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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).

Could yogurt help prevent certain colorectal cancers? New study explores the link

Regular yogurt intake may lower the risk of Bifidobacterium-positive colorectal cancer, particularly in the proximal colon, but does not reduce the risk of Bifidobacterium-negative tumors. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and understand yogurt’s role in gut health and cancer prevention.

13 Feb 2025

New atlas reveals aging’s impact on breast tissue and cancer risk

Aging is a privilege, but it also brings risks-including an increased likelihood of developing age-related diseases including cancer.

13 Feb 2025

Researchers discover genetic mutation linked to toxic protein buildup in Alzheimer's

The root causes of most forms of Alzheimer's disease largely remain a mystery. Now, researchers have revealed a new piece of the puzzle.

13 Feb 2025

Study reveals key mechanisms behind cancer cells adapting to extra chromosomes

Cancer cells have special adaptation mechanisms that allow them to proliferate despite changes in their genetic makeup.

13 Feb 2025

Gut bacteria could one day serve as microscopic in-house pharmacists

Hundreds of different species of microbes live, laugh, and love in your gut. In the future, one of these might serve a new function: microscopic in-house pharmacist.

13 Feb 2025

Boosting autophagy could improve egg quality and reproductive health

Our cells constantly receive DNA damage from factors such as ultraviolet rays, irradiations, toxins and chemicals.

13 Feb 2025

Study identifies novel enhancers linked to neuropsychiatric disorders

Neuropsychiatric disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent. Given their complex and multifactorial pathogenesis, there is an urgent need for effective and targeted therapies that can improve patients' quality of life.

13 Feb 2025

Takumi-shaped DNA hydrogels show promise for targeted therapies

Hydrogels are polymeric materials with three-dimensional network structures containing large amounts of water. They serve as sustained-release drug delivery systems as they can encapsulate various bioactive substances, including drugs, antigens, and even cells.

13 Feb 2025

Blood test can predict preterm preeclampsia with 80% accuracy

A new blood test has an 80% accuracy in predicting preterm preeclampsia, according to a study published today, Feb. 12, in the journal Nature Medicine.

12 Feb 2025

Long-term yogurt intake linked to reduced risk of colorectal cancer

Yogurt, which contains live strains of bacteria, is thought to protect against many types of diseases, with some reports indicating it could reduce risk of colorectal cancer.

12 Feb 2025

Electrical activity drives aggression in small cell lung cancer

Researchers from the Francis Crick Institute have found that some particularly aggressive lung cancer cells can develop their own electric network, like that seen in the body's nervous system.

12 Feb 2025

Research explores DNA methylation clock accuracy across tissues

A new research paper was published in Aging (Aging-US) on January 3, 2025, in Volume 17, Issue 1, titled "Characterization of DNA methylation clock algorithms applied to diverse tissue types."

12 Feb 2025

EMBL researchers reveal new structural insights into minor spliceosome function

In human cells, only a small proportion of the information written in genes is used to produce proteins. How does the cell select this information? A large molecular machine called the spliceosome continuously separates the coding and non-coding regions of our genes – and it's doing this even as you read these lines.

12 Feb 2025

Machine learning tool predicts cancer treatment response based on genetic mutations

A groundbreaking study led by USC Assistant Professor of Computer Science Ruishan Liu has uncovered how specific genetic mutations influence cancer treatment outcomes-insights that could help doctors tailor treatments more effectively.

11 Feb 2025

Gut microbiota key to predicting sensitivity to common food additives

Widely used by the food industry, emulsifiers – a type of food additive – are found in many daily foods (sliced bread, ice creams, crème fraîche, plant milks, etc.).

11 Feb 2025

UCLA study reveals key role of mismatch repair genes in Huntington’s disease

A new UCLA Health study has discovered in mouse models that genes associated with repairing mismatched DNA are critical in eliciting damages to neurons that are most vulnerable in Huntington's disease and triggering downstream pathologies and motor impairment, shedding light on disease mechanisms and potential new ways to develop therapies.

11 Feb 2025

Duke engineers develop synthetic approach to boost bacterial protein synthesis

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have demonstrated a new synthetic approach that turbocharges bacteria into producing more of a specific protein, even proteins that would normally destroy them, such as antibiotics.

11 Feb 2025

One shot to lower cholesterol for life? Scientists unlock a groundbreaking gene therapy

Researchers developed an epigenetic editing approach to silence the PCSK9 gene, achieving long-term cholesterol reduction without altering DNA, offering a potential one-time treatment for high cholesterol.

11 Feb 2025

New mechanism of immune evasion discovered in cancer cells

The immune system plays a key role in detecting and destroying cancer cells. Cancer immunotherapy works by programming immune cells to recognize and eliminate cancer cells.

11 Feb 2025

Yale rewrites genetic code for new proteins

Synthetic biologists from Yale were able to re-write the genetic code of an organism - a novel genomically recoded organism (GRO) with one stop codon - using a cellular platform that they developed enabling the production of new classes of synthetic proteins. These synthetic proteins, researchers say, offer the promise of innumerable medical and industrial applications that can benefit society and human health.

11 Feb 2025