Genomics

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Understanding the role of genetic variants in male infertility

Approximately one in seven couples face difficulties conceiving a child naturally. Half of these cases are due to male infertility – either caused by the complete absence or low number of mature sperm.

13 Apr 2024

Breakthrough study reveals melanoma's resistance tactics to targeted therapy

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. With global incidence rates rising, new, more effective treatments are necessary to alleviate the health burden of the disease. Important advances in recent years include doctors using genetic tests to look for specific mutations they can target for more personalised, effective treatment.

13 Apr 2024

Cas13d-NCS: A game-changer in RNA virus defense

The rise of RNA viruses like SARS-CoV-2 highlights the need for new ways to fight them. RNA-targeting tools like CRISPR/Cas13 are powerful but inefficient in the cytoplasm of cells, where many RNA viruses replicate.

13 Apr 2024

Genetic predisposition for muscle strength linked to longer lifespan and lower disease risk

A study conducted at the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, showed that a genetic predisposition for higher muscle strength predicts a longer lifespan and a lower risk for developing common diseases.

13 Apr 2024

Meta-analysis uncovers stress-responsive genes in Arabidopsis

Plants can be temperamental. Even weeds along the side of highways or pushing their way up in the cracks of concrete sidewalks can get stressed out by dehydration, cold, excess salt and more.

12 Apr 2024

Unveiling the key role of RNA modification in HIV-1 survival and replication

A chemical modification in the HIV-1 RNA genome whose function has been a matter of scientific debate is now confirmed to be key to the virus's ability to survive and thrive after infecting host cells, a new study has found.

12 Apr 2024

New genetic variants could raise a woman's risk of cervical cancer from HPV infections

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the second most common cancer-causing virus, accounting for 690,000 cervical and other cancers each year worldwide.

12 Apr 2024

Nanopore sequencing unveils novel telomere length patterns

We depend on our cells being able to divide and multiply, whether it's to replace sunburnt skin or replenish our blood supply and recover from injury.

12 Apr 2024

Baylor study reveals role of newly inherited DNA variants in recessive diseases

You have your mother's eyes and your father's smile, but genetics is much more than just what's on the surface.

10 Apr 2024

Enhancer-gene mapping with SCENT method offers insights into disease mechanisms

Genetic studies of diseases map segments of the genome driving disease. But to understand how those changes contribute to disease progression, it is important to understand how they may alter gene regulation of disease genes in cell populations assumed to be driving disease.

10 Apr 2024

Specific genetic mutations found to be responsible for Dubin-Johnson syndrome

Researchers in China and Italy have made a significant breakthrough in understanding Dubin-Johnson syndrome (DJS), a rare inherited liver disorder.

9 Apr 2024

Researchers elucidate how gene mutation mechanism causes autism

Researchers show how mutations of gene transcription and chromatin regulation-related genes cause autism.

9 Apr 2024

Researchers develop first genetic maps for disease-linked DNA repeats

A research team led by the University of California, Irvine has built the first genetic reference maps for short lengths of DNA repeated multiple times which are known to cause more than 50 lethal human diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease and multiple cancers.

5 Apr 2024

Modeled human embryo produces a membrane that surrounds the developing embryo

A MedUni Vienna study team led by geneticist Markus Hengstschläger has used a stem cell model to model the earliest stages of embryonic development and to characterize the membrane that surrounds the embryo, conferring shape and stability.

5 Apr 2024

UC San Diego researchers discover genetic connections to alcohol consumption

A research group centered at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine has drilled deep into a dataset of over 3 million individuals compiled by the direct-to-consumer genetics company 23andMe, Inc., and found intriguing connections between genetic factors influencing alcohol consumption and their relationship with other disorders.

5 Apr 2024