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Groundbreaking studies reveal how DNA folding guides sperm cell development

Two new landmark studies show how a seeming tangle of DNA is actually organized into a structure that coordinates thousands of genes to form a sperm cell.

3 Mar 2025

Study challenges role of BRCA1 mutation in prostate cancer initiation

Mutations in the BRCA1 gene that are either inherited (germline) or acquired (somatic) might not be key to the initiation of prostate cancer, as previously thought, suggests the first study of its kind, published online in the open access journal BMJ Oncology.

24 Feb 2025

Stanford researchers identify key variants linked to inherited cancer risk

Thousands of single changes in the nucleotides that make up the human genome have been associated with an increased risk of developing cancer.

17 Feb 2025

New Kids First datasets offer insights into genetics of childhood disorders

The new Kids First datasets advance our understanding of how genetics contribute to childhood cancers and congenital disorders, opening new doors for prevention and treatment.

5 Feb 2025

Decades of DNA expansion linked to Huntington’s disease neurodegeneration

Researchers uncover how slow CAG repeat expansions in neurons drive Huntington’s disease over decades.

24 Jan 2025

Exploring the use of genomic classifier tests in prostate cancer risk stratification

A systematic review found that while genomic classifier (GC) tests may influence risk classifications or treatment decisions for patients with localized prostate cancer (PCa), there is a need for better data on their cost-effectiveness, clinical utility, and their impact on racial and ethnic groups, particularly Black men.

20 Jan 2025

Study provides new insights into the genetic underpinnings of pediatric cancers

Largescale changes in the genome inherited from parents are significant risk factors for pediatric solid tumors, such as Ewing sarcoma, neuroblastoma, and osteosarcoma, according to a new study.

2 Jan 2025

Potential dangers of direct-to-consumer genetic test for cancer risk

A new editorial was published in Oncotarget's Volume 15 on December 24, 2024, titled "Pitfalls and perils from FDA-approved germ-line cancer predisposition tests."

30 Dec 2024

Researchers gain new insights into the molecular changes leading to Rett syndrome

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children's Hospital and collaborating institutions have gained new insights into the molecular changes leading to Rett syndrome, a severe neurological disorder caused by mutations in the MeCP2 gene encoding methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2).

16 Dec 2024

Risk-reducing surgeries provide benefits for young BRCA-mutation carriers

Patients with germline BRCA mutations who were diagnosed with breast cancer at or before age 40 and who underwent a bilateral risk-reducing mastectomy (RRM) and/or a risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) had lower rates of recurrence, secondary breast and/or ovarian malignancies, and death than those who did not undergo these surgeries, according to results presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), held December 10-13, 2024.

11 Dec 2024

Olaparib provides survival benefits for high-risk BRCA-positive breast cancer patients

Patients with high-risk, BRCA-positive breast cancer who received olaparib (Lynparza) after standard treatment continued to have better survival outcomes than those who received placebo after a median follow-up of 6.1 years, according to the latest results from the phase III OlympiA clinical trial presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), held December 10-13, 2024.

11 Dec 2024

Study provides the first evidence of genetic predisposition to breast cancer metastasis

Ninety percent of cancer deaths are due to the spread of cancer, not complications from the original tumor.

9 Dec 2024

Pioneering study discovers new genetic links to pancreatic cancer in Brazil

Pancreatic cancer has recently been included in the list of diseases about which Brazil's National Cancer Institute (INCA) periodically publishes statistics.

9 Dec 2024

Genetic factors increase prostate cancer risk for African men

Early testing is key to addressing the rise in cases of prostate cancer in Africa - and it doesn't have to be an invasive procedure.

6 Dec 2024

TRiC mutations found to cause developmental brain malformations in children

In 1992, Judith Frydman, PhD, discovered a molecular complex with an essential purpose in all of our cells: folding proteins correctly.

27 Nov 2024

Neoantigen DNA vaccines improve survival and immunity in triple-negative breast cancer patients

A new phase 1 trial demonstrates the safety and effectiveness of personalized neoantigen DNA vaccines, showing promising immune responses and improved recurrence-free survival in high-risk triple-negative breast cancer patients.

17 Nov 2024

Key kinase involved in cell division linked to abnormal blood vessel growth in genetic disorder

Inhibition of CDK6 may prevent arteriovenous malformations in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia by regulating endothelial cell cycle progression.

8 Nov 2024

Assessing recurrence risk with ctDNA-based MRD detection in NSCLC patients

In operable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), molecular residual disease (MRD) detection via circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has emerged as a promising approach to identify individuals at high risk of disease recurrence and potentially guide adjuvant therapy decisions.

6 Nov 2024

Study identifies six cancer susceptibility genes

Identification of six cancer susceptibility genes offers new insights into genetic risk factors, potentially enhancing early detection and treatment strategies.

29 Oct 2024

Study uncovers six cancer susceptibility genes

Scientists at deCODE genetics/Amgen, and their collaborators have discovered six novel genes with rare germline variants that associate with cancer risk. The findings are published today in Nature Genetics under the title "Gene-based burden tests of rare germline variants identify six cancer susceptibility genes".

29 Oct 2024