X chromosome News and Research

RSS

Cellular competition determines X chromosome usage in female bodies

A new study published in Nature Genetics by the Lymphoid Development Group at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences has reveals that the contribution of cells expressing maternal or paternal X chromosomes can be selectively skewed in different parts of the body. The study leverages human data from the 1000 Genomes Project combined with mouse models of human X chromosome-linked DNA sequence variation to advance our fundamental understanding of development in biologically female individuals who have two X chromosomes.

26 Jul 2024

Study identifies genes increasing risk of severe COVID-19

Whether or not a person becomes seriously ill with COVID-19 depends, among other things, on genetic factors. With this in mind, researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn, in cooperation with other research teams from Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy, investigated a particularly large group of affected individuals.

25 Jul 2024

Experts identify sex and gender differences in cognitive resistance and resilience to Alzheimer's disease

Researchers investigated sex-related and gender-specific resistance and resilience factors in Alzheimer's disease.

10 Jul 2024

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

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

Study identifies genetic predictors of X chromosome loss in aging women

Researchers have identified inherited genetic variants that may predict the loss of one copy of a woman's two X chromosomes as she ages, a phenomenon known as mosaic loss of chromosome X, or mLOX.

12 Jun 2024

Study uncovers genetic clues to the cause of restless leg syndrome

Scientists have discovered genetic clues to the cause of restless leg syndrome, a condition common among older adults.

5 Jun 2024

Study pinpoints 95 locations in the genome associated with risk of developing PTSD

In posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), intrusive thoughts, changes in mood, and other symptoms after exposure to trauma can greatly impact a person's quality of life.

18 Apr 2024

Veteran study reveals medical challenges in men with Klinefelter and Jacobs syndromes

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and collaborators across the country have conducted the largest and most diverse study of men with extra X or Y chromosomes in the US using a large dataset of military veterans.

29 Mar 2024

Genetic and lifestyle factors linked to brain network aging, study reveals

Research highlights the impact of genetic and lifestyle factors on a brain network particularly sensitive to aging, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease, using data from nearly 40,000 UK Biobank participants to investigate modifiable risk factors and genetic associations.

28 Mar 2024

Study reveals the inner workings of gene mutations linked to ultra-rare syndrome

A team from the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Medicine has completed an exciting new study that reveals the inner workings of gene mutations that result in an ultra-rare syndrome with fewer than 100 reported cases since its first description in the early 1960s.

18 Mar 2024

Females' immune system edges out males but at a cost of higher autoimmune risk

A review article highlights how two X chromosomes in females influence immune system composition and function, leading to faster infection clearance and stronger vaccination responses but also a higher risk of autoimmune diseases.

22 Feb 2024

Mediterranean diet hailed for heart health benefits in women, study finds

Study highlights the Mediterranean diet's cardioprotective benefits for females, emphasizing its role in improving lipid profiles, blood pressure, and reducing cardiovascular disease risks, with a call for more female-focused research.

21 Feb 2024

New study sheds light on sex differences in allergic airway inflammation

Researchers explored how sex hormones and chromosomes influence allergic inflammation and gene expression in four-core genotype (FCG) mice exposed to house dust mites (HDMs).

7 Feb 2024

Xist lncRNA identified as key trigger in female-biased autoimmune diseases

Researchers uncover that the Xist ribonucleoprotein complex, unique to females, is a key driver of sex-biased autoimmunity, offering new insights into autoimmune disorders' higher prevalence in women.

4 Feb 2024

X-chromosome inactivation and its role in autoimmune susceptibility in females

Somewhere between 24 and 50 million Americans have an autoimmune disease, a condition in which the immune system attacks our own tissues. As many as 4 out of 5 of those people are women.

1 Feb 2024

Unbiased assessment of vamorolone for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy

The drug vamorolone (Agamree) has been hailed as a promising new drug to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

25 Jan 2024

Ancient DNA reveals first prehistoric cases of Turner and Jacob's syndromes

Ancient DNA reveals first prehistoric cases of Turner and Jacob's syndromes, with new technique enhancing chromosome analysis

13 Jan 2024

JAK inhibitors and tocilizumab elicit better response rates in VEXAS syndrome

New research at ACR Convergence 2023, the American College of Rheumatology's (ACR) annual meeting, found that JAK inhibitors (JAKi) and tocilizumab elicited better response rates in VEXAS syndrome compared to other targeted therapies.

7 Nov 2023

New drug gets FDA approval for the treatment of common genetic disease in young boys

A new drug developed by professors from the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Binghamton University has received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a common genetic disease that mostly affects young boys.

31 Oct 2023