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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).

Johns Hopkins researchers link a gene to melanoma growth and spread

Using a small noncoding RNA, microRNA 211, and tools that track the stability and decay of the protein-coding and noncoding RNAs in lab-grown melanoma cells, a team led by a Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researcher identified highly unstable RNA molecules in human melanomas, including a novel miR-211 target gene DUSP3.

From Johns Hopkins Medicine 25 Sep 2019

Study on gene mutations may lead to better diagnosis and treatment for cancer

When a cell divides into two daughter cells, it must replicate its DNA according to a very specific scenario. In the presence of some disruptive elements, however, cancer cells are unable to perform this operation optimally; replication then takes place more slowly and less efficiently.

25 Sep 2019

New lab-on-a-chip system quickly identifies health aspects of a person's immune system

Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a lab-on-a-chip system that can identify the health aspects of a person's immune system from a drop of their blood, within minutes.

25 Sep 2019

Improved mapping of genomes from 1,000 Swedish individuals

In so-called whole genome sequencing, surveys are made of the total genome of an individual. It is still relatively rare in healthcare today, but it occurs at an increasing rate, for example in order to make an accurate diagnosis in the case of a rare disease.

25 Sep 2019

Molecular changes are linked with adverse events following treatment of lymphatic filariasis

The Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis delivers mass drug administration to 500 million people each year, and adverse events are common following treatment. Now, researchers have reported in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases that certain changes in gene expression are associated with these adverse events.

From PLOS ONE 25 Sep 2019

Native American DNA is still carried by descendants of early Europeans and Africans in the U.S.

Many people in the U.S. do not belong to Native American communities but still carry bits of Native American DNA, inherited from European and African ancestors who had children with indigenous individuals during colonization and settlement.

From PLOS ONE 25 Sep 2019

Space-based investigation helps address challenges involved in learning more about the human brain

Researchers studying neurological diseases face several daunting challenges. For one thing, these conditions may take years or even decades to develop.

25 Sep 2019

Love hormone oxytocin linked to hypersexuality

Sex addiction or hypersexual disorder is a behavior characterized by an excessive preoccupation with sexual fantasies, behaviors, or urges that are hard to control, causing negative effects on one’s health and relationships.

25 Sep 2019

Study uncovers new DNA sequences in Swedish genomes

People - or more specifically just Swedes - are more like chimpanzees than previously known. This is indicated in a genetic mapping of one thousand Swedish individuals, where new DNA sequences that should be included in the reference genome have been identified.

24 Sep 2019

Non-viral gene delivery method more effective and safer than standard viral approaches

The non-viral, bio-inspired gene delivery method developed by researchers at RMIT University has proven effective in laboratory tests and is safer than standard viral approaches.

24 Sep 2019

Study uncovers epigenetic origins for hypersexual disorder

A new study has shown that epigenetic changes lead to overactivity of the hormone oxytocin, and this is a key element in hypersexual disorder.

24 Sep 2019

Vaping destroys lining and immune cells in the lung, says study

Now, a new study shows that the vapor emitted by the electronic cigarettes is vaping is linked to much higher rates of cell death among airway epithelial cells – more than double, from about 9% in controls to 17-20% in the exposed cells.

24 Sep 2019

Study reveals possible role of hormone oxytocin in hypersexual disorder

A new study of men and women with hypersexual disorder has revealed a possible role of the hormone oxytocin, according to results published in the journal Epigenetics.

23 Sep 2019

Scientists move one step closer to discovering the causes of immune diseases

Scientists are one step closer to discovering the causes of immune diseases such as asthma, multiple sclerosis and arthritis

23 Sep 2019

Autism may be caused by 'peturbed' gene network, say scientists

Discovering the mechanisms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is closer than ever, claim researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine.

23 Sep 2019

Researchers uncover fundamental difference in how DNA is held together

Researchers have made a fundamental discovery about the structure of DNA; the structure is held together by water, not hydrogen alone.

23 Sep 2019

CRISPR discovery opens up new possibilities for genetic engineering

Scientists have successfully developed a different kind of CRISPR technology, opening up a world of possibility to future developments in the genetic engineering space

23 Sep 2019

African bacterium resists almost all drugs

It looks like it’s time to pay the piper. The first extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strain of Salmonella typhimurium, called ST313 sublineage II.1, has cropped up in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This fails to respond to any of the antibiotics that are commonly used in the DRC, except for ciprofloxacin. And to make things worse, one sample has been isolated that shows incomplete response even to this last drug.

22 Sep 2019

Faster, cheaper, better: improved gene therapy tool production

The heart of modern therapy is increasingly personalized and targeted at specific cellular or genetic deficits. This requires gene therapy, in many cases. A new study, published on 19 September 2019 in the journal Nature, describes an improved way to produce purified gene carrier viruses called AAVs cheaply and quickly, from the culture medium.

22 Sep 2019

New study identifies potential enzyme target for diabetic retinopathy

A new study shows that diabetic retinopathy (DR), or retinal disease caused by the high blood glucose levels in diabetes mellitus, is due to the death of retinal cells because of the high levels of a pro-enzyme called lysyl oxidase propeptide (LOX-PP). This could help researchers develop specific treatments by targeting this molecule.

22 Sep 2019