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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).

Scientists discover why cancer cells die differently after radiotherapy

Scientists at Children's Medical Research Institute have solved a big mystery in cancer research – why cells die in different ways following radiotherapy.

13 Jan 2025

New test could predict lung cancer outcomes using tumor DNA

Scientists from the Francis Crick Institute, UCL, UCLH and Personalis have found that a test to detect circulating tumor DNA can predict lung cancer outcome in a Cancer Research UK-funded study.

13 Jan 2025

Breakthrough microscopy technique reveals how antibodies target cancer cells

In blood cancers such as chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, B cells of the immune system multiply uncontrollably.

10 Jan 2025

Most disease-causing mutations that swap amino acids do so by making proteins less stable

Research shows 60% of missense mutations destabilize proteins, linking protein folding to genetic diseases, including cataracts and neurological disorders.

10 Jan 2025

Health care AI, intended to save money, turns out to require a lot of expensive humans

Preparing cancer patients for difficult decisions is an oncologist's job. They don't always remember to do it, however.

10 Jan 2025

The X factor: Decoding brain aging differences between men and women

Researchers unveil how biological sex influences brain aging, revealing genetic, hormonal, and molecular mechanisms behind cognitive resilience and decline.

9 Jan 2025

Targeting miR-4274 and PEX5 can help overcome radioresistance in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a global health concern, and despite advances in radiotherapy, endogenous radioresistance in CRC patients remains a challenge.

9 Jan 2025

New test predicts lung cancer survival better than current standards

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, the UCL Cancer Institute and UCLH have shown that a test called ORACLE can predict lung cancer survival at the point of diagnosis better than currently used clinical risk factors.

9 Jan 2025

Parvovirus B19 myocarditis cases reported in preschoolers from Northern Greece

Myocarditis is a rare yet serious condition known for the inflammation of the heart muscle, also known as the myocardium. In severe cases of myocarditis, the heart muscle becomes extremely weak and fails to pump blood effectively.

9 Jan 2025

Functional characterization of variants improves cancer risk assessment and treatment

Findings from a multi-institutional, international study led by researchers from the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center have significantly advanced the understanding of genetic alterations in the BRCA2 gene, a key player in hereditary cancer risk.

9 Jan 2025

Unraveling the molecular mechanisms of disease-causing mutations

Most mutations which cause disease by swapping one amino acid out for another do so by making the protein less stable, according to a massive study of human protein variants published today in the journal Nature. Unstable proteins are more likely to misfold and degrade, causing them to stop working or accumulate in harmful amounts inside cells.

9 Jan 2025

Monoamine neurotransmitters emerge as architects of brain physiology

A collaborative effort between Mount Sinai and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center has shed valuable light on how monoamine neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and now histamine help regulate brain physiology and behavior through chemical bonding of these monoamines to histone proteins, the core DNA-packaging proteins of our cells.

9 Jan 2025

New brain stem cell discovery could usher in better treatments for glioblastoma

The discovery of a new type of stem cell in the brain could usher in better treatments for the deadliest brain tumor.

8 Jan 2025

Researchers uncover molecular mechanisms driving RNA processing defects in Huntington's disease

A University of California, Irvine-led research team has discovered intricate molecular mechanisms driving the RNA processing defects that lead to Huntington's disease and link HD with other neurodegenerative disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal lobar dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

8 Jan 2025

Mutation in ASXL1 gene triggers chain reaction leading to blood disorders

Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have discovered how a mutated gene kicks off a dangerous chain of events during blood cell production.

8 Jan 2025

Childhood stress impacts epigenetic profile of sperm and brain development

Childhood stress can impact the epigenetic profile of sperm. These results may also have practical implications for future generations through epigenetic inheritance, as many of the observed epigenetic associations are related to brain development.

8 Jan 2025

Heart attack recovery enhanced by human stem cell spheroids, study shows

In a large-animal model study, researchers have found that heart attack recovery is aided by injection of heart muscle cell spheroids derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells, or hiPSCs, that overexpress cyclin D2 and are knocked out for human leukocyte antigen classes I and II.

7 Jan 2025

Concussions may trigger Alzheimer's symptoms through latent viruses

Concussions and repetitive head trauma in sports like football and boxing, once accepted as an unpleasant consequence of intense athletic competition, are now recognized as serious health threats.

7 Jan 2025

Nuclear lipid droplets could play a key role in aging and disease

A new research perspective was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 16, Issue 22 on December 9, 2024, entitled "Nuclear lipid droplets: a novel regulator of nuclear homeostasis and aging."

7 Jan 2025

Myriad Genetics and MD Anderson partner to evaluate molecular residual disease assay

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Myriad Genetics, Inc. today announced a five-year strategic alliance to accelerate the clinical evaluation and development of Myriad's molecular residual disease (MRD) assay.

7 Jan 2025