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Koalas protect their germline cells against retroviral attack

In a new study published in the journal Cell, scientists have found that koala DNA is protected against attack by retroviruses by a special type of immune response, which distinguishes foreign DNA from the host genome and destroys it before it can proliferate. This finding could help us understand both how koalas survive these infections, and the mechanics of adaptive gene change.

15 Oct 2019

New molecular "clock" could help monitor life-altering development disorders in children

Scientists have developed a molecular "clock" that could reshape how pediatricians measure and monitor childhood growth and potentially allow for an earlier diagnosis of life-altering development disorders.

15 Oct 2019

Researchers reveal mechanism involved in altering DNA methylation in cancer

Understanding the mechanisms that mediate widespread DNA damage in the cancer genome is of great interest to cancer physicians and scientists because it may lead to improved treatments and diagnosis. In this study, a multi-institutional team led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine has brought attention to genomic structural variation as a previously unappreciated mechanism involved in altering DNA methylation, a form of gene control, in human cancers.

15 Oct 2019

Finnish study offers new information about molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease

Researchers have discovered new changes in blood samples associated with Alzheimer's disease. A new international study was conducted on disease-discordant Finnish twin pairs: one sibling suffering from Alzheimer's disease and the other being cognitively healthy.

15 Oct 2019

Advances in translational genetics unlocked by Bio-Rad technologies to be presented at ASHG 2019

Scientists will present 24 abstracts and three talks, highlighting research driven in part by Bio-Rad Laboratories' Droplet Digital PCR and single-cell ATAC-Seq (scATAC-Seq) technologies, at the 2019 American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting in Houston, October 15-19.

15 Oct 2019

Study suggesting that CRISPR babies are likely to die early has been retracted

A research paper that sparked concerns about the lifespan of China's first gene-edited babies has been retracted due to technical errors.

15 Oct 2019

Risk of genetic seizure disorder: new scoring system

A Cleveland Clinic-led initiative has come up with a new risk scoring system for epileptic or seizure disorders of genetic origin. The researchers summed up the risks for a very large number of genes weakly implicated in some common forms of epilepsy, to create a polygenic risk score.

14 Oct 2019

The language of metabolites can be decoded with new genome technology

A team of microbiologists and genomicists has invented a genetic engineering tool that advances the study of secondary metabolites, which will expand our understanding of how microbes evolve.

14 Oct 2019

Custom-made oligonucleotide therapy for girl with fatal Batten disease

Sufferers of fatal Batten disease have been given new hope as scientists develop a custom-made oligonucleotide therapy for a young girl.

14 Oct 2019

Cleveland Clinic-led researchers develop novel genetic-based epilepsy risk scores

An international team of researchers led by Cleveland Clinic has developed new genetic-based epilepsy risk scores which may lay the foundation for a more personalized method of epilepsy diagnosis and treatment.

14 Oct 2019

New genomics technique can be used to track down the causes of rare genetic diseases

A team led by a scientist at Scripps Research has invented a new genomics technique for tracking down the causes of rare genetic diseases.

11 Oct 2019

Medical and surgical eye care experts gather in San Francisco for AAO 2019

More than 25,000 are expected to attend the American Academy of Ophthalmology's 123rd annual meeting, AAO 2019, from Oct. 12-15 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

11 Oct 2019

Jumping genes can contribute to rare childhood developmental disorders

The largest study of its kind into childhood developmental disorders has discovered that jumping genes cause genetic changes in some patients with undiagnosed neurodevelopmental diseases.

11 Oct 2019

Researchers develop customized drug treatment to bypass patient’s unique mutation

An unprecedented case at Boston Children's Hospital shows that it's possible to do something that's never been done before: identify a patient's unique mutation, design a customized drug to bypass it, manufacture and test the drug, and obtain permission from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin treating the patient -- all in less than one year.

11 Oct 2019

Chewing gum to track fertility: Ovulaid

Infertility is a very potent cause of frustration and psychological problems such as anxiety and depression, as well as of high stress. Infertility or subfertility is defined by the World Health Organization as unsuccessful attempts to conceive for five or more years.

10 Oct 2019

CRISPR RNA-cutting enzyme programmed to destroy viruses in human cells

Many of the world's most common or deadly human pathogens are RNA-based viruses -- Ebola, Zika and flu, for example -- and most have no FDA-approved treatments.

10 Oct 2019

Scientists identify strong genetic markers for PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the most commonly occurring and seriously debilitating disorder that happens when a person gets exposed to traumatic events, including sexual assault, combat, and natural disaster.

9 Oct 2019

Study sheds light on how human gut microbes break down processed foods

A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis sheds light on how human gut microbes break down processed foods - especially potentially harmful chemical changes often produced during modern food manufacturing processes.

9 Oct 2019

Novel cancer-driving mutation discovered in vast non-coding regions of the cancer genome

An Ontario-led research group has discovered a novel cancer-driving mutation in the vast non-coding regions of the human cancer genome, also known as the "dark matter" of human cancer DNA.

9 Oct 2019

Researchers discover most virulent representatives of listeriosis pathogen

The bacterium Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a life-threatening infection in animals and humans. Contaminated food is a frequent source of infection. Elderly people, people with a weakened immune system and pregnant women are particularly at risk with a mortality rate of up to 30 per cent.

9 Oct 2019