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Umbilical cord proteins may explain lifelong health effects of low birth weight

Researchers have long sought to discover why babies who weigh less than expected at birth, a condition known as small for gestational age, or SGA, are at higher risk for heart, lung and metabolic diseases as adults.

2 Jul 2026

Evolutionary noncoding RNAs reveal new targets for cancer therapy

In cancer research, one person's junk is increasingly becoming another person's treasure. Scientists have now uncovered new evidence showing how recently evolved "junk DNA" genetic elements can become integrated into ancient cellular pathways that regulate cancer.

1 Jul 2026

ACMG issues guidance for reporting uncertain genetic test variants

The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) has published a new statement, Points to Consider for the Reporting of Variants of Uncertain Significance in Germline Genetic and Genomic Testing, providing guidance to laboratories and healthcare professionals on the reporting and communication of variants of uncertain significance (VUS) identified through genetic and genomic testing.

1 Jul 2026

Study potential new therapeutic strategy for patients with ATRX-mutant gliomas

A new study from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has uncovered how one of the most common genetic alterations in glioma rewires the cancer cell genome to fuel tumor progression, suggesting a potential new therapeutic strategy for patients with ATRX-mutant gliomas.

1 Jul 2026

Flavonoid-rich foods may blunt breast cancer risk tied to genetics

Higher flavodiet scores were associated with lower breast cancer risk among 93,271 UK Biobank females followed for a median of 11.8 years. The inverse association was particularly evident in women with high genetic risk, but the observational study cannot prove causation.

1 Jul 2026

Genetic markers for ADHD influence early toddler activity levels

A toddler's activity levels are influenced by genetic differences, with some of the same genetic markers also linked to Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), according to new research from the University of Surrey.

1 Jul 2026

Researchers map structural changes of viruses during the dehydration process

Abhishek Mall from the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter in Hamburg (MPSD) and his colleagues explored the structural dynamics of the protein shells - called capsids - that enclose the genetic material of viruses.

30 Jun 2026

New project investigates gut microbiome for personalized bowel disease therapies

The gut microbiome plays an important role in inflammatory bowel disease. In the research project MikrobiomProCheck, researchers are investigating how microbiome data can in future be used for diagnostics, disease monitoring and personalized therapies.

26 Jun 2026

AI and multiomics reveal how gut bacteria trigger colon cancer

Over the past two decades, high‑throughput sequencing has dramatically expanded our understanding of the gut microbiome's composition.

26 Jun 2026

Could your birth characteristics influence colorectal cancer risk?

A California study links birth and parental factors to early-onset colorectal cancer risk, highlighting male sex and Hispanic ethnicity as key contributors.

26 Jun 2026

Scientists find a universal gut microbiome pattern linked to colorectal cancer

Researchers analyzed 6,779 stool microbiome profiles and 906 tissue samples to identify a colorectal cancer microbial signature that remained consistent across age groups, populations, and sequencing methods. The signature aligned with tumor-resident microbes, showed weaker detection for adenomas, and was inversely associated with dietary fiber intake.

25 Jun 2026

Base editing technique reveals crucial gene for early human development

Research led by the University of Cambridge Loke Centre for Trophoblast Research has shown that a genome editing technique can be used to alter a single gene in human embryonic cells, enabling the study of very early human development in unparalleled detail.

25 Jun 2026

Maternal blood test reveals prenatal methylation clues linked to autism risk

Researchers found that maternal plasma cell-free DNA methylation patterns in late pregnancy were associated with later autism diagnosis and maternal obesity in a high-likelihood ASD cohort. The findings suggest cfDNA may offer a minimally invasive way to study prenatal epigenetic changes linked to neurodevelopmental risk, but larger validation studies are needed.

25 Jun 2026

Scientists identify genes linking air pollution to severe asthma

For many people with asthma, air-quality advisories are harbingers of worsening symptoms. But for reasons science has struggled to explain, the extent to which pollution exacerbates asthma varies widely from person to person.

24 Jun 2026

Pioneering technique maps the proteome of individual cardiomyocytes

Two research teams at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC) have developed a pioneering technique in Spain to characterize the proteome of individual cardiomyocytes-the cells responsible for heart contraction.

24 Jun 2026

Common genetic difference may increase the risk of severe COVID-19 and lung fibrosis

A genetic difference carried by nearly one in three people may increase the risk of severe COVID-19 and lung fibrosis by disrupting the function of a previously unknown protein, according to a new study.

24 Jun 2026

Hidden protein linked to severe COVID-19 and lung disease risk

24 Jun 2026

MSU researchers develop tool to observe complex molecular choreography in real time

A lot of things need to go right on a molecular level for immune cells to launch an adaptive response to an infection.

23 Jun 2026

Using the mathematics of quantum mechanics to improve neuroblastoma outcomes

For a child diagnosed with neuroblastoma-the most common infant cancer, occurring when early nerve cells grow out of control-the path to treatment isn't simple.

22 Jun 2026

Plague emerged earlier than thought and hit hunter-gatherers hard

Ancient DNA from 46 Lake Baikal hunter-gatherers revealed two early plague outbreak phases about 5,500 years ago, with Yersinia pestis detected in 18 individuals. The findings suggest these basal plague strains caused lethal, child-heavy outbreaks long before dense farming societies, cities, or classical flea-borne bubonic plague emerged.

21 Jun 2026