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.

Ras Genes and Cancer

Functions of BRCA1/2 Gene Products

Gene History

Tumor Suppressor Genes

Genes that Control Pluripotency

Conditional Gene Knockout Techniques

Gene Knockin

What is SATI Gene Editing?

Gene Knockout versus Knockdown

Genetics and Gene Expression

Genetic Inheritance

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Latest Gene News and Research

Scientists discover master regulator gene network behind complex psychiatric disorders

A study by the University of Barcelona has identified nearly 20 genes that could contribute to some people being more susceptible to depression, anxiety and traits such as irritability and neuroticism.

17 Jul 2026

Diet helps people lose weight regardless of genetic obesity risk

A study reveals dietary coaching aids weight loss equally in individuals with high and low genetic obesity risk, challenging genetic determinism in weight loss.

17 Jul 2026

Experimental drug shows promise against NRAS-driven melanoma

A research team from Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U) reports that a groundbreaking pathway-targeted therapy could be an effective treatment for certain melanoma patients and fill an unmet clinical need for patients with advanced disease.

16 Jul 2026

LIG1 loss reveals new treatment strategy for aggressive breast cancer

Loss of one copy of the DNA Ligase I (LIG1) gene in triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) with TP53 mutations confers resistance to chemotherapy, but researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and collaborating institutions have identified a vulnerability in these cells and used it to their advantage.

16 Jul 2026

Researchers identify new genetic pathway driving epilepsy and seizures

Researchers have uncovered a novel biological pathway that can lead to seizures when disrupted. The findings also provide a new approach to improve the diagnosis of epilepsy, for which a genetic cause cannot be found in about 50 % of individuals with the condition

16 Jul 2026

New model improves short- and long-term disease risk prediction

Researchers developed ALADYNOULLI, a Bayesian generative model that combines longitudinal health records, age, and polygenic risk to identify reproducible disease signatures across more than 683,000 participants. In UK Biobank testing, the framework achieved stronger short- and long-term risk discrimination than established clinical scores while revealing disease subgroups and genetic associations.

16 Jul 2026

Targeting CMPK2-intervened redox metabolism to mitigate hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury

HIRI is a major clinical challenge that occurs when blood supply to the liver is temporarily interrupted and then restored, as commonly seen in liver resection and liver transplantation.

16 Jul 2026

Researchers identify immune cell receptor that drives organ aging process

We may age at different rates, but none of us escapes aging. A study in mice and in human cells by Stanford Medicine researchers pins much of the blame on a particular type of immune cell's increased inability, with advancing age, to gobble up another immune cell type.

16 Jul 2026

Specialized dendritic cells found to coordinate antitumor immunity

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified the immune cell that acts as the architect and coordinator of powerful immune hubs that form inside tumors and plays a key role in antitumor immunity.

16 Jul 2026

Blood-based gene tests show promise for pancreatic cancer screening

Researchers at Kanazawa University report the blood-based gene expression tests may enable early pancreatic cancer screening and improve long-term survival.

16 Jul 2026

New biological feedback loop helps the immune system attack colorectal cancers

A subset of cancers, known as microsatellite instability (MSI) and deficient DNA mismatch repair (dMMR) cancers, are more visible to the immune system than others.

16 Jul 2026

Experimental KRAS vaccine safely generates durable immune response against pancreatic cancer

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Skip Viragh Center for Pancreatic Cancer report that an experimental vaccine targeting mutant KRAS, one of the most common genetic drivers of pancreatic cancer, was safe and generated durable immune responses aimed at preventing the cancer in people at high risk.

16 Jul 2026

Weill Cornell Medicine receives DoD grant to target triple-negative breast cancer

Weill Cornell Medicine has received a $2.5 million, three-year grant from the Department of Defense (DoD) to develop therapies with fewer side effects for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat breast cancers.

16 Jul 2026

Genome-mining tool reveals new antibiotic hidden in a silent gene cluster

Researchers developed DiscERN, a genome-mining platform that combines four complementary algorithms to identify evolutionarily related biosynthetic gene clusters and prioritize candidates for experimental study. The approach revealed discomycin A, a previously unknown calcium-dependent lipopeptide antibiotic with potent activity against several Gram-positive bacteria.

15 Jul 2026

Fruit fly study uncovers gene behind seasonal winter dormancy

Researchers at Washington State University have discovered a molecular "winter lock" that keeps animals in a less active winter state until favorable conditions return, a discovery that could improve pest control and lead to a better understanding of seasonal health conditions in humans.

15 Jul 2026

New drug candidate improves Parkinson's treatment in animal models

For many people with Parkinson's disease, the body stops moving the way it used to. A hand may tremble at rest. Muscles may stiffen.

15 Jul 2026

New photoswitchable drugs restore light perception in blind animals

Blinding diseases caused by the degeneration of photoreceptors, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP), affect 200 million people worldwide and represent the leading causes of visual impairment and blindness.

15 Jul 2026

GLP-1 receptor activation linked to lower depression and bipolar disorder odds

Genetic analyses linked BMI-related GLP-1 receptor activation to better mental well-being and lower odds of major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. The findings do not prove that GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs treat psychiatric conditions, and randomized clinical trials are still needed.

15 Jul 2026

Experimental gene therapy reverses fragile X symptoms in mice

A gene therapy designed to replace the missing protein that causes fragile X syndrome restored several disease-relevant traits in a mouse model, according to a new study published in Gene Therapy.

14 Jul 2026

Mitochondrial DNA mutations link to cardiometabolic parameters in metabolic syndrome

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variability, especially heteroplasmy, is believed to affect cellular immunobiogenesis, particularly in monocytes in metabolic syndrome (MetS).

14 Jul 2026