Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Severe COVID-19 causes long-lasting changes to immune system stem cells

Severe COVID-19 infection triggers changes that affect gene expression in immune system stem cells, causing long-lasting alterations in the body's immune response, according to a new study by Weill Cornell Medicine and Jackson Laboratory investigators.

18 Aug 2023

Japanese squirrels may be a model for human amyloidosis

A research group led by Dr. Tomoaki Murakami from the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology has revealed that fibrinogen Aα-chain amyloidosis, a previously unreported disease in animals other than humans, is highly prevalent in Japanese squirrels (Sciurus lis).

18 Aug 2023

Proxalutamide shows promise as potential COVID-19 treatment

At the outset of the COVID pandemic, men appeared to suffer higher rates of severe illness and death, leading researchers to suspect a link between androgen receptors - which bind to hormones like testosterone--and SARS-CoV-2 viral infection.

18 Aug 2023

Scientists discover potential cause of genetic mutations linked to Huntington's disease

Scientists have discovered an additional potential cause of the genetic mutations that result in rare conditions such as Huntington's disease (HD).

18 Aug 2023

Gut microbiome may play a role in DNA methylation during weight loss

"Should I be taking a probiotic?" is a question that Maggie Stanislawski, PhD, assistant professor in the University of Colorado Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI), gets asked often.

18 Aug 2023

Can your screen time affect your bowel movements?

The causal relationship between leisure screen time and irritable bowel syndrome.

18 Aug 2023

New method to assess the status of immune responses to specific antigens in detail

A new method to assess the status of immune responses to specific antigens in detail by analysis using the B cell receptor (BCR) repertoire has been developed by a research group, consisting of Assistant Professor Yohei Funakoshi, Associate Professor Kimikazu Yakushijin, Professor Hironobu Minami (Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine), Associate Professor Goh Ohji (Kobe University Hospital), and Researcher Takaji Matsutani (Repertoire Genesis Inc.).

18 Aug 2023

Study reveals the roles of a nucleic acid sensor for COVID-19 in pan-cancer

Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7), a severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus's nucleic acid sensor, was discovered to be aberrantly expressed in many types of cancers.

17 Aug 2023

Study shows how antibiotic resistance genes build up over a lifetime

Cooking food thoroughly and avoiding some types of vegetables and salad during a course of antibiotic treatment could potentially reduce antibiotic resistance, by preventing bacteria carrying resistance genes getting into the gut, according to a new study.

17 Aug 2023

Study provides insight into aging of the brain

Most of us who've reached middle age have noticed a slowing in memory and cognition, but scientists don't have a clear picture of the molecular changes that take place in the brain to cause it.

17 Aug 2023

Study finds how low levels of the TET2 gene fuel rapid growth of acute myeloid leukemia

Scientists at City of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, have identified how low levels of the TET2 gene fuel the rapid growth of acute myeloid leukemia in animal models.

17 Aug 2023

New insights into the role of liver progenitor cells in liver cancer initiation

Primary liver cancers ranked as the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancers and the third leading cause of cancer-related death in 2020. Among all primary liver cancers, HCC is the most common cancer, accounting for more than 80% of cases with a 5-year survival rate of less than 10% in Western countries.

17 Aug 2023

Study investigates the impact of rapid genome sequencing for infantile epilepsy

Epilepsy in infants ranges in severity and can leave caregivers with questions about their child's health. While genetic testing to help determine the cause of epilepsy is possible, comprehensive testing does not always happen routinely and it can take a long time, leaving families waiting for answers.

17 Aug 2023

STING gene variant linked to increased risk of severe group A strep infections

Group A streptococci are fairly common bacteria that can cause, among other things, strep throat or impetigo.

17 Aug 2023

Mitochondrial dysfunction may be a contributor to schizophrenia

Researchers at Rutgers and Emory University are gaining insights into how schizophrenia develops by studying the strongest-known genetic risk factor.

16 Aug 2023

Study sheds light on how cold temperatures affect appetite

Neuroscientists at Scripps Research have identified brain circuits that make mammals want to eat more when they are exposed to cold temperatures.

16 Aug 2023

Pig kidney xenotransplantation continues to function well after 32 days

Surgeons at NYU Langone Health have transplanted a genetically engineered pig kidney that continues to function well after 32 days in a man declared dead by neurologic criteria and maintained with a beating heart on ventilator support.

16 Aug 2023

Long DNA molecules reveal new scar types in HR-deficient cancers

DNA can be damaged by toxins, radiation, or even normal cell