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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).

New therapy may kill cancer cells in inherited breast cancer

Breast cancer begins when the cells in the breast begin to grow out of control. The cells form a tumor, which can become malignant if they invade and spread to surrounding tissues. Like any other cancers, breast cancer has many risk factors that can’t be changed, like family history.

28 Aug 2019

Scientists discover potential novel target for treating deadly brain cancer

Scientists at USC and UC San Diego have discovered a potential novel target for treating glioblastoma, the deadly brain cancer that took the life of Sen. John McCain and kills 15,000 Americans a year.

28 Aug 2019

Scientists reveal cancer cells' immune weak spot

Scientists have found a vulnerability in cancer cells that could make them more susceptible to being destroyed by the immune system, according to a new report in eLife.

27 Aug 2019

New method maps surface protein complements on large numbers of individual exosomes

There is a growing demand for diagnostic markers for early disease detection and prognosis. Exosomes are potential biomarkers for cancer progression and neurodegenerative disease but it can be difficult to identify what tissue a specific exosome comes from.

27 Aug 2019

Sick mitochondria pollute the cells, cause telomere damage

Researchers at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center provide the first concrete evidence for the long-held belief that sick mitochondria pollute the cells they're supposed to be supplying with power.

27 Aug 2019

Study shows microRNA can protect the heart from reperfusion injury

Heart muscle can continue to die even after restoring blood following a heart attack, and scientists have new evidence that one way to help it live is by boosting levels of a tiny RNA that helped the heart form.

27 Aug 2019

Human infective nematode identified in canine carriers for the first time

A human infective nematode found in remote northern areas of Australia has been identified in canine carriers for the first time.

27 Aug 2019

Researchers gain new insights into types of germ cell tumors

Germ cell tumors constitute a diverse group of rare tumors, which occur in the testes, ovaries and also in other places. Some germ cell tumors exist prenatally, while others present during or after puberty. The majority is benign.

27 Aug 2019

Early detection method for pinpointing molecular signatures of Lyme disease

When researchers examined the mitochondrial DNA of Ötzi, a man entombed in ice high in the Tyrolean Alps some 5,300 years ago, they made a startling discovery.

26 Aug 2019

Yale-led study reveals new factors that contribute to hardening of arteries and plaque growth

In a new Yale-led study, investigators have revealed previously unknown factors that contribute to the hardening of arteries and plaque growth, which cause heart disease.

26 Aug 2019

Blood sugar levels linked to DNA damage and cancer in diabetics

Increased blood sugar levels in diabetics could damage DNA and make the genome unstable, increasing the risk of certain cancers.

26 Aug 2019

Experts to gather for world’s largest annual symposium on DNA forensics

ISHI, world’s largest annual meeting on DNA forensics, will draw scientists to collaborate on the newest forensic technologies and industry trends.

From Promega Corporation 26 Aug 2019

Salk researchers develop new gene-editing tool to target broad range of mutations, cell types

The ability to edit genes in living organisms offers the opportunity to treat a plethora of inherited diseases. However, many types of gene-editing tools are unable to target critical areas of DNA, and creating such a technology has been difficult as living tissue contains diverse types of cells.

26 Aug 2019

Researchers discover pivotal role for bacterial sex in evolution of mammalian microbiome

In a pioneer study now published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science - USA, the research team led by Isabel Gordo, from the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, in collaboration with researcher Michael Lässig of Cologne University, used healthy mice to study real-time gut colonization and discovered a pivotal role for bacterial sex in the evolution of the mammalian microbiome.

25 Aug 2019

Living Cells Can Record and Track Genomic Events with New “Designer Cell” Computer Technology

Published in Molecular Cell, researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a new technology that uses DNA to process and store information in living cells.

23 Aug 2019

UQ researchers discover how our genes, environment influence BMI and height

Environmental conditions influence our body mass index by increasing or decreasing the effect of inherited genetic variations, University of Queensland researchers have discovered.

23 Aug 2019

Harnessing power of CRISPR to control behavior of DNA-responsive materials

The CRISPR-Cas system has become the go-to tool for researchers who study genes in an ever-growing list of organisms, and is being used to develop new gene therapies that potentially can correct a defect at a single nucleotide position of the vast reaches of the genome.

23 Aug 2019