Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

COMPASS pathway helps regulatory T cells prevent intestinal inflammation

Trillions of bacteria live in the human gut without triggering an immune response. Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have now discovered a gene-regulatory pathway that helps maintain this delicate balance.

28 Oct 2026

Researchers tested an unexpected addition to vaginal treatment: oxygen

Researchers investigated the effects of topical vaginal oxygen treatment, alone or combined with antimicrobials, on the vaginal microbiota of 22 women with bacterial vaginosis or vaginitis. The combined treatment reduced the relative abundance of strict anaerobes and increased Lactobacillus abundance, but the absence of an antimicrobial-only control group prevented researchers from establishing whether oxygen contributed independently to these changes.

28 Oct 2026

High-fat diets in mouse parents alter offspring brain development

Researchers fed breeding pairs of mice five diets with different fat and sugar contents to examine how parental nutrition affects offspring brain development. High-fat diets, alone or combined with high sugar, delayed early motor development and altered brain structure in young adult offspring, while the high-sugar-only diet produced no significant changes in individual brain regions after correction for multiple comparisons.

28 Oct 2026

Ketones may change sleep patterns, but not always for the better

Researchers reviewed animal and human studies and found that ketone bodies may affect sleep stages through energy metabolism and cellular signaling, with the clearest direct evidence involving acetoacetate in mice. They reported mixed human findings and called for controlled studies to separate ketone-specific effects from changes linked to diet, disease, circadian timing, and physiological stress.

28 Oct 2026

Landmark studies map how genetic differences drive human diseases

In three landmark studies published in Nature today, Australian researchers have made major advances in our understanding of how genetic differences between people influence disease.

28 Oct 2026

Study identifies common mechanism behind widespread cancer mutations

A family of mutations seen in about 20% of human cancers drives malignancy by changing the accessibility of genes to a particular regulatory protein, according to a study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

28 Oct 2026

Japan's new law advances reproductive genome editing governance

A Hiroshima University researcher outlines advantages of Japan's new law that prohibits the transfer of genome-edited human embryos or germ cells into the human reproductive tract and imposes criminal penalties for violations.

28 Oct 2026

DEBRA research invests in Topadur to advance small-molecule therapies for dystrophic Epidermolysis bullosa

DEBRA Research gGmbH, a global non-profit organization dedicated to advancing research and drug development for Epidermolysis bullosa (EB), and Topadur Pharma AG, a Swiss clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced an investment by DEBRA Research in Topadur to support a preclinical program exploring a new treatment approach for dystrophic Epidermolysis bullosa (DEB). DEB is one of the more severe forms of EB, characterized by extremely fragile skin and progressive, debilitating complications.

28 Oct 2026

$1 million grant advances research into RNA-DNA virus evolution

Much remains unknown about the origin of viruses and how they evolve - but hunting for answers has been the focus of Portland State biology professor Ken Stedman's eXtreme Virus Lab for the past 25 years.

27 Oct 2026

Low vitamin B12 is linked to heart disease. Supplements tell a different story

A narrative review published in Nutrition Journal examines how vitamin B12 deficiency may contribute to cardiovascular disease through elevated homocysteine, endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress and altered methylation. The authors found that B12 supplementation has not consistently prevented heart attacks or cardiovascular deaths in clinical trials, although combined B-vitamin therapy may modestly reduce stroke risk, particularly in populations without folic acid fortification.

27 Oct 2026

Amyloid fibers help sperm deliver RNA to mouse embryos

Researchers identified RNA-associated amyloid fibrils in human seminal fluid and demonstrated that synthetic PAP fibrils could enter mammalian sperm. In mouse IVF experiments, these fibrils helped sperm deliver RNA to embryos, where the detected reporter-protein signal was at least tenfold higher than without fibril exposure.

27 Oct 2026

Mutant protein variant explains dominant inheritance of genetic immunodeficiency

New research shows how a mutant form of a protein named STAT3 causes a genetically dominant immunodeficiency.

27 Oct 2026

Baylor researchers discover how glioblastoma hijacks nearby brain cells

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have discovered a new strategy that glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive form of adult brain cancer, uses to fuel its own growth.

27 Oct 2026

Early exercise improves motor function in a mouse model of DDX3X syndrome

Acquisition of motor skills during infancy is critical for a child's ability to interact with the physical and social environment and motor impairments are frequent in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism.

27 Oct 2026

Researchers develop versatile genetic tool to investigate cell interactions

Our bodies are composed of many different types of cells that work together to build and maintain normal physiological functions.

27 Oct 2026

Genetic findings illuminate dental abnormalities and the evolutionary loss of teeth

Rare variants in a gene involved in early development have been linked to a range of dental differences in people, including missing teeth, unusual tooth shapes, and teeth present at birth.

26 Oct 2026

Semaglutide changes gut bacteria in rats beyond what eating less explains

Researchers compared semaglutide-treated male and female rats with pair-fed animals receiving the same amount and type of food to distinguish drug-associated microbiome changes from those linked to reduced eating. Semaglutide altered bacterial richness and community composition, with some changes absent from the pair-fed groups and uncertain consequences for health.

26 Oct 2026

The vaginal microbiome may relate to more than reproductive health

Researchers analyzed vaginal microbiota, metabolites, and psychological questionnaire scores in 105 young Italian women and found associations between microbial community types and reward responsiveness, motivational drive, and behavioral inhibition. Exploratory models identified statistical links involving vaginal GABA and valine, but the cross-sectional study could not establish whether microbiome changes influence psychological functioning or the reverse.

26 Oct 2026

Proteins linked to Alzheimer's found to assist sperm cells

Unexpectedly, a kind of protein that is usually linked with diseases in the brain may play a vital role in semen, helping shepherd genetic material into sperm cells, scientists at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute report today in the research journal Molecular Cell.

26 Oct 2026

Implantable drug-delivery device could help prevent recurrence of glioblastoma

Patients with glioblastoma, an aggressive type of brain tumor, usually undergo surgery to remove the tumor. However, it's difficult for surgeons to remove all of the cancer cells, and the tumor often recurs.

26 Oct 2026