Gene

A gene is a unit of heredity in a living organism. It normally resides on a stretch of DNA that codes for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. All living things depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains.

What are Genes?

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the chemical information database that carries the complete set of instructions for the cell as to the nature of the proteins produced by it, its life span, maturity, function and death. Genes are the working subunits of DNA. Each gene contains a particular set of instructions, usually coding for a particular protein or for a particular function.

Genetic Inheritance

Horizontal Gene Transfer

Genes that Control Pluripotency

What is SATI Gene Editing?

Gene Knockout versus Knockdown

Gene History

What are Homeobox Genes?

Gene Editing Techniques: ZFNs, TALENs or CRISPR?

The Latest Advances in Cell and Gene Therapy

What are Homeobox Genes?

Genetics and Gene Expression

See more featured articles »

Horizontal Gene Transfer and Antibiotic Resistance

Conditional Gene Knockout Techniques

Ras Genes and Cancer

Gene Knockin

Functions of BRCA1/2 Gene Products

Tumor Suppressor Genes

Latest Gene News and Research

Cross-reactive T cells target measles and dangerous Nipah viruses

T cells are some of the immune system's most important warriors. They can stop tumor growth and even fight off severe infections.

2 Jun 2026

Stem cell transplantation is the most cost-effective sickle cell treatment

Stem cell transplantation is the most cost-effective option for long-term care of sickle cell disease in adults when compared with gene therapy and standard of care treatment, according to new research published in Blood.

2 Jun 2026

How dysregulated collagen IV homeostasis causes cerebral microbleeds

Millions of older adults have tiny brain hemorrhages called cerebral microbleeds, which are strongly associated with dementia, cognitive decline, and stroke.

2 Jun 2026

New ultrasound pacemaker design promises minimal recovery time for cardiac patients

MIT engineers have developed a noninvasive pacemaker that stimulates the heart using ultrasound. The design could one day provide a surgery-free alternative to traditional cardiac implants.

2 Jun 2026

Cellular reprogramming helps outsmart progressive Alzheimers disease

A team led by researcher José Vicente Sánchez Mut at the Institute for Neurosciences (IN), a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH), together with researcher Johannes Gräff at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), has identified an experimental molecule capable of "reprogramming" the brain's immune cells to restore part of their protective function against Alzheimer's disease.

2 Jun 2026

New blood test tracks real time gene expression inside living brain tissue

Cell function is determined by how DNA is expressed into proteins. That process includes two main steps - transcription, when messenger RNA (mRNA) makes copies of active genes, and translation, when mRNA guides protein assembly.

2 Jun 2026

E-cigarette flavors and device type drive the biological effects of vaping

People who vape regularly show altered activity in 3,124 genes across the genome compared with people who do not smoke or vape.

1 Jun 2026

Pediatric experts reveal the 10 research areas set to shape child health

Pediatric research leaders identified 10 high-promise areas likely to shape child health over the next 5 to 10 years, including genomics, mental health, vaccines, artificial intelligence, perinatal medicine, precision therapeutics, health equity, nutrition, environmental health, and cancer treatment. The paper argues that these opportunities will only translate into better outcomes if pediatric research receives sustained funding, public trust, workforce support, advocacy, and equitable implementation.

1 Jun 2026

Genetic testing identifies cause of pancreatic agenesis in infants

The DNA changes responsible for a rare genetic condition causing babies to be born without a pancreas can now be identified in almost all affected children through genetic testing.

1 Jun 2026

Jumping genes help strengthen the mammalian Y chromosome

The humble Y chromosome may be the smallest chromosome in the mammalian genome (and getting even smaller), but it is mighty: genes on the Y chromosome are critical for fertility in males.

1 Jun 2026

Genetic testing finds breast cancer risks that standard screening models miss

Population-based pathogenic variant testing identified breast cancer susceptibility gene carriers who would often be missed by clinical risk models, even when polygenic risk scores were added. In the WISDOM Study analysis, fewer than 1% of high-penetrance variant carriers would have received the same high-risk screening recommendation using clinical plus polygenic risk alone.

1 Jun 2026

Brazilian study links TP53 mutations to poor lung cancer prognosis

Lung cancer is the most common and deadly form of cancer worldwide. It is increasingly understood to be a complex genetic disease with different mutations that vary according to factors such as smoking and ethnicity.

1 Jun 2026

Targeting microRNA pathway helps overcome cancer immunotherapy resistance

Immune checkpoint therapy, a type of cancer immunotherapy that helps the immune system recognize and attack tumors, has transformed cancer treatment.

1 Jun 2026

New SMArT platform improves safety of CRISPR gene editing

A team of researchers led by Luigi Naldini at the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget) has developed a new strategy to significantly improve the precision and safety of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing in human blood stem cells, potentially overcoming one of the major barriers limiting broader clinical application of genome editing therapies.

1 Jun 2026

Laverock Therapeutics awarded in excess of £2.2 M through two innovation grants to support AI-powered platform development and to expand therapeutic programs outside of oncology

Laverock Therapeutics ('Laverock'), a biotechnology company developing disease-responsive advanced therapies through its unique, programmable gene control technology, today announced it has been awarded two new grants totaling in excess of £2.2 M to support the next generation of its gene-control platform development, and expansion into additional non-oncology therapeutics areas.

From Laverock Therapeutics 1 Jun 2026

Hypoxia-gated AAV enables targeted treatment for advanced NSCLC

Adeno‑associated virus (AAV) vectors offer safety and durable expression but lack tumor specificity. This hypothesis proposes an NSCLC‑directed, hypoxia‑responsive AAV platform that integrates MGS4 peptide‑guided capsid targeting with dual hypoxia‑responsive element (HRE)‑gated promoters driving Q‑CXCL9‑Fc (chemokine) and miR‑30‑based shRNA against mesothelin (MSLN).

1 Jun 2026

Mesenchymal drift may explain how aging cells lose their identity

Mesenchymal drift may help explain how cells lose stable identity and acquire pro-fibrotic, inflammatory mesenchymal traits during aging. The review proposes MD as a unifying framework that links multiple hallmarks of aging and highlights partial reprogramming as a potential, but still preclinical, way to counteract this process.

1 Jun 2026

Why new Alzheimer’s drugs are dividing regulators worldwide

The Lancet World Report examines why regulators in the US, UK, and Europe have reached different decisions on new amyloid-targeting Alzheimer’s drugs despite evidence that they can modestly slow clinical decline. It highlights the unresolved balance among benefits, safety risks, costs, access, and the need for broader, earlier, and more patient-centered treatment strategies.

31 May 2026

Researchers uncover new clues about the origin of Alzheimer's tau tangles

Researchers at Columbia University have uncovered new clues about the earliest molecular events that may trigger Alzheimer's disease, shedding light on how toxic tau filaments begin to form in the brain.

29 May 2026

Gene test helps many breast cancer patients avoid chemotherapy

Many people with breast cancer can safely avoid chemotherapy with the use of a gene test, potentially sparing them unnecessary side effects without increasing the risk of the cancer returning, a large international clinical trial led by UCL has found.

29 May 2026