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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).

Discovery of TRPC5 gene's role in obesity and postnatal depression offers hope for new treatments

Scientists have identified a gene which, when missing or impaired, can cause obesity, behavioral problems and, in mothers, postnatal depression. The discovery, reported today in Cell, may have wider implications for the treatment of postnatal depression, with a study in mice suggesting that oxytocin may alleviate symptoms.

8 Jul 2024

Scientists identify over 5000 high-risk cancer gene variants

Over 5,000 genetic variants that enable certain cancers to thrive have been identified by scientists, along with a potential therapeutic target to treat or even prevent these cancers from developing.

8 Jul 2024

Machine learning identifies cancer-driving mutations at CTCF binding sites

Researchers developed a machine learning tool, CTCF-INSITE, to identify mutational hotspots at persistent CTCF binding sites across various cancers, highlighting their role in genomic structure disruption and cancer progression.

7 Jul 2024

Phages use selfish DNA to outmaneuver competitors

Curious bits of DNA tucked inside genomes across all kingdoms of life historically have been disregarded since they don't seem to have a role to play in the competition for survival.

5 Jul 2024

Insilico Medicine and Fosun Pharma deliver second preclinical candidate for solid tumor treatment

Insilico Medicine("Insilico"), a clinical-stage generative artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery company, has successfully delivered the second preclinical candidate compound (PCC) in its collaboration with Fosun Pharma in June 2024, a potential innovative therapeutic using synthetic lethal strategy for the treatment of solid tumors.

5 Jul 2024

Scientists map all the possible outcomes of changes to key tumor-suppressing gene

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have mapped all the possible outcomes of changes to a tumor-suppressing gene called VHL, the first step in a huge research endeavor to unpick the outcomes of tens of thousands of genetic variations in genes associated with cancer.

5 Jul 2024

DNA repair mutations act as a switch for bowel cancer

Bowel cancer cells have the ability to regulate their growth using a genetic on-off switch to maximize their chances of survival, a phenomenon that's been observed for the first time by researchers at UCL and University Medical Center Utrecht.

5 Jul 2024

Researchers discover rare types of helper T cells associated with immune disorders

Researchers led by Yasuhiro Murakawa at the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) and Kyoto University in Japan and IFOM ETS in Italy have discovered several rare types of helper T cells that are associated with immune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and even asthma.

4 Jul 2024

Innovative aptamer cream shows promise in treating allergic contact dermatitis in mice

Researchers at the University of Bonn have isolated a DNA molecule that is suitable for combating allergic contact dermatitis in mice.

4 Jul 2024

More than 1,000 small changes in DNA identified that influence age of first period

Researchers examined nearly 800,000 women's DNA to explore puberty timing complexities. They identified signals related to menarche timing and investigated their influence on puberty onset.

4 Jul 2024

New study reveals how RNA polymerase opens the transcription bubble in real time

Every living cell transcribes DNA into RNA. This process begins when an enzyme called RNA polymerase (RNAP) clamps onto DNA.

3 Jul 2024

Research reveals how motorized processes shape chromosome structure development

Researchers at Rice University are making strides in understanding how chromosome structures change throughout the cell's life cycle.

3 Jul 2024

Innovative 3D printer-based test enhances early detection of Chagas disease in newborns

An innovative test that combines a DNA extraction system inspired by a modified 3D printer (PrintrLab) with loop-mediated isothermal molecular amplification (LAMP) could be used to detect T. cruzi infection -responsible for Chagas disease- in newborns.

3 Jul 2024

Study offers new insights into the evolution of foldable proteins

A new study led by Rice University's Peter Wolynes offers new insights into the evolution of foldable proteins. The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

3 Jul 2024

Protein nanocages: A promising frontier in mRNA therapeutics

In recent years, messenger RNA (mRNA) has emerged as a promising avenue for accurate and potent therapeutic interventions. Unlike DNA drugs, mRNA can express genetic information without the risk of integrating into the host genome.

3 Jul 2024

Key differences in RNA editing found between postmortem and living brain

Researchers examined the adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) nucleoside editing of postmortem and live prefrontal cortical tissues.

3 Jul 2024

Gene discovery points to oxytocin for depression

While investigating two boys from different families with severe obesity, anxiety, autism, and behavioural problems triggered by sounds or smells, a team led by scientists at the University of Cambridge, UK, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA, discovered that the boys were missing a single gene, known as TRPC5, which sits on the X chromosome.

3 Jul 2024

New HIV test targets neglected strains in global cure hunt

A multinational team led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators developed a test that will help measure the persistence of HIV in people affected by viral strains found predominantly in Africa-;a vital tool in the search for an HIV cure that will benefit patients around the world.

3 Jul 2024

AI uncovers potential cancer drivers hidden in 'junk' regions of DNA

Using artificial intelligence, Garvan Institute researchers have found potential cancer drivers hidden in so-called 'junk' regions of DNA, opening up possibilities for a new approach to diagnosis and treatment.

2 Jul 2024

Ribosomes and ZAK protein spur the cell's initial response to UV radiation damage

In a recent study, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine suggest the cell's messenger RNA (mRNA) -; the major translator and regulator of genetic material -; along with a critical protein called ZAK, spur the cell's initial response to UV radiation damage and play a critical role in whether the cell lives or dies.

2 Jul 2024

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

Discovery of TRPC5 gene's role in obesity and postnatal depression offers hope for new treatments

Scientists identify over 5000 high-risk cancer gene variants

Machine learning identifies cancer-driving mutations at CTCF binding sites

Phages use selfish DNA to outmaneuver competitors

Insilico Medicine and Fosun Pharma deliver second preclinical candidate for solid tumor treatment

Scientists map all the possible outcomes of changes to key tumor-suppressing gene

DNA repair mutations act as a switch for bowel cancer

Researchers discover rare types of helper T cells associated with immune disorders

Innovative aptamer cream shows promise in treating allergic contact dermatitis in mice

More than 1,000 small changes in DNA identified that influence age of first period

New study reveals how RNA polymerase opens the transcription bubble in real time

Research reveals how motorized processes shape chromosome structure development

Innovative 3D printer-based test enhances early detection of Chagas disease in newborns

Study offers new insights into the evolution of foldable proteins

Protein nanocages: A promising frontier in mRNA therapeutics

Key differences in RNA editing found between postmortem and living brain

Gene discovery points to oxytocin for depression

New HIV test targets neglected strains in global cure hunt

AI uncovers potential cancer drivers hidden in 'junk' regions of DNA

Ribosomes and ZAK protein spur the cell's initial response to UV radiation damage

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