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).

Scientists uncover rare gene variants that help people live past 100

Researchers studying over 2,000 Ashkenazi Jewish centenarians uncovered two rare IGF-1 gene variants linked to exceptional longevity. These variants reduce IGF-1 receptor activity through either diminished receptor binding or lower circulating IGF-1 levels.

26 Mar 2025

Early antibiotic exposure may boost risk of diabetes later in life

Exposure to antibiotics during a key developmental window in infancy can stunt the growth of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas and may boost risk of diabetes later in life, new research in mice suggests.

25 Mar 2025

Epigenetic scores offer new insights into cardiometabolic disease prevention

A new study explores how epigenetic markers-chemical modifications that influence gene activity-can help predict the risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases and guide personalized prevention strategies.

25 Mar 2025

Breakthrough DNA delivery system could revolutionize chronic disease treatment

A breakthrough in safely delivering therapeutic DNA to cells could transform treatment for millions suffering from common chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

25 Mar 2025

C. diff uses toxic compound to gain competitive advantage in the gut

The pathogen C. diff - the most common cause of health care-associated infectious diarrhea - can use a compound that kills the human gut's resident microbes to survive and grow, giving it a competitive advantage in the infected gut.

25 Mar 2025

New insights into therapy resistance in breast cancer

A new review was published in Oncotarget, Volume 16, on March 13, 2025, titled "Signaling pathway dysregulation in breast cancer."

25 Mar 2025

Scientists find links between bipolar disorder and rare loss-of-function variants in two genes

Scientists at deCODE genetics, a subsidiary of Amgen, reveal today in Nature Genetics associations between bipolar disorder and rare loss-of-function variants in two genes.

25 Mar 2025

Besifovir dipivoxil maleate offers comparable efficacy and improved safety for hepatitis B patients

Hepatitis B is a liver infection cause by the hepatitis B virus (HBV), and long-term hepatitis B infections that last longer than six months are considered "chronic".

24 Mar 2025

Scientists uncover role of m6A in prostate cancer progression

Scientists at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and the University of Toronto have revealed how a tiny chemical modification in RNA, known as m6A, plays a critical role in the progression of prostate cancer, including driving some of its most dangerous forms of the disease.

24 Mar 2025

New chromatin tracing method unlocks DNA looping process in high resolution

Among the many marvels of life is the cell's ability to divide and thus enable organisms to grow and renew themselves.

24 Mar 2025

Ketogenic diet reverses obesity-linked biological aging by over 6 years

Obesity speeds up biological aging at the molecular level, but this study finds that a very-low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) can significantly reverse this effect.

24 Mar 2025

What do Blue Zone diets have in common? Polyphenols that may slow aging

Scientists reviewed how polyphenol-rich diets in Blue Zones may help people live longer, healthier lives by targeting biological hallmarks of aging. They call for more research to measure polyphenol intake and test its effects on human longevity.

24 Mar 2025

Epstein-Barr virus triggers inflammatory cell death in ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic, relapsing disease that causes painful inflammation and ulcers in the colon.

24 Mar 2025

Bacteria use dormant phages to create immunity against viral invaders

Like people, bacteria get invaded by viruses. In bacteria, the viral invaders are called bacteriophages, derived from the Greek word for bacteria-eaters, or in shortened form, "phages."

22 Mar 2025

Case study: Bartonella, Babesia pathogens can be a cofactor in complex neurological illnesses

In a new case study, researchers from North Carolina State University found Bartonella henselae, Babesia odocoilei and Babesia divergens-like MO-1 DNA in brain tissue samples from a young child with seizures and suspected Rasmussen's encephalitis.

22 Mar 2025

First molecular movie captures DNA unzipping at atomic level

Scientists at the University of Leicester have captured the first detailed "molecular movie" showing DNA being unzipped at the atomic level – revealing how cells begin the crucial process of copying their genetic material.

21 Mar 2025

250,000 whole genomes sequenced for AGD initiative to advance drug discovery

Nashville Biosciences LLC (NashBio), a leading clinical and genomic data company and wholly owned subsidiary of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and global DNA sequencing giant Illumina Inc. today announced that 250,000 whole genomes have been sequenced for the Alliance for Genomic Discovery (AGD) initiative.

21 Mar 2025