DNA Methylation News and Research

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DNA methylation is a type of chemical modification of DNA that can be inherited and subsequently removed without changing the original DNA sequence. As such, it is part of the epigenetic code and is also the most well characterized epigenetic mechanism.

Researchers shed new light on epigenetic changes associated with ADNP syndrome

A study led by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai found that two different blood epigenetic signatures associated with ADNP syndrome (also known as Helsmoortel-Van Der Aa syndrome) have only a modest correlation with clinical manifestations of the syndrome. The study results were published online August 5 in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

6 Aug 2020

New maps of chemical marks on DNA could help illuminate the causes of developmental disorders

In research that aims to illuminate the causes of human developmental disorders, Salk scientists have generated 168 new maps of chemical marks on strands of DNA--called methylation--in developing mice.

29 Jul 2020

Research could lead to more efficient cellular immunotherapies for advanced cancers

Adoptive cell transfer immunotherapy is one of the most promising new treatments for people with hard-to-treat cancers.

23 Jul 2020

Researchers identify specific target sites for DNA methylases

DNA methylation performs an essential function in mammalian ontogeny. It is also known that abnormalities in this process cause the development of cancers such as leukemia.

22 Jul 2020

Early detection of cancer four years before conventional diagnosis using non-invasive blood test

An international team of researchers has developed a non-invasive blood test that can detect whether an individual has one of five common types of cancers, four years before the condition can be diagnosed with current methods. The test detects stomach, esophageal, colorectal, lung and liver cancer.

21 Jul 2020

Researchers identify underlying mechanism for metabolic memory and diabetic complications

For people with diabetes, vascular complications like kidney disease and atherosclerosis, which can lead to poor health and even death, are seen at increased rates.

20 Jul 2020

People with accelerated biological age at increased risk of COVID-19 symptom severity and mortality

Now, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in July 2020 discusses the explanation in terms of the biological aging markers in patients with severe disease, rather than the chronological age.

13 Jul 2020

Mapping immune landscape of hematological malignancies may help improve cancer therapies

Activating the immune system of the body is a promising form of treatment for cancer. Researchers at the University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital as well as the University of Eastern Finland mapped out the immune landscape of hematological malignancies in a dataset covering more than 10,000 patients to identify drug targets and patient groups which could potentially benefit from immunotherapies.

9 Jul 2020

DNA hypermethylation correlated with reduced amygdala volume in male patients with schizophrenia

Researchers at Kumamoto University, Japan have revealed that DNA methylation occurs in the gene that codes serotonin transporter (SERT), a protein that regulates neurotransmitter transmission, in schizophrenia and bipolar patients.

9 Jul 2020

Studies show how individual cells maintain their internal clocks

Two new studies led by UT Southwestern scientists outline how individual cells maintain their internal clocks, driven both through heritable and random means.

2 Jul 2020

St. Jude scientists create O-PDX models for pediatric brain tumor research

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have created orthotopic patient-derived xenograft (O-PDX) models representing a variety of pediatric brain tumor types.

23 Jun 2020

Simple blood test found to accurately diagnose and classify brain tumors

A simple but highly sensitive blood test has been found to accurately diagnose and classify different types of brain tumors, resulting in more accurate diagnosis, less invasive methods and better treatment planning for patients, in the future.

22 Jun 2020

Young adults from disadvantaged neighborhoods show differences in the epigenome

The neighborhood a child grows up in may influence their health for years to come in previously invisible ways.

21 Jun 2020

Researchers analyze immune properties of ancient human DNA

Could remnants of DNA from a now-extinct human subspecies known as the Denisovans help boost the immune functions of modern humans?

16 Jun 2020

UIC Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics receives $8.2 million NIH grant

The University of Illinois at Chicago received $8.2 million from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to continue the Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics and its research on how alcohol affects genes through epigenetics -- chemical changes to DNA, RNA or proteins that alter the expression of genes without directly modifying them.

4 Jun 2020