Guanine News and Research

RSS

Cannabis smoking changes your DNA, leaving epigenetic scars

Long-term, persistent weekly or more frequent cannabis smoking leaves a distinct and partially reversible epigenetic footprint on blood DNA. These methylation changes strongly overlap with those from tobacco and may serve as biomarkers of smoke exposure.

30 Jun 2025

RNA steps up to protect the genome from DNA knots

Not all DNA looks like the familiar twisted ladder. Sometimes, parts of our genetic code fold into unusual shapes. One such structure, the G-quadruplex (G4), looks like a knot.

13 Jun 2025

Can scientists predict life longevity from a drop of blood?

This study presents an intrinsic capacity clock, using blood samples to predict mortality risk and enhance understanding of aging and lifestyle impacts.

8 Jun 2025

Understanding how base editing tools work at the molecular level

You may have seen it in the news recently: a baby in Pennsylvania with a rare genetic disorder was healed with a personalized treatment that repaired his specific genetic mutation.

4 Jun 2025

Personalized gene editing corrects fatal infant metabolic disorder in world-first treatment

Researchers have used a personalised base-editing gene therapy to successfully treat an infant with carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) deficiency, a rare and life-threatening inborn error of metabolism. This pioneering approach chemically corrects the underlying mutation without cutting DNA, showing promise for precision treatment of ultrarare genetic disorders.

20 May 2025

Study reveals opposing roles of two proteins in Huntington's disease

A decade ago, University at Buffalo researchers shed some light on an enduring neuroscience mystery: How exactly does a mutated huntingtin protein (HTT) cause Huntington's disease?

5 May 2025

Unexpected function of gene network in gut microbes revealed

Could a gene regulatory network in gut microbes have evolved its elaborate and tightly regulated molecular machinery only to pump out antibiotics indiscriminately? Researchers from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) show this is an auxiliary function.

8 Apr 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

Long-read sequencing revolutionizes diagnosis of rare diseases

One in every 10 people worldwide is impacted by a rare genetic disease but about 50% of them remain undiagnosed despite rapid increases in genetic technology and testing.

24 Jan 2025

APOBEC proteins linked to DNA repeat expansion in Huntington's disease

People genetically susceptible to Huntington's disease often see their movement, mood, and cognition decline slowly over time.

22 Jan 2025

Androgen clock reveals how hormones shape aging and health

Scientists unveil the androgen clock, a precise epigenetic tool to measure long-term androgen exposure and its role in aging and health.

16 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

Histone markers predict human age with accuracy comparable to DNA methylation clocks

Researchers unveil histone-based age predictors, offering a new window into epigenetic aging and its shared patterns across tissues.

2 Jan 2025

New insights into glioblastoma resistance to temozolomide

In spite of intensive research, glioblastoma remains one of the most lethal types of brain cancer. Temozolomide (TMZ) is used as the front-line medicine in its treatment.

19 Dec 2024

Small brain-penetrating molecule offers hope for treating aggressive brain tumors

Gliocidin selectively kills glioblastoma cells by inhibiting nucleotide synthesis, showing potential as a therapeutic option in combination with temozolomide.

21 Nov 2024

Revolutionary AI predicts aging and disease from DNA patterns

Researchers developed CpGPT, a novel foundation model for DNA methylation analysis that captures sequence, positional, and epigenetic context to predict aging and disease risks. This model offers breakthroughs in imputing missing data and improving mortality and morbidity predictions.

11 Nov 2024

Epigenomic dynamics shape human brain development and neuropsychiatric disorder risks

Researchers investigate chromatin conformational and epigenomic reorganization during the development of the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.

14 Oct 2024

CheekAge: Next-gen epigenetic clock accurately predicts mortality risk

Researchers developed CheekAge, an epigenetic clock based on buccal cells, and found it predicted mortality risk with significant accuracy. This study validates CheekAge as a reliable aging biomarker, outperforming first-generation clocks.

6 Oct 2024

Study uncovers novel genetic variant associated with intellectual disability

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have published a pivotal study in Nature Genetics (DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01917-1) that sheds light on a novel genetic variant associated with intellectual capacities and educational outcomes.

23 Sep 2024

Study illuminates CDCA7's role in DNA methylation

DNA methylation, a process by which methyl groups are added to DNA molecules, is essential for the maintenance of DNA and the overall health of an organism.

27 Aug 2024