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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).

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What the Health?’ Open enrollment and a midterm preview

Nov. 1 marks the start of Open Enrollment for people buying their own coverage for 2019 in most states. Despite the turmoil surrounding the Affordable Care Act, most consumers will have more choices and mostly flat — and in some cases lower — premiums.

1 Nov 2018

New form of therapy may stop or reverse progressive vision loss

A new form of therapy may halt or even reverse a form of progressive vision loss that, until now, has inevitably led to blindness.

1 Nov 2018

MCG selected as designated laboratory for NCI-MATCH trial

The Georgia Esoteric and Molecular Laboratory at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University has been selected as a designated laboratory for the National Cancer Institute's Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice, or MATCH trial, which is assessing the effectiveness of targeting cancer-causing gene changes rather than cancer type.

1 Nov 2018

UCLA researchers investigate how a protein factor contributes to cancer cell migration

UCLA researchers have discovered a new protein factor that contributes to a fibroblast cell's ability to migrate to a wound and participate in its healing process. The study's results could help scientists prevent cancer cells from using the same mechanisms to move throughout the body and spread.

1 Nov 2018

Scientists decode the longest ever continuous DNA sequence

Scientists have decoded the longest continuous DNA sequence to date, measuring around 10,000 times longer than normal sequencing reads.

1 Nov 2018

Researchers uncover link between RNA abnormalities and multiple myeloma progression

Multiple myeloma is the second most common type of blood cancer where cancer cells accumulate in the bone marrow, crowding out healthy blood cells.

1 Nov 2018

Repair defect in neurons hints at possible therapy for preventing ALS

Houston Methodist researchers have discovered a repair defect in nerve cells that send messages to the brain, opening the door to a possible therapy for preventing or slowing down ALS.

1 Nov 2018

Research reveals how Mycoplasma pathogens sneak past our line of defense

New research reveals that Mycoplasma pathogens make DNA in a unique way that may protect them from our immune response. The result could provide new avenues to combat the pathogens that utilize this strategy.

1 Nov 2018

New evidence reveals link between antioxidant intake and increased tumor growth

Now there is additional evidence of the connection between the intake of antioxidant supplements and increased tumor growth. Experiments on animals and human cancer tissue confirm that addition of some antioxidants increases the growth of the severe malignant melanoma type of skin cancer.

1 Nov 2018

FDA permits marketing of 23andme Personal Genome Service Pharmacogenetic Reports test

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration permitted marketing, with special controls, of the 23andme Personal Genome Service Pharmacogenetic Reports test as a direct-to-consumer test for providing information about genetic variants that may be associated with a patient's ability to metabolize some medications to help inform discussions with a health care provider.

1 Nov 2018

NIH funding will allow four pediatric health systems to study causes of growth disorders

The National Institutes of Health awards Andrew Dauber, M.D., MMSc, the chief of endocrinology at Children's National Health System, a five-year grant that will allow four pediatric health systems to compile and study clinical and genetic markers of severe pediatric growth disorders.

31 Oct 2018

3 Harvard scientists receive Allen awards for work in neuroimmunology, developmental biology, cancer

Three Harvard Medical School scientists have received the prestigious Allen Distinguished Investigator awards for their work in the fields of neuroimmunology, developmental biology and cancer.

31 Oct 2018

CRISPR genome editing has foreseeable implications for plastic and reconstructive surgery

The CRISPR genome editing technique promises to be a "transformative leap" in genetic engineering and therapy, affecting almost every area of medicine.

31 Oct 2018

New ddPCR technology helps detect, quantify TERT promoter mutations linked to many cancer types

A recent study published online in the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics demonstrated that Droplet Digital PCR technology can be used to detect mutations in a region of our DNA that is linked to many cancer types, paving the way for the development of new cancer diagnostics and therapies.

31 Oct 2018

Growth of genomic databases hinders efforts to identify bacteria

There are many ways to slice and dice genomic data to identify a species of bacteria, or at least find its close relatives. But fast techniques to sequence genomes have flooded the public databases and in a biased fashion, containing lots of genomic data about some species and not enough about others, according to a Rice University computer scientist.

31 Oct 2018