X chromosome News and Research

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Cancer mutations are found in distinct regions that vary based on genomic structure and mutation

A new study from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has discovered that mutations found in cancers do not accumulate randomly, but are found in distinct patterns that vary based on the three-dimensional organization of the genome in the cell as well as the underlying factors causing the mutations

6 Oct 2020

Auto-antibodies may explain why some people develop severe COVID-19

Now, a new study by an international team of health experts shows that some life-threatening cases of COVID-19 can be traced to specific weak spots in the patients' immune system.

28 Sep 2020

New drug offers hope for young boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

A new drug offers hope for young boys with the progressive neuromuscular disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) by potentially offering an alternative to high-dose glucocorticoids that have significant side effects.

25 Sep 2020

About 10% patients with severe disease create auto-antibodies that attack the immune system

People infected by the novel coronavirus can have symptoms that range from mild to deadly. Now, two new analyses suggest that some life-threatening cases can be traced to weak spots in patients' immune systems.

25 Sep 2020

Men are dying from COVID-19 at a higher rate than women

A new review article from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center shows people who are biologically male are dying from COVID-19 at a higher rate than people who are biologically female.

22 Sep 2020

Sex and gender not receiving enough attention in COVID-19 trials

Researchers in Denmark and the Netherlands have conducted a study showing that sex and gender are not being adequately considered in clinical trials investigating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

15 Sep 2020

Estradiol appears to help in female SARS-CoV-2 infection

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in August 2020 shows that the risk of infection is high for pre-menopausal women but the risk of death is much higher for men in the same age group and throws light on the protective nature of estradiol therapy in post-menopausal women.

26 Aug 2020

Researchers solve a long-held mystery of X chromosome inactivation

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have solved a mystery that has long puzzled scientists: How do the bodies of female humans and all other mammals decide which of the two X chromosomes it carries in each cell should be active and which one should be silent?

18 Aug 2020

Genes on the X chromosome may be key to melanoma survival advantage in females

Centenary Institute scientists have discovered that genes on the X chromosome may be key to the improved survival rates of females with melanoma–as compared to their male counterparts.

13 Aug 2020

TRA-1 gene determines the sex of roundworms

Biological sex is typically understood in binary terms: male and female. However, there are many examples of animals that are able to modify sex-typical biological and behavioral features and even change sex.

11 Aug 2020

Large-scale analysis of Alport syndrome reveals the effectiveness of existing treatments

A large-scale analysis of the clinical characteristics of Alport syndrome in Japanese patients has revealed that the effectiveness of existing treatment with ACE inhibitors and/or angiotensin receptor blockers (RAS inhibitors) varies depending on the type of mutation in the syndrome's causal gene (COL4A5).

7 Aug 2020

COVID-19 should be treated as an acute inflammatory disease, Massey scientist says

The COVID-19 pandemic has had detrimental effects on global infrastructure sectors, including economic, political, health care, education and research systems, and there is still no definitive treatment strategy for the disease.

5 Aug 2020

Study reveals molecular cause underlying rare genetic disorder

Virginia Tech scientists have revealed how a nonfunctioning version of an ordinary gene impairs brain structure and function. The findings help explain a genetic form of microcephaly -- a condition where babies' heads are small and grow more slowly than their peers.

27 Jul 2020

Neuroscientists map brain's sensory gatekeeper in unprecedented detail

Many people with autism experience sensory hypersensitivity, attention deficits, and sleep disruption. One brain region that has been implicated in these symptoms is the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), which is believed to act as a gatekeeper for sensory information flowing to the cortex.

22 Jul 2020

Researchers identify specific target sites for DNA methylases

DNA methylation performs an essential function in mammalian ontogeny. It is also known that abnormalities in this process cause the development of cancers such as leukemia.

22 Jul 2020

Scientists discover osmotic stress as stimulator of cellular waste disposal

Cellular waste disposal, where autophagy and lysosomes interact, performs elementary functions, such as degrading damaged protein molecules, which impair cellular function, and reintroducing the resulting building blocks such as amino acids into the metabolic system.

29 Jun 2020

ACE inhibition in kidney could influence pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2

The dynamics of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) expression in the kidney could have implications for the infectivity and pathogenicity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), say researchers.

24 Jun 2020

Evidence of link between ACE2 genotype and COVID-19 disease severity

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in June 2020 shows that variants in the ACE2 gene which encodes the enzyme receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19 disease, are linked to the risk of severe disease.

24 Jun 2020

MGH researchers identify key mechanism in X chromosome inactivation

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have identified a key mechanism in X chromosome inactivation, a phenomenon that may hold clues that lead to treatments for certain rare congenital disorders.

12 Jun 2020

Study sheds light on homologous recombination of DNA strands

As chromosomes go, X and Y make an unlikely pair. The X is large and contains thousands of genes critical for life. The Y, by contrast, is little more than a nub.

29 May 2020