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DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA. Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus (where it is called nuclear DNA), but a small amount of DNA can also be found in the mitochondria (where it is called mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA).

Milk boosts gut-friendly bacteria while cheese alters microbiome balance, study reveals

Researchers found that dairy consumption influences gut microbiota composition, with milk promoting beneficial bacteria and cheese altering microbial diversity in distinct ways.

18 Feb 2025

Lower vitamin B12 levels could impact brain function in older adults

Meeting the minimum requirement for vitamin B12, needed to make DNA, red blood cells and nerve tissue, may not actually be enough – particularly if you are older. It may even put you at risk for cognitive impairment.

18 Feb 2025

Study reveals key genetic clues for prostate cancer progression

A recent study published in the Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology explored genetic predictors of prostate cancer progression to help identify its clinical outcomes.

18 Feb 2025

Gene editing shows promise for treating trisomy at cellular level

Gene editing techniques may eventually allow trisomy to be treated at the cellular level, according to an in vitro proof-of-concept study.

18 Feb 2025

Study links genetics to success of smoking cessation with varenicline

The effectiveness of a common drug to quit smoking could be down to people's genes, according to a study from the University of Leicester (United Kingdom).

18 Feb 2025

Study shows ctDNA testing could revolutionize breast cancer treatment

For years, breast cancer treatment has been guided by genetic alterations found in tumor tissue, typically through invasive biopsies.

18 Feb 2025

ImmuneLENS method provides new insights into cancer prognosis

The immune systems of cancer patients are highly disrupted, with those who have a higher number of immune cells in their blood having a better survival rate, finds a new study that uses a pioneering technique developed by researchers at UCL and the Francis Crick Institute.

18 Feb 2025

Gene therapy breakthrough offers hope for severe Dravet syndrome cases

AAV-Navβ1 gene therapy effectively reduces seizures and prolongs life in a mouse model of SCN1B-linked Dravet syndrome, paving the way for future treatments.

18 Feb 2025

Study links sucrase defects to increased IBS risk and severe symptoms

Sucrase-isomaltase (SI) is an intestinal enzyme critical for the digestion of dietary carbohydrates, particularly sucrose and starch.

17 Feb 2025

Study sheds new light on brain evolution

In a new study published in Science, a Belgian research team explores how genetic switches controlling gene activity define brain cell types across species.

17 Feb 2025

Innovative photodynamic therapy targets melanoma with light-activated dyes

Melanoma is one of the most aggressive skin cancers, with over 300,000 new cases reported worldwide each year. In Europe, the number of diagnoses has been rising rapidly.

17 Feb 2025

Stanford researchers identify key variants linked to inherited cancer risk

Thousands of single changes in the nucleotides that make up the human genome have been associated with an increased risk of developing cancer.

17 Feb 2025

DNA’s organization influences the risk of smoking-induced lung cancer

The study from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, led by Prof. Sheera Adar and her graduate student Elisheva Heilbrun-Katz from The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada in the Faculty of Medicine in collaboration with Prof. Raluca Gordan from Duke University and the University of Massachusetts, has uncovered how the structure and chemical modifications of DNA affect the damage caused by cigarette smoke and the body’s ability to repair it.

14 Feb 2025

Hospital sink drains found to harbor dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria

We hope to be cured when we stay in hospital. But too often, we acquire new infections there. Such 'healthcare-associated infections' (HAI) are a growing problem worldwide, taking up an estimated 6% of global hospital budgets.

14 Feb 2025

Infants with cystic fibrosis show stunted gut microbiome development

Findings from a new Dartmouth-led study, published in the journal mBio, highlight key differences in the gut microbiome (communities of bacteria) of infants with cystic fibrosis (CF) compared to that of healthy infants, and how these alterations may adversely affect their health.

14 Feb 2025

Leveling up NGS workflows with INTEGRA Biosciences’ solutions

INTEGRA Biosciences offers liquid handling solutions and magnetic modules to streamline every stage of NGS sample preparation. These innovative tools help to reduce errors, improve the precision and reliability of sequencing data, and provide more efficient processes.

From INTEGRA Biosciences 14 Feb 2025

Researchers identify genetic cause of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor Genetics and collaborating institutions provided a long-awaited and rare genetic diagnosis in a child with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a type of developmental epileptic encephalopathy (DEE), associated with a severe, complex form of epilepsy and developmental delay.

14 Feb 2025

Addressing the global challenge of bacterial STIs

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hundreds of millions of new cases of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are reported worldwide each year. Many infections go undiagnosed due to their often silent symptoms, contributing to transmission, disease and complications such as infertility and miscarriage.

14 Feb 2025

New biomarker can accurately predict outcomes in meningiomas and breast cancers

Using a new technology and computational method, researchers from Fred Hutch Cancer Center and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have uncovered a biomarker capable of accurately predicting outcomes in meningioma brain tumors and breast cancers.

13 Feb 2025

Discovery of gene silencer offers hope for autosomal dominant leukodystrophy

A team led by University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health geneticists has shown, for the first time, that a gene "silencer" that resides in junk DNA is directly sparing people from a devastating and fatal progressive neurological disease.

13 Feb 2025