Gene Expression News and Research

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Gene Expression is the process by which a gene gets turned on in a cell to make RNA and proteins. Gene expression may be measured by looking at the RNA, or the protein made from the RNA, or what the protein does in a cell.

Blood gene signals reveal Parkinson’s risk years before diagnosis

Blood-based DNA repair and stress-response signals reveal early molecular changes in Parkinson's disease, aiding in potential early diagnosis and intervention.

2 Feb 2026

$Study identifies Apex1 as a redox-regulated driver of fracture repair$

Study identifies Apex1 as a redox-regulated driver of fracture repair

Bone fractures usually heal efficiently, but in some patients this process fails, causing nonunion. A recent study identifies Apex1 as a redox-regulated driver of fracture repair.

2 Feb 2026

Lab-grown corticospinal neurons offer new models for ALS and spinal injuries

Researchers have developed a way to grow a highly specialized subset of brain nerve cells that are involved in motor neuron disease and damaged in spinal injuries.

29 Jan 2026

Study uncovers genes and proteins likely to play a causal role in Type 2 diabetes

An international study co-led by researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Helmholtz Munich in Germany has uncovered hundreds of genes and proteins likely to play a causal role in Type 2 diabetes, many of which would have been missed by studies relying on blood samples alone.

29 Jan 2026

How DNA and life experiences leave distinct marks on the human immune system

Using single-cell epigenomic profiling of immune cells from 110 individuals, researchers show that genetic variation and environmental exposures shape the human immune system through distinct DNA methylation mechanisms. Genetic effects concentrate within gene bodies of memory cells, while environmental exposures primarily remodel regulatory regions in naive immune cells.

28 Jan 2026

PFOA exposure disrupts hormone signaling and impairs embryo implantation in mice

A new experimental study has found that perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a widely used industrial chemical, can interfere with key biological processes required for successful embryo implantation, raising concerns about its potential impact on female fertility.

27 Jan 2026

Why eating more oats can rapidly reduce cholesterol levels

Oat consumption boosts gut microbiota-derived phenolic metabolites, driving cholesterol-lowering effects and improving lipid metabolism in metabolic syndrome.

27 Jan 2026

Shared genetic architecture links schizophrenia with hemispheric white matter microstructure

Schizophrenia is a highly heterogeneous psychiatric disorder affecting ~1% of the global population, typically emerging in adolescence or early adulthood and characterized by hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, and cognitive impairments; while its etiology remains elusive, genetic factors are widely recognized as fundamental, and GWAS have identified over 200 genome-wide significant loci.

24 Jan 2026

Genetic study links vitamin B1 metabolism to gut motility and IBS risk

Research links thiamine metabolism to gut motility, identifying genetic markers that could lead to new therapies for IBS and related digestive disorders.

23 Jan 2026

Brain cell precursors show constant myelin-making drive

In experiments with mice, Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists report new evidence that precursors of myelin-producing cells - one of the few brain cell types that continue to be produced in the adult brain - undergo differentiation widely and at a constant pace, rather than "as needed" in response to injury or advancing age.

22 Jan 2026

Facial wound secrets revealed for scarless repair

Tweaking a pattern of wound healing established millions of years ago may enable scar-free injury repair after surgery or trauma, Stanford Medicine researchers have found.

22 Jan 2026

Alterations in liver metabolism experienced by individuals with Down syndrome

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome (Crnic Institute) have uncovered compelling evidence that individuals with Down syndrome experience significant alterations in liver metabolism, including elevated levels of bile acids in the bloodstream and other biomarkers of liver dysfunction.

22 Jan 2026

Myosteatosis: An emerging predictor of outcomes in chronic liver disease

Myosteatosis, the pathological infiltration of fat into skeletal muscle, is increasingly recognized as a key predictor of poor clinical outcomes across a spectrum of liver diseases.

22 Jan 2026

Sperm RNA aging shift that may explain paternal age effects

Study reveals an 'aging cliff' in sperm RNA, linking age-related changes to early development and highlighting risks associated with advanced paternal age.

22 Jan 2026

AI tool predicts metastatic risk in multiple cancers

Why do some tumors spread while others remain localized? The mechanisms governing the metastatic potential of tumor cells remain largely unknown — yet understanding this is crucial for optimizing patient care.

22 Jan 2026

Shingles vaccination is linked to slower biological aging in older adults

This population-based study of U.S. adults aged 70 and older found that shingles vaccination was associated with slower epigenetic and transcriptomic aging, as well as lower systemic inflammation. No significant associations were observed for neurodegeneration or cardiovascular biomarkers, highlighting domain-specific molecular effects rather than broad clinical changes.

21 Jan 2026

COVID-19 severity is linked to changes in mitochondrial DNA methylation

This study examined mitochondrial and nuclear-encoded mitochondrial DNA methylation in Indian patients with severe COVID-19 and found region-specific differential methylation linked to disease severity. Pathway analyses and protein assays implicated disrupted mitochondrial metabolism and dynamics, suggesting a role for mitochondrial epigenetic regulation in COVID-19 pathophysiology.

20 Jan 2026

Using AI to understand the age of disease onset in Huntington's patients

A team from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Institute of Neurosciences at the University of Barcelona (UBneuro) has applied advanced artificial intelligence techniques to better understand why Huntington's disease can begin at very different ages in patients.

20 Jan 2026

How "old RNA" reshapes sperm metabolism

Increasing paternal age has been linked to elevated health risks for the next generation, including higher risks of obesity and stillbirth. But what drives this increased risk remains unknown.

20 Jan 2026

Purdue-developed LENN system enhances stability and targeting of mRNA cancer therapies

Published, peer-reviewed research shows a patent-pending, virus-mimicking platform technology developed at Purdue University improves upon traditional methods of targeting bladder cancer cells with messenger RNA (mRNA) therapies.

16 Jan 2026