DNA News and Research

RSS

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).

Researchers describe antibiotic resistance as either selfish or co-operative

Trace concentrations of antibiotic, such as those found in sewage outfalls, are enough to enable bacteria to keep antibiotic resistance, new research from the University of York has found. The concentrations are much lower than previously anticipated, and help to explain why antibiotic resistance is so persistent in the environment.

15 Mar 2016

MU researchers discover microbiome that may be linked to male reproductive disorders

Research shows that bacteria can be beneficial to body processes such as digestion; however, some bacteria housed in the human body may cause disease. These specialized communities of bacteria in the body are known as microbiomes.

15 Mar 2016

Heart failure drug has unexpected ability to block herpesvirus infection

Today, there is only one class of antiviral medicines against herpesviruses - a family of viruses that cause mononucleosis, herpes, and shingles, among other illnesses - meaning options for treating these infections are limited. If viruses become resistant to these frontline treatments, a growing problem particularly in clinical settings, there are no alternative drugs to serve as backup.

15 Mar 2016

Researchers identify new mutation responsible for spinocerebellar ataxia

Using the genetic information of two different families with three generations of disease, researchers have identified a new mutation responsible for a degenerative and ultimately fatal movement disorder. Through induced pluripotent stem cell techniques, researchers also grew neurons from one patient in the laboratory to be used in future experiments.

15 Mar 2016

Scientists find surprising link between iPS cell reprogramming, blood cell formation and cancer

The ability to reprogram cells has revolutionized stem cell research with major implications for almost all fields of modern biology. A decade ago Shinya Yamanaka described a procedure that revolutionized stem cell biology. Using a genetic trick that introduces a cocktail of four genes into cultured cells from human biopsies, he was able to generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) from mature skin or blood cells

15 Mar 2016

Combining photoimmunotherapy and gene transduction effective against elusive gastric cancer cells

Researchers report photoimmunotherapy to be effective against elusive gastric cancer cells following transduction with the gene that expresses the extracellular domain protein of HER2. The results are published in the journal Small Molecule Therapeutics in February 2016.

15 Mar 2016

Researchers aim to design a better male contraceptive pill

Women can choose from a wide selection of birth control methods, including numerous oral contraceptives, but there's never been an analogous pill for men. That's not for lack of trying: For many years, scientists have attempted to formulate a male pill. Finally, a group of researchers has taken a step toward that goal by tweaking some experimental compounds that show promise.

14 Mar 2016

Researchers identify potential drug target in skin for itchy feeling

No matter the trigger -- bug bites, a medication side-effect or an itchy wound -- the urge to scratch can be a real pain. Researchers at the Duke University Medical Center have identified a potential drug target in the skin for that itchy feeling.

14 Mar 2016

Delivering microRNAs in cancer treatment: an interview with Dr Conde and Prof Artzi

microRNAs (miRs) are small endogenous noncoding RNA molecules (20–23 nucleotides) derived from imperfectly paired hairpin RNA structures naturally encoded in the genome that act specifically as triggering molecules to control translational repression or mRNA degradation.

11 Mar 2016

Russian scientists propose new technique to analyze intestinal metagenomes

A group of Russian scientists, among them staff at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, have proposed a new method for the comparison of metagenome-coupled DNA sequences from all of the organisms in a sample of biological material being investigated.

11 Mar 2016

Early life exposure to lead can alter gut microbiota, contribute to increased body weight in adulthood

Exposure to lead during early development can alter the the gut microbiota, increasing the chances for obesity in adulthood, researchers from the University of Michigan School of Public Health have found.

11 Mar 2016

Researchers develop new process for synthesis of potent anti-cancer agents

A team led by Rice University synthetic organic chemist K.C. Nicolaou has developed a new process for the synthesis of a series of potent anti-cancer agents originally found in bacteria.

10 Mar 2016

CYP3A7 gene may over-activate metabolism, reduce effectiveness of cancer treatments

Some patients with breast cancer, lung cancer and leukaemia seem to fare poorly after treatment because of the effects of a particular gene, a new study finds.

