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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).

Using novel gene therapy to cure infants born with severe combined immunodeficiency

Out of every 60,000 births, a baby arrives to face the world without a fully functioning immune system leaving them unequipped to fight even the most common infections.

29 Aug 2018

Researchers uncover why some cancers grow faster than others

University of Toronto researchers have uncovered why some cancers grow faster than others. The team led by Liliana Attisano, Professor in U of T's Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, has identified a protein called NUAK2, which is produced by cancer cells to boost their proliferation and whose presence in tumors is associated with poor disease prognosis.

29 Aug 2018

Lack of protein in father's diet can impact long-term health of his offspring

New research has shown that a lack of protein in a father's diet affects sperm quality which can have a direct impact on the long-term health of their offspring.

29 Aug 2018

Cannabis use and mental illness link found

A large new study has found that people with mental ailments such as schizophrenia are more genetically inclined to use cannabis.

29 Aug 2018

Study could open new therapeutic avenues to attack herpesviruses

Human cytomegalovirus is a leading cause of birth defects and transplant failures. As it's evolved over time, this virus from the herpes family has found a way to bypass the body's defense mechanisms that usually guards against viral infections. Until now, scientists couldn't understand how it manages to do so.

28 Aug 2018

A non-canonical approach may improve radiation treatment for cancer

Although the success or failure of radiation therapy for cancer has long been associated with the intrinsic radio-resistance or radio-sensitivity of tumor cells, a new approach is demonstrating that radiation can take credit for an additional benefit - causing highly effective secondary immune responses that can enhance anti-tumor immunity.

28 Aug 2018

Researchers develop 3D map of the human genome

Researchers have developed a way of mapping the positions of genes within cells to understand more about how the genome is organized.

28 Aug 2018

Immune-related enzymes cause aggressive skin cancer in patients with Butterfly Syndrome

Patients with a rare skin disease, commonly called Butterfly Syndrome, that causes chronic blistering and extensive scarring also develop an aggressive and fatal form of cancer early in life.

28 Aug 2018

Research solves mystery on nature of EGFR signaling and how it drives development

What do cancer and the growing legs of a fruit fly have in common? They can both be influenced by a single molecule, a protein that tends to call the shots inside of embryos as they develop into living, breathing animals.

28 Aug 2018

Changes in TRPV3 genes may have helped mammoths withstand lower temperatures

Columbia University biomedical researchers have captured close-up views of TRPV3, a skin-cell ion channel that plays important roles in sensing temperature, itch, and pain.

25 Aug 2018

MDA announces 34 new grants totaling $9.9 million to accelerate neuromuscular research

The Muscular Dystrophy Association today announced the award of 34 new grants totaling more than $9.9 million for its summer round of funding. These new grants represent a continued commitment by MDA to fund groundbreaking research that will accelerate treatments and cures for the more than 40 diseases in its program.

24 Aug 2018

Researchers uncover how RNA regulates genes during critical stage in embryonic brain development

Scientists at the Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and colleagues discovered how a type of RNA, called Evf2 enhancer RNA, regulates key genes during a critical stage in embryonic brain development.

24 Aug 2018

Comprehensive analysis reveals weaknesses to target in common pediatric solid tumor

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators have completed the most comprehensive analysis yet of a common pediatric solid tumor, identifying weaknesses to target and a promising precision medicine that is now in clinical trials.

23 Aug 2018

'Plastic antibodies' effectively target and eliminate tumor cells

A joint research team from Russia and the U.K. has demonstrated the possibility of developing a new type of anti-neoplastic drugs based on nanoMIPs, or "plastic antibodies." NanoMIPs are synthetic polymers that can function as antibodies, selectively binding to target proteins on the surface of cancer cells.

23 Aug 2018

Sleep loss can confer increased risk of adverse weight gain, shows study

In a new study, researchers at Uppsala University now demonstrate that one night of sleep loss has a tissue-specific impact on the regulation of gene expression and metabolism in humans.

23 Aug 2018

Researchers describe how RNA polymerase detects UV light damage in DNA

Damage to DNA is a constant threat to cellular life, and so it is constantly monitored and detected by a family of enzymes called RNA polymerases, resulting in subsequent repair to maintain genome integrity.

23 Aug 2018

Ancient hybrid girl provides a connection between Neanderthals and Denisovans

According to latest findings, DNA of a girl shows for the first time the intermingling of species. Her father seems to be Denisovan while her mother was probably of Neanderthal origin.

22 Aug 2018

Genetic variants impact outcome in dilated cardiomyopathy patients of African ancestry

Genetic testing is a powerful diagnostic tool that is increasingly being used for the diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease in which the heart becomes enlarged, making it difficult to pump blood. Cardiomyopathy affects more than 3.5 million people in the United States.

22 Aug 2018

New method of cervical cancer screening eliminates Pap test

The United States Preventive Services Task Force has released new recommendations on screening for cervical cancer.

22 Aug 2018

Researchers identify genes responsible for inherited breast cancer in Nigerian women

For the first time, DNA contributed by Sub-Saharan African women has been thoroughly evaluated with innovative genomics technology in an effort to understand the genetic bases for breast cancer in African populations.

22 Aug 2018