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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).

Bacterial extracellular vesicles show potential for cancer diagnosis and treatment

Bacteria shed membrane-enclosed tiny particles filled with proteins, lipids, DNA, RNA and metabolites. These particles, commonly known as bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEVs), are now being explored as possible tools for cancer diagnosis and treatment.

13 Aug 2026

Researchers identify genes that hinder CRISPR editing efficiency

Like a delivery driver navigating crowded city streets, a gene-therapy-toting lipid nanoparticle faces a gauntlet of potential detours on its journey toward a cell's nucleus.

13 Aug 2026

Your social life may leave a mark on how fast you age

Positive social experiences were associated with longer survival, while childhood adversity predicted shorter survival in a 1,309-person longitudinal cohort followed for nearly 15 years. Epigenetic aging, particularly GrimAge2, emerged as the strongest potential pathway linking social experiences with mortality risk.

12 Aug 2026

Mitochondrial rewiring may explain why orthoflaviviruses harm humans but persist in mosquitoes

Orthoflaviviruses reshape mitochondrial structure, metabolism, redox signaling, and quality control differently across human and mosquito models, helping explain their contrasting infection outcomes. The review highlights mitochondrial pathways that may support acute cellular damage in vertebrates but persistent, non-lethal infection in mosquitoes, pointing to potential antiviral targets.

12 Aug 2026

Machine learning uses gene neighborhoods to identify harmful poultry bacteria

When it comes to identifying harmful bacteria, it helps to look at the company their genes keep.

12 Aug 2026

New machine learning model improves accuracy of prenatal genetic testing

Advances in genome sequencing are giving more families access to prenatal genetic testing and new information about an unborn baby's health, including whether genetic changes may link to a neurodevelopmental condition.

11 Aug 2026

Senescent brain immune cells secrete protein linked to cognitive decline

Brain-resident immune cells that have reached an old-age state called "senescence" secrete a protein that causes dysfunction in other brain cells, according to a study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine.

11 Aug 2026

New study identifies key pathway for delivering antisense cancer drugs

Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) have been proposed as a therapeutic approach to shut down the production of faulty proteins in a wide variety of diseases, including cancer.

11 Aug 2026

New computational tool identifies hidden genes driving asthma

Researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, in collaboration with investigators at the University of Chicago, have developed a new computational framework that helps scientists identify genes that play central roles in diseases such as asthma but are often overlooked by existing genetic analysis methods.

11 Aug 2026

One cognitive ability stood out in a study of Western diets and Alzheimer’s risk genes

A Western dietary pattern was associated with faster attention decline among older adults carrying the APOE ε4 allele, while no significant cognitive associations emerged for a Prudent dietary pattern. However, the Western diet association lost statistical significance after excluding participants with possible baseline cognitive impairment, making the finding exploratory.

11 Aug 2026

New pathway explains how zombie cells trigger chronic inflammation

Researchers have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that helps aging cells drive the chronic inflammation linked to many age-related diseases.

10 Aug 2026

Circular eccDNA shows potential to predict early-stage LUAD recurrence

LUAD is the most common histological subtype of lung cancer. Although surgery can be curative for patients diagnosed at an early stage, approximately 30%-50% develop recurrence or aggressive metastasis within five years.

10 Aug 2026

New human genome benchmark captures both parental copies with near-perfect accuracy

Researchers created T2T-HG002, a near-perfect diploid human genome benchmark that is free of detectable errors across 99.4% of the genome and captures both maternal and paternal haplotypes. The benchmark expands coverage into previously excluded genomic regions and provides a new framework for evaluating sequencing reads, assemblies, phased variants, and personalized genome inference.

10 Aug 2026

Simple biological age score flags higher cognitive decline risk in older adults

A study of 4,818 middle-aged and older Chinese adults found that higher light BioAge was associated with greater risks of cognitive impairment, episodic memory decline, and reduced mental intactness. The simple measure, based on age, creatinine, glucose, and CRP, added modest predictive information but requires further validation before clinical use.

10 Aug 2026