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.

Genes that Control Pluripotency

Gene History

The Latest Advances in Cell and Gene Therapy

What are Homeobox Genes?

Ras Genes and Cancer

Gene Editing Techniques: ZFNs, TALENs or CRISPR?

Functions of BRCA1/2 Gene Products

What is SATI Gene Editing?

Genetic Inheritance

Tumor Suppressor Genes

What are Homeobox Genes?

See more featured articles »

Conditional Gene Knockout Techniques

Gene Knockout versus Knockdown

Horizontal Gene Transfer

Horizontal Gene Transfer and Antibiotic Resistance

Gene Knockin

Genetics and Gene Expression

Latest Gene News and Research

Blocking mir-21 shows promise for slowing bladder cancer growth

Bladder cancer ranks among the ten most common types of cancer worldwide. The main treatment is bladder removal surgery, and despite advances in systemic therapies, recurrence is frequent in the most aggressive forms of the disease.

18 Nov 2025

TRPM1 loss drives rhythmic activity across retinal diseases

Rhythmic electrical activity in the retina (known as pathological oscillations) has been observed in several eye diseases, including congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

18 Nov 2025

Muscle-driven gene therapy shows promise for protecting memory in Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating cause of memory loss and cognitive decline, for which no curative treatment is available.

18 Nov 2025

Breast cancer cells use a molecular switch to survive stress

Cells are regularly faced with environmental stresses that may damage or destroy them. To survive, they quickly adjust their gene expression to protect themselves.

17 Nov 2025

UCI Health launches clinical trial to test investigational cell therapy for lupus

UCI Health has opened a clinical trial to test an investigational cell therapy for lupus with the potential to give patients long-term remission of symptoms.

17 Nov 2025

Schizophrenia risk detectable at birth through epigenetic signatures

Genetic susceptibility to neurodevelopmental conditions such as schizophrenia, autism, and ADHD can be linked, in part, to distinct epigenetic signatures in newborn cord blood.

17 Nov 2025

Innovative CRISPR strategy resensitizes lung cancer to treatment

In a major step forward for cancer care, researchers at ChristianaCare's Gene Editing Institute have shown that disabling the NRF2 gene with CRISPR technology can reverse chemotherapy resistance in lung cancer.

17 Nov 2025

Gut microbes may fuel allergic rhinitis symptoms

The study identifies gut microbiome alterations in allergic rhinitis, suggesting a gut-nose axis that could inform new treatment approaches for this condition.

17 Nov 2025

Study highlights need for XDP specific diagnostic assays

Scientists at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School have developed a targeted genetic test to improve diagnosis for X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism (XDP), a rare and disabling movement disorder that affects primarily men of Filipino ancestry.

17 Nov 2025

Fondazione Telethon achieves milestone with Waskyra approval for Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome

Fondazione Telethon announces the positive opinion issued by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommending marketing authorization in the European Union for Waskyra, an ex vivo gene therapy for Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (WAS), a rare and life-threatening primary immunodeficiency.

14 Nov 2025

DeepTarget: A new tool for drug repurposing in oncology

One person's side effect could be another person's treatment if we expand our perspective on small molecule drug targets, according to a new study published November 5, 2025, in npj Precision Oncology.

14 Nov 2025

New insights into periodontitis reveal gender-specific inflammatory mechanisms

A study out of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has unveiled new insights into the inflammatory processes behind periodontitis, a common and debilitating gum disease. Research conducted by UNC Adams School of Dentistry's Julie Marchesan, DDS, PhD, and UNC School of Medicine's Jenny Y. Ting, PhD, found that a part of the immune system called the inflammasome plays a key role in disease development, and that blocking this system prevents bone resorption only in males.

14 Nov 2025

Subtle changes in the composition of short tandem repeats may shape disease risk

Scientists at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) have revealed a previously overlooked layer of genetic variation that could help explain why people experience disease differently, and why some treatments work better for certain populations.

14 Nov 2025

New molecular test revolutionizes fungal infection diagnosis

Certain serious fungal infections occur in regions of the United States with specific environments and are often tied to soil exposure.

14 Nov 2025

Terasaki Institute and Caltech join forces on groundbreaking embryo formation study

The Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI) is pleased to announce its collaboration with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) on a newly awarded $2.8 million Discovery Stage Research (DISC0) grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM).

14 Nov 2025