10 Mar 2016

Gar genome helps identify genetic sequences shared by human disease genes and zebrafish

Led by Drs John Postlethwait and Ingo Braasch from the Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, US, in collaboration with the Broad Institute, the study of the Spotted Gar (Lepisosteus oculatus) genome reveals that it is small and manageable. Furthermore, it lacks much shuffling and duplication that occurred in the 'main' fish ancestral line; it conserved its genome.

10 Mar 2016

Real-world data confirm TDF efficacy for HBV

Treatment with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate elicits sustained virological responses and exhibits a favourable safety profile in a diverse population of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection, shows a French routine clinical practice study.

10 Mar 2016

Resistance to prior antiviral agents impacts TDF response

Taiwanese researchers find that virological response to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate in treatment-experienced patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection can vary depending on the nucleos(t)ide analogue the patient is resistant to.

10 Mar 2016

Clinical review examines benefit of RT in breast cancer patients with BRCA1, BRCA2 mutations

In light of conflicting and inconclusive clinical data on the benefit of radiation therapy in cancer patients with the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation, a clinical review examined the current status of data regarding BRCA1 and BRCA2 deficiency and radiation therapy sensitivity and a potential strategy to intensify the effects of radiation therapy (RT) by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi), the pharmacologic drugs under investigation as monotherapy for the treatment of breast cancer in patients with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations.

9 Mar 2016

Gut microbial imbalance appears to be underlying cause of fatal intestinal illness in premature babies

An imbalance of certain gut microbes appears to be the underlying cause of a frequently fatal intestinal illness in premature babies, according to new research led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

9 Mar 2016

Changes in gut bacteria strongly associated with PCOS-related obesity

Modifying gut bacteria could be a treatment option for some of the symptoms associated with the widespread disease polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to a recent study by San Diego State University researchers in collaboration with investigators from the University of California, San Diego.

8 Mar 2016

CNIO researchers find panoramic view of proteins that intervene in a cellular process

Three years ago, the research team directed by Óscar Fernández-Capetillo, head of the Genomic Instability Group at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, obtained, for the first time, a panoramic view of the proteins that intervene in one of the most important and delicate cellular processes: the copying of genetic material during cellular division. They observed that the parts of the genome where the DNA was copied were also very rich in the modification by some very particular proteins, SUMOylations, and poor in others, ubiquitinations, but they were unable to understand why.

8 Mar 2016

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

Researchers describe antibiotic resistance as either selfish or co-operative

MU researchers discover microbiome that may be linked to male reproductive disorders

Heart failure drug has unexpected ability to block herpesvirus infection

Researchers identify new mutation responsible for spinocerebellar ataxia

Scientists find surprising link between iPS cell reprogramming, blood cell formation and cancer

Combining photoimmunotherapy and gene transduction effective against elusive gastric cancer cells

Researchers aim to design a better male contraceptive pill

Researchers identify potential drug target in skin for itchy feeling

Delivering microRNAs in cancer treatment: an interview with Dr Conde and Prof Artzi

Russian scientists propose new technique to analyze intestinal metagenomes

Early life exposure to lead can alter gut microbiota, contribute to increased body weight in adulthood

Researchers develop new process for synthesis of potent anti-cancer agents

CYP3A7 gene may over-activate metabolism, reduce effectiveness of cancer treatments

Gar genome helps identify genetic sequences shared by human disease genes and zebrafish

Real-world data confirm TDF efficacy for HBV

Resistance to prior antiviral agents impacts TDF response

Clinical review examines benefit of RT in breast cancer patients with BRCA1, BRCA2 mutations

Gut microbial imbalance appears to be underlying cause of fatal intestinal illness in premature babies

Changes in gut bacteria strongly associated with PCOS-related obesity

CNIO researchers find panoramic view of proteins that intervene in a cellular process

Understanding the DNA Damage Response in Innate Immunity eBook

Latest eBooks

Industry Focus eBook - Analytical Chemistry (3rd edition)

Industry Focus eBook - Microbiome (1st edition)

Industry Focus eBook - Cell biology (5th edition)

Advancing degrader and proximity-based drug development

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo