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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).

Facial wound secrets revealed for scarless repair

Tweaking a pattern of wound healing established millions of years ago may enable scar-free injury repair after surgery or trauma, Stanford Medicine researchers have found.

22 Jan 2026

Researchers decipher a key mechanism that controls pancreatic cancer growth

Could this mark a shift in how we think about cancer therapy? At least in the laboratory, evidence suggests it may be.

22 Jan 2026

Unfolding the role of Hsp70 chaperones in neurodegeneration

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) affect millions of people worldwide, yet treatments remain largely limited to symptom management.

22 Jan 2026

Super-enhancers: Cancer's double-edged sword of growth and DNA damage

New study shows that cancer damages its own DNA by pushing key genes to work too hard. Researchers found that the most powerful genetic "on switches" in cancer cells, called super-enhancers, drive unusually intense gene activity.

22 Jan 2026

Sperm RNA aging shift that may explain paternal age effects

Study reveals an 'aging cliff' in sperm RNA, linking age-related changes to early development and highlighting risks associated with advanced paternal age.

22 Jan 2026

Study identifies a powerful strategy to overcome drug resistance in breast cancer

A new preclinical study from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, published today in Nature Communications, identifies a powerful strategy to overcome drug resistance in breast cancer by simultaneously targeting two key cell-cycle regulators, CDK2 and CDK4/6.

22 Jan 2026

Bacteria behind Nagashima-type palmoplantar keratosis foot odor identified

The distinct foot odor that comes with the skin disorder Nagashima-type palmoplantar keratosis (NPPK) is caused by the overgrowth of a specific bacterial strain.

22 Jan 2026

Shingles vaccination is linked to slower biological aging in older adults

This population-based study of U.S. adults aged 70 and older found that shingles vaccination was associated with slower epigenetic and transcriptomic aging, as well as lower systemic inflammation. No significant associations were observed for neurodegeneration or cardiovascular biomarkers, highlighting domain-specific molecular effects rather than broad clinical changes.

21 Jan 2026

Study shows membrane chemistry influences early cell-like compartment evolution

Modern cells are complex chemical entities with cytoskeletons, finely regulated internal and external molecules, and genetic material that determines nearly every aspect of their functioning. This

21 Jan 2026

UT Southwestern performs first regional whole-liver chemotherapy for rare eye cancer

A team at UT Southwestern Medical Center this week became the first in Texas and neighboring states to successfully perform a novel procedure to deliver whole-liver chemotherapy to treat metastatic uveal melanoma, a rare and deadly eye cancer.

21 Jan 2026

COVID-19 severity is linked to changes in mitochondrial DNA methylation

This study examined mitochondrial and nuclear-encoded mitochondrial DNA methylation in Indian patients with severe COVID-19 and found region-specific differential methylation linked to disease severity. Pathway analyses and protein assays implicated disrupted mitochondrial metabolism and dynamics, suggesting a role for mitochondrial epigenetic regulation in COVID-19 pathophysiology.

20 Jan 2026

Using AI to understand the age of disease onset in Huntington's patients

A team from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Institute of Neurosciences at the University of Barcelona (UBneuro) has applied advanced artificial intelligence techniques to better understand why Huntington's disease can begin at very different ages in patients.

20 Jan 2026

New genetic insights reveal vitamin B1's role in gut health and motility

Bowel habits aren't exactly dinner-table talk. But they reflect how quickly the gut moves things along, and when that goes wrong people can experience constipation, diarrhoea, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

20 Jan 2026

How "old RNA" reshapes sperm metabolism

Increasing paternal age has been linked to elevated health risks for the next generation, including higher risks of obesity and stillbirth. But what drives this increased risk remains unknown.

20 Jan 2026

Genomic screening uncovers hidden cancer and heart disease risk in young adults

A nationwide Australian pilot screened more than 10,000 adults aged 18–40 years for high-risk genetic variants linked to hereditary cancer and familial hypercholesterolaemia, identifying clinically actionable findings in about 2% of participants.

19 Jan 2026

Ancient ice and modern pollution combine to spread antibiotic resistance as glaciers melt

Glaciers harbor both ancient and human-derived antibiotic resistance genes, preserved in ice and increasingly mobilized by climate-driven melt. This global review proposes a glacier-to-downstream “continuum” to understand how resistance genes may move through connected freshwater ecosystems.

18 Jan 2026

Single-cell technique maps pre-malignant gene mutations in solid tissues

A new single-cell profiling technique has mapped pre-malignant gene mutations and their effects in solid tissues for the first time, in a study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine and the New York Genome Center.

16 Jan 2026

Alternative splicing of DOC2A gene shown to drive schizophrenia risk

In an important new study, Chinese researchers have discovered the previously unrecognized role of alternative splicing of the DOC2A gene in schizophrenia.

16 Jan 2026

Investigational cancer vaccine shows early promise for cancer prevention in Lynch syndrome

The investigational cancer vaccine, NOUS-209, was found to safely stimulate the immune system to target precancerous and cancerous cells in individuals with Lynch Syndrome (LS), according to a study from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

16 Jan 2026

Age-related sperm changes at imprint regions linked to autism risk

A new research paper was published in Volume 17, Issue 12 of Aging-US on December 29, 2025, titled "Age-specific DNA methylation alterations in sperm at imprint control regions may contribute to the risk of autism spectrum disorder in offspring."

16 Jan 2026