Genetic News and Research

RSS

New approach helps immune cells find and attack solid tumors

A technique that transforms immune cells into cancer-seeking bloodhounds may overcome a roadblock that has hampered immunotherapy for solid tumors, according to a new study by Stanford Medicine researchers.

24 Mar 2026

Study identifies rare genetic disorder linked to premature aging and cognition

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and an international team of collaborators have defined a new genetic disease marked by premature aging and deficits in brain function.

24 Mar 2026

Online tool helps cancer patients share genetic risk with families

When a person with cancer finds out they carry an inherited genetic variant that puts them at higher risk of cancer, the results can help inform their treatment or steps to prevent additional cancer.

24 Mar 2026

Moderate coffee intake may lower heart failure risk

A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of seven prospective cohorts found that drinking 2 to 4 cups of coffee a day was associated with a modestly lower risk of incident heart failure. The lowest estimated risk appeared at 1 to 2 cups daily, although the evidence for a true non-linear J-shaped pattern was suggestive rather than definitive.

24 Mar 2026

How behavior and biology combine to drive addiction

Genomic analyses reveal that addiction risk is influenced by both shared behavioral traits and specific biological factors, informing prevention and treatment.

24 Mar 2026

Redesigned lipid nanoparticles improve mRNA delivery to lymph nodes

Penn Engineers have redesigned a key component of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), the delivery vehicles behind mRNA vaccines, to steer the particles toward lymph nodes while reducing off-target delivery to the liver.

24 Mar 2026

Study reveals genetic impact of Agent Orange on bone marrow cancers

More than 50 years after Agent Orange was used in Vietnam, a new national study published online ahead of print in Blood Advances highlights the genetic changes that link exposure to Agent Orange to myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a group of bone marrow cancers that can progress to acute leukemia.

23 Mar 2026

Mediterranean diet may protect health through mitochondrial microproteins

A new study led by researchers at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology suggests that the benefits of the Mediterranean diet may be driven, in part, by tiny proteins hidden within our mitochondria, opening a new window into how diet shapes aging and disease risk.

23 Mar 2026

Research reveals potential new strategy for targeting deadly small cell neuroendocrine cancers

UCLA researchers have uncovered a hidden weakness in some of the deadliest cancers, revealing a potential new strategy for targeting tumors that have long resisted treatment.

23 Mar 2026

Scientists turn red blood cells into long-lasting drug and imaging carriers in mice

A new preclinical study shows that red blood cells can be tagged in vivo and used as long-lasting carriers for imaging agents and therapies, opening a new route for safer drug delivery and vascular imaging.

23 Mar 2026

Machine learning speeds up AMP discovery for treating ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by recurrent intestinal inflammation, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

23 Mar 2026

Researchers explore "block and lock" strategy for functional HIV cure

For millions of people living with HIV, a daily regimen of medications is a lifelong necessity. If they stop taking the drugs-commonly referred to as antiretroviral therapy-the virus usually rushes back within weeks.

23 Mar 2026

Higher meat intake may slow cognitive decline in older adults with APOE ε4

In older Swedish adults, higher meat intake was associated with slower cognitive decline and lower dementia risk among people carrying APOE ε3/ε4 or ε4/ε4, but not among other genotype groups. A higher processed-to-total meat ratio was linked to worse dementia outcomes, while unprocessed red meat and poultry showed no substantial difference.

22 Mar 2026

Study finds addiction risk tied to reward and impulse genes

Most of the genetic risk for developing a substance use disorder comes from genes that broadly affect how our brains process rewards, regulate impulses and weigh consequences – not from genes that specifically influence substance use disorder or any single drug.

22 Mar 2026

Hepatitis C drug may prevent hepatitis E virus replication

A drug that is already in clinical trials against hepatitis C virus can also prevent hepatitis E virus from replicating.

22 Mar 2026

Brain age from sleep patterns may signal future dementia risk

A machine-learning analysis of brain waves recorded during sleep may help identify people at high risk of developing dementia, according to a study led by UC San Francisco and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

19 Mar 2026

Study identifies protein biomarker and potential treatment for schizophrenia

Current schizophrenia medications treat symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, but do little for cognitive symptoms like disorganized thinking or executive dysfunction.

19 Mar 2026

Blood-based test helps personalize breast cancer care for older patients

For women age 70 and over with a common form of breast cancer, determining "the right size" of treatment can be challenging, in part because clinicians have limited tools to guide individualized treatment decisions.

19 Mar 2026

Liquid biopsy enables rapid diagnosis of Burkitt lymphoma in Africa

In a study published today in Nature Medicine, researchers from the University of Oxford and the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in Dar es salaam, Tanzania have shown that a minimally invasive "liquid biopsy" test can diagnose Burkitt lymphoma rapidly and accurately in sub-Saharan Africa, where delays in traditional testing often prove fatal.

19 Mar 2026