DNA News and Research

RSS

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).

Genetic overlap links psychiatric disorders with many physical ailments

For centuries, mental illness and physical disease have been viewed as two distinct categories, each with its own field of study, its own doctors, and its own menu of treatments.

8 Apr 2026

Study reveals how tau tangles spread from one brain region to another in Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that slowly impairs memory, affects thinking skills, and eventually interferes with daily functioning.

8 Apr 2026

Study finds genetic basis for GLP-1 weight loss efficacy and side effects

23andMe Research Institute, a nonprofit medical research organization, announced the publication of a study that identifies genetic predictors for GLP-1 weight loss efficacy and side effects.

8 Apr 2026

New cell atlas reveals biological links to pregnancy complications

The biological connection between a pregnant woman and her developing baby has been mapped in unprecedented detail by UC San Francisco scientists, revealing new cell types and insights into conditions such as preeclampsia, preterm birth, and miscarriage.

8 Apr 2026

Climate shock effects persist for generations, fruit fly study shows

A new paper in Molecular Biology and Evolution, published by Oxford University Press, finds that changes in animal development induced by climate shock persist generations after the initial event.

8 Apr 2026

Noninvasive urine test improves prediction of bladder cancer treatment outcomes

Bladder cancer arises from the lining of the bladder, the organ that stores urine, and is one of the most common cancers in the United States. Most patients are diagnosed at an early stage called non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), in which the tumors are confined to the inner layers of the bladder.

7 Apr 2026

Neighborhood conditions linked to cellular aging and health disparities

There's a growing consensus that your zip code is a strong predictor of your health and lifespan. Now, researchers at NYU School of Global Public Health have determined that neighborhood conditions may be driving aging at the cellular level.

7 Apr 2026

Xuebijing injection reduces inflammation and ferroptosis in acute lung injury

Using an LPS-induced ALI mouse model and LPS-stimulated alveolar macrophages, they found XBJ reduced inflammatory cytokine surges, preserved alveolar barrier integrity, and limited tissue injury, while probing the molecular pathways and intracellular targets underlying these benefits.

7 Apr 2026

Early genetic signals connect diabetes subgroups to heart disease risk

A growing body of research shows that diabetes can be stratified into five different subgroups. Researchers at Lund University have now investigated whether a person's genetic predisposition to different diabetes subgroups can help assess the risk of developing coronary artery disease.

7 Apr 2026

New blood test spots four cancers and other diseases by stripping away healthy DNA noise

MethylScan is a new low-cost cell-free DNA methylome test that removes much of the healthy blood DNA background, helping rare disease signals stand out more clearly. In more than 1,000 people, it showed strong performance for detecting four cancers, classifying liver diseases, and identifying organ-specific damage.

7 Apr 2026

Pol theta enzyme identified as key driver of cancer resilience

A cancer drug target already being investigated in clinical trials turns out to be doing something even more consequential than researchers realized.

7 Apr 2026

Blocking nitric oxide suppresses tumor growth in aggressive pediatric neuroblastoma

The tumor begins before birth. Somewhere in the developing fetus, neural crest cells that should have matured into adrenal tissue or sympathetic ganglia take a wrong turn, and a child is born harboring a malignancy that may not declare itself for months.

7 Apr 2026

New blood biomarker improves cancer risk detection in people with Lynch Syndrome

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered a new blood-based biomarker that can help identify and characterize asymptomatic people with Lynch Syndrome (LS) who are more susceptible to developing cancer based on early immune detection signatures, allowing clinicians to stratify patients based on their personal risk level.

6 Apr 2026

New 3D printing method delivers cancer drugs directly to tumors

University of Mississippi research offers hope that cancer drug therapies packaged in 3D-printed carriers could deliver medication directly to tumors while reducing many of the side effects that cancer patients endure.

6 Apr 2026

New compounds reduce inflammation without weakening immune defense

Scripps Research scientists have developed a new class of drug compounds that reduce harmful inflammation while leaving the body's ability to fight infections intact-a long-sought goal in treating autoimmune diseases.

6 Apr 2026

Scientists create large library of mitochondrial DNA mutant models

Some of your most important life partners are the mitochondria that power all your cells. You and these little cellular powerhouses are in a 1.5-billion-year-old evolutionary relationship-but mitochondria brought some baggage.

6 Apr 2026

How gut microbes may shape heart attack damage and recovery

This review argues that gut microbes and the metabolites they produce, especially SCFAs and TMAO, may shape how the heart responds to myocardial infarction through epigenetic pathways such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNAs. It also outlines potential intervention routes, including diet, probiotics, postbiotics, and metabolite-targeted therapies, while noting that much of the evidence remains translational and not yet clinically definitive.

6 Apr 2026