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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).

Brain development eliminates flawed neurons to ensure genomic integrity

During fetal development, the human brain generates an excess of neurons, most of which are eliminated shortly before and after birth.

28 Oct 2026

Landmark studies map how genetic differences drive human diseases

In three landmark studies published in Nature today, Australian researchers have made major advances in our understanding of how genetic differences between people influence disease.

28 Oct 2026

Study identifies common mechanism behind widespread cancer mutations

A family of mutations seen in about 20% of human cancers drives malignancy by changing the accessibility of genes to a particular regulatory protein, according to a study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

28 Oct 2026

Macromolecular crowding helps control synthetic DNA droplet formation

Macromolecular crowding can serve as a design tool for controlling the formation and organization of synthetic DNA droplets, a study from Science Tokyo reveals.

28 Oct 2026

$1 million grant advances research into RNA-DNA virus evolution

Much remains unknown about the origin of viruses and how they evolve - but hunting for answers has been the focus of Portland State biology professor Ken Stedman's eXtreme Virus Lab for the past 25 years.

27 Oct 2026

Low vitamin B12 is linked to heart disease. Supplements tell a different story

A narrative review published in Nutrition Journal examines how vitamin B12 deficiency may contribute to cardiovascular disease through elevated homocysteine, endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress and altered methylation. The authors found that B12 supplementation has not consistently prevented heart attacks or cardiovascular deaths in clinical trials, although combined B-vitamin therapy may modestly reduce stroke risk, particularly in populations without folic acid fortification.

27 Oct 2026

Heated tobacco products cause immediate cardiovascular and genetic damage

Just one session of heated tobacco product use results in measurable damage to the blood vessels, according to a study published today (Tuesday) in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

27 Oct 2026

Cerebrospinal fluid liquid biopsy detects tumor DNA in complex brain cases

A Mayo Clinic study published in the Journal of Neuro-Oncology suggests that analyzing DNA in cerebrospinal fluid could provide another source of information when MRI cannot provide a clear brain tumor diagnosis or obtaining tissue through biopsy is difficult or potentially unsafe.

27 Oct 2026

Researchers develop versatile genetic tool to investigate cell interactions

Our bodies are composed of many different types of cells that work together to build and maintain normal physiological functions.

27 Oct 2026

Beer and liquor show more oral bacteria links than wine in a large US study

Researchers analyzed beverage intake and oral microbiome data from 5,598 adults across three US cohorts and found that alcohol consumption showed the strongest associations with oral bacterial diversity and composition among the beverages examined. Higher alcohol intake was associated with greater bacterial richness and differences in genera linked to oral health, but the cross-sectional preprint could not establish whether alcohol caused these differences or influenced disease risk.

26 Oct 2026

UCL scientists design symbolic AI digital twins to treat cancer

In a new paper published in Cell Reports Medicine, the UCL team outline how they, in collaboration with a University of Cambridge team, developed a new type of treatment-predicting computer program that uses an individual's detailed genetic fingerprint to explore which treatments, if any, may kill their cancer – especially when standard treatments have failed.

26 Oct 2026

Proteins linked to Alzheimer's found to assist sperm cells

Unexpectedly, a kind of protein that is usually linked with diseases in the brain may play a vital role in semen, helping shepherd genetic material into sperm cells, scientists at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute report today in the research journal Molecular Cell.

26 Oct 2026

Rome changed Iberia’s ancestry more than the migrations that followed

Researchers analyzed ancient DNA from 243 individuals who lived in Iberia between 100 and 800 CE, alongside data from 58 previously studied individuals, to examine how Roman rule and early medieval migrations affected population ancestry. They found substantial Eastern Mediterranean- and North African-related ancestry contributions during Roman times, while later migrations introduced Central-Northern European ancestry without widespread replacement of the Hispano-Roman population.

25 Oct 2026

Drug combination delivers promising survival gains in advanced endometrial cancer

An immunotherapy-based regimen combining durvalumab and the PARP inhibitor, olaparib, demonstrated encouraging long-term survival outcomes for patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, according to new trial results presented by researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

24 Oct 2026

Massive study identifies genetic variants associated with five major personality traits

A massive genetic study offers one of the clearest pictures yet of how DNA contributes to personality, identifying genetic variants associated with five major personality traits.

24 Oct 2026

Ancient virus may help explain differences in human and chimpanzee brains

Pandemics can arise wherever animal or human populations are sufficiently large, and they are not confined to the modern age.

23 Oct 2026

Study reveals how cancer cells survive chemotherapy in a zombie-like state

Scientists at Trinity College Dublin have made an important breakthrough in understanding how cancer cells can evade the cell-killing effects of chemotherapy and enter a "zombie-like state", called premature senescence, that can attract the wound healing properties of the immune system.

23 Oct 2026