Homologous Recombination News and Research

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Understanding SARS-CoV-2 evolution requires more focus on structural variants

Researchers in the United States and Canada warn that more attention needs to be paid to the role that structural variants and recombination in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have played in the evolutionary history of the virus.

3 Sep 2020

DNA resection pathways are highly specific, shows study

Our cells are constantly dividing, and as they do, the DNA molecule - our genetic code - sometimes gets broken. DNA has twin strands, and a break in both is considered especially dangerous.

7 Jul 2020

Specific SARS-CoV-2 genetic elements found in different insect species

In a recent bioRxiv paper, researchers from Norway and the US demonstrate the presence of a highly conserved, mobile genetic element (thus far with unknown function) in genomes of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and a large number of insects – opening the door for hitherto unexplored treatment opportunities.

30 Jun 2020

Study sheds light on homologous recombination of DNA strands

As chromosomes go, X and Y make an unlikely pair. The X is large and contains thousands of genes critical for life. The Y, by contrast, is little more than a nub.

29 May 2020

Stand Up To Cancer hails FDA approval of new treatment option for aggressive prostate cancer

A recent FDA approval supported by Stand Up To Cancer research provides a new treatment option for patients with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

27 May 2020

Platinum-based chemotherapy may improve outcomes for some metastatic pancreatic cancer patients

Patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer who had germline or somatic mutations in DNA repair genes had better clinical outcomes after platinum-based chemotherapy, as compared with patients without these mutations.

22 May 2020

Research reveals important mechanism in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks

Scientists have revealed an important mechanism in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks, according to new research published today in eLife.

24 Mar 2020

Scientists reveal the damaging effect of Zika virus on a type of brain cell

The Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in Brazil in 2015 sparked for many health agencies and scientists to study the pathogen, which has been linked to microcephaly and other fetal neurological disorders collectively known as Congenital Zika Syndrome.

27 Jan 2020

Research unravels consequences of Zika virus attack on neural cells

Previous studies regarding the damage of the Zika virus on the brain had already pointed out the virus's predilection for a certain neural cell: the astrocyte. However, few studies have proposed to identify the infection effects on these cells, as well as their association with developmental alterations, including brain malformations and microcephaly.

27 Jan 2020

Study provides key insights on potential origins of coronavirus outbreak in China

Emerging viral infections--from bird flu to Ebola to Zika infections--pose major threats to global public health, and understanding their origins can help investigators design defensive strategies against future outbreaks.

22 Jan 2020

Mutated version of DNA repair protein may illuminate its role in preventing cancer

Two trillion times each day, the cells in a typical human divide to replace old, damaged or dead cells. Before a cell divides, though, it makes an exact copy of its DNA, which will be passed on to the new cells.

31 Oct 2019

Researchers uncover novel molecular clues for tumor aggression in neurofibromatosis type 1

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center report that their study of tumor samples from people with the rare genetic syndrome neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) has uncovered novel molecular clues about which tumors are most likely to be aggressive in those with NF1

From Johns Hopkins Medicine 18 Oct 2019

Intensive new combination therapy for ovarian cancer shows promising results

Researchers have found that more intensive chemotherapy maintenance for ovarian cancer could be beneficial for patients. The results of the study were presented at the ESMO Congress 2019 in Barcelona, Spain last weekend on the 28th of September.

30 Sep 2019

Novel therapeutic approach improves survival in patients newly diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer

An international study demonstrates that administering niraparib after conventional chemotherapy treatment in patients newly diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer, improves their progression-free survival, and reduces their risk of relapse or death from this disease.

28 Sep 2019

PARP inhibitor combined with chemotherapy increases survival for newly diagnosed ovarian cancer patients

Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reported study results showing that initial treatment with the PARP inhibitor veliparib in combination with chemotherapy significantly increased progression-free survival for patients with newly diagnosed, metastatic high-grade serous ovarian cancer, according to the results of the VELIA trial.

28 Sep 2019

Study shows promise for a drug to extend life of patients with ovarian cancer

Women with ovarian cancer who have undergone four or more rounds of chemotherapy typically haven't had much hope that another treatment option will lengthen their lives in a meaningful way.

3 Jul 2019

Researchers develop simple, quick technique for gene editing in rice blast fungus

CRISPR/Cas9 is now a household name associated with genetic engineering studies.

24 May 2019

USP15 enzyme could potentially lead to new treatments for breast, pancreatic cancer

Researchers at the George Washington University Cancer Center found that the enzyme USP15 could potentially lead to new treatments for breast and pancreatic cancer. Their findings were published in Nature Communications.

15 Mar 2019

Scientists identify how cells make choice between various mechanisms to repair DNA

When DNA in the cell nucleus gets damaged, our cells can resort to a variety of repair mechanisms. A recent study published in 'Nature Cell Biology', to which scientists from Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen made major contributions, elucidates the molecular basis by which a cell makes the choice between these repair mechanisms.

28 Feb 2019

'Chromosome scanner' that protects against cancer identified

In a new study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have identified one of the main mechanisms behind the repair of serious damage to the human DNA. A 'scanner' inside the cells decides whether or not so-called flawless DNA repair, which protects against cancer, is launched.

26 Feb 2019