns to identify markers that might predict autism spectrum disorder (ASD), finding distinct metabolic profiles in children with ASD compared to typically developing children.

14 May 2024

Interactions between adipose and sympathetic neurons contribute to cardiac arrhythmia

A study in Cell Reports Medicine used an in vitro co-culture of adipocytes, cardiomyocytes, and sympathetic neurons to reveal that the adipose-neural axis plays a crucial role in arrhythmogenesis, driven by interactions between epicardial adipose tissue and the sympathetic nervous system.

14 May 2024

Children with neurodevelopmental disorders face increased risk of congenital abnormalities

Children with neurodevelopmental disorders report congenital abnormalities, such as defects of the heart and/or urinary tract, at least ten times more frequent compared to other children.

14 May 2024

New technique reveals brain cells age at different rates

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have discovered that some brain cells age more rapidly than others, and they are disproportionately abundant in individuals afflicted with Alzheimer's disease.

14 May 2024

Human cell-based model of thoracic aortic aneurysm offers new opportunities for drug development

Using human cells in laboratory rats, Michigan Medicine researchers have developed a functional model of thoracic aortic aneurysm, creating opportunities for more effective understanding of disease development and treatments for the potentially fatal condition, a study suggests.

14 May 2024

Machine learning unveils hidden gender differences in brain structure

Artificial intelligence (AI) computer programs that process MRI results show differences in how the brains of men and women are organized at a cellular level, a new study shows.

14 May 2024

Research unveils the dual subdomain structure of the centromere

Researchers from the Kops group in collaboration with researchers from the University of Edinburgh, made a surprising new discovery in the structure of the centromere, a structure that is involved in ensuring that chromosomes are segregated properly when a cell divides.

14 May 2024

New study sheds light on interferon combinations' role in lupus variability

In a new study, researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have uncovered insights as to why lupus symptoms and severity present differently in individuals with the autoimmune condition, which affects up to 1.5 million Americans.

14 May 2024

Scientists unlock mystery behind a deadly strain of cholera bacteria

A deadly strain of cholera bacteria that emerged in Indonesia back in 1961 continues to spread widely to this day, claiming thousands of lives around the world every year, sickening millions -; and, with its persistence, baffling scientists.

14 May 2024

Unraveling the genetic connection between IBD and Parkinson's disease

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have made a significant discovery, identifying genetic connections between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Parkinson's disease (PD).

14 May 2024

Exploring how intense ultrasound can release biological indicators of disease

Ultrasound imaging offers a valuable and noninvasive way to find and monitor cancerous tumors. However, much of the most crucial information about a cancer, such as specific cell types and mutations, cannot be learned from imaging and requires invasive and damaging biopsies.

14 May 2024