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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).

First-of-its kind study identifies the hidden costs of avoidable deficiencies in heart failure

Today, the first investigation of its kind, published in Open Heart, has identified the hidden costs of heart failure (HF) due to under-managed but treatable iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anaemia (IDA). Leading UK clinicians assessed the one-year data of around 80,000 people with HF as part of the analysis.

19 Mar 2020

Bacteria-trapping protein may contribute to breast cancer metastasis

The protein peptidyl arginine deiminase 4 (PAD4), which enables some immune cells to trap bacteria, promoted breast cancer metastasis in mice when expressed in cancer cells, according to data published in Molecular Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

19 Mar 2020

Bacterial extracellular vesicles could combat antibiotic resistance

Children's National Hospital researchers for the first time have isolated bacterial extracellular vesicles from the blood of healthy donors, a critical step to better understanding the way gut bacteria communicate with the rest of the body via the bloodstream.

18 Mar 2020

Novel Alzheimer's risk genes affect microglial response to amyloid-beta

Our DNA determines a large part of our risk for Alzheimer's disease, but it remained unclear how many genetic risk factors contribute to disease.

18 Mar 2020

Uncovering the Achilles' heel of cancer cells to find effective cures

The key to effective cures for cancers is to find weak points of cancer cells that are not found in non-cancer cells.

17 Mar 2020

Researchers elucidate new mechanism for controlling DNA methylation in cells

Why normal cells turn into cancer cells One of the factors is deeply related to the failure of the cell differentiation mechanism called DNA methylation.

17 Mar 2020

Immunotherapy combination can shrink viral reservoir in HIV model

Stimulating immune cells with two cancer immunotherapies together can shrink the size of the viral "reservoir" in SIV-infected non-human primates treated with antiviral drugs, researchers have concluded.

16 Mar 2020

Increased competition between males can lead to higher rate of harmful mutations in offspring

Males that face tougher competition for females risk having offspring with a greater number of harmful mutations in their genome than males without rivals.

16 Mar 2020

Trial of cancer drug OxaliTex promises lower toxicity and more robust action

Preclinical trials indicate that a drug candidate called OxaliTex can stop the growth of cancer cells completely. OxaliTex appears to be more potent than many other common chemotherapy drugs, with less toxicity and less rapidly counteracted by mechanisms of drug resistance. The study was reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in March 2020.

16 Mar 2020

Scientists find new way to amplify miRNA in live tumor cells for bioimaging

A good indicator of dysregulation in live cells is a change in their RNA expression. MicroRNA (miRNA), a special type of RNA, is considered a biomarker for carcinogenic cells.

16 Mar 2020

Researchers develop new kind of CRISPR screen technology to target RNA

CRISPR-based genetic screens have helped scientists identify genes that are key players in sickle-cell anemia, cancer immunotherapy, lung cancer metastasis, and many other diseases.

16 Mar 2020

U-M startup offers free coronavirus sequencing kits for researchers

As doctors, scientists and governments try to get a grip on COVID-19, the University of Michigan startup Arbor Biosciences is providing free kits to capture the genetic code of virus samples.

16 Mar 2020

How intrepid lab sleuths ramped up tests as coronavirus closed in

While officials in Washington, D.C., grappled with delays and red tape, two professional virus hunters raced to make thousands of tests available to detect the deadly new coronavirus sweeping the globe, hoping to stem its spread in the U.S.

16 Mar 2020

Overview of prognostic and predictive factors in pancreatic cancer

Oncotarget Volume 11, Issue 10 reported that there are not standardized predictive biomarkers able to identify patients who benefit most from treatments.

13 Mar 2020

MicroRNA dysregulation has critical impacts on development, inflammation and cancer development

Oncotarget Volume 11, Issue 10 reported that dysregulation of noncoding micro RNA molecules has been associated with immune cell activation in the context of Helicobacter pylori-induced gastric inflammation as well as carcinogenesis, but also with downregulation of mismatch repair genes, and may interfere with immune checkpoint proteins that lead to the overexpression of antigens on gastric tumor cells.

13 Mar 2020

Characterization of DNAm status of MMPs and TIMPs in atheromatous plaques

Oncotarget Volume 11, Issue 10 reported that the statistically associated Cp G sites were analyzed in blood samples from two separate atherothrombotic stroke cohorts, ischemic stroke-cohort 1: 37 atherothrombotic patients and 6 controls, ischemic stroke-cohort 2: 80 atherothrombotic patients and 184 controls.

13 Mar 2020

SPRK1 enzyme plays role in reorganizing the paternal genome during fertilization

A sperm enters an egg, an embryo develops and eventually a baby is born. But back up a second -- how does the mother's half-genome actually merge with the father's half-genome to form one new human genome?

13 Mar 2020

New method will enable production of tailor-made vaccines

Vaccines can be far more targeted and effective than they are today. A new method will allow us to develop new vaccines more cheaply and efficiently and perhaps get one step ahead of bacteria.

13 Mar 2020

Blood stem cells conserve epigenetic memory of previous infections to boost immunity

These findings should have a significant impact on future vaccination strategies and pave the way for new treatments of an underperforming or over-reacting immune system. The results of this research are published in Cell Stem Cell on March 12, 2020.

13 Mar 2020

Single-drug therapy can attack several cellular targets using different modes of action

Clinicians combat the drug resistances of some cancer types by using a combination of different drugs. To make this approach more effective, chemists have designed a chemical conjugate that can simultaneously attack several cellular targets using different modes of action.

13 Mar 2020