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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).

Simple blood test can detect a wide range of diseases

In diagnostic medicine, biopsies, where a sample of tissue is extracted for analysis, is a common tool for the detection of many conditions. But this approach has several drawbacks - it can be painful, doesn't always extract the diseased tissue, and can only be used in a sufficiently advanced disease stage, making it, in some cases, too late for intervention.

9 Feb 2021

Differences in gene readouts may shed light on mental disorders

A new study suggests that differences in the expression of gene transcripts - readouts copied from DNA that help maintain and build our cells - may hold the key to understanding how mental disorders with shared genetic risk factors result in different patterns of onset, symptoms, course of illness, and treatment responses

8 Feb 2021

New study describes the evolutionary tale of poisonous butterflies

The Atala butterfly (Eumaeus atala) and its five closest relatives in the genus Eumaeus like to display their toxicity.

8 Feb 2021

Compound isolated from Ophiura sarsii can be used as an affordable drug for photodynamic therapy

An unusual biologically active porphyrin compound was isolated from seabed dweller Ophiura sarsii. The substance might be used as an affordable light-sensitive drug for innovative photodynamic therapy and for targeted treatment of triple-negative breast cancer and some other cancers.

8 Feb 2021

New nanoparticle-based drug boosts the body’s innate immune system to fight tumors

A new nanoparticle-based drug can boost the body's innate immune system and make it more effective at fighting off tumors, researchers at UT Southwestern have shown.

8 Feb 2021

CRISPR genomic editing to obtain more productive and nutritive plant varieties

New study by the IBMCP of the UPV university facilitates the use of the CRISPR genomic editing technique on plants.

8 Feb 2021

4th preclinical study for Novavax in non-human primates, tests SARS-CoV-2 variants

Researchers in the United States have identified specific immune correlates that might be key to ensuring that vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) protects against not only disease, but also viral transmission and emerging variants.

8 Feb 2021

Technion team discovers new process for attacking cancer cells

When treating cancer, researchers are always searching for ways to remove cancer cells while minimizing damage to the rest of the body. One possible approach is to find processes unique to cancer cells, and which would allow specific targeting. If such a process can be disrupted, only those cells would be affected.

6 Feb 2021

Small wearable sensor can detect stress biomarker in sweat

We've all felt stressed at some point, whether in our personal or professional lives or in response to exceptional circumstances like the COVID-19 pandemic. But until now there has been no way to quantify stress levels in an objective manner.

6 Feb 2021

Grape consumption offers protection against UV skin damage

A recent human study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that consuming grapes protected against ultraviolet (UV) skin damage.

5 Feb 2021

Ancestral components of human gut microbiota are fundamental to health

Neanderthals' gut microbiota already included some beneficial micro-organisms that are also found in our own intestine.

5 Feb 2021

Researchers to create computational models to improve treatments for ovarian cancer

The 5-year research project involves 14 organizations in seven EU countries and is funded by €15 M from the EU.

4 Feb 2021

SHREK proteins mediate broad spectrum antiviral host immunity, including against SARS-CoV-2

A new preprint posted to the bioRxiv server demonstrates that similar mucins and mucin-like proteins cannot only suppress HIV-1 infectivity via blockage of viral attachment to the host cells but can block infection by multiple enveloped viruses.

4 Feb 2021

ZyCoV-D SARS-CoV-2 DNA vaccine shows robust immunogenicity and protective efficacy in Rhesus macaquesys

A team of scientists from India has recently tested the efficacy and immunogenicity of two different concentrations of a plasmid DNA-based vaccine candidate ZyCoV-D. The findings reveal that the vaccine candidate administered via Needle Free Injection System (NFIS) can significantly induce the production of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein-specific IgG and neutralizing antibodies for a prolonged period.

4 Feb 2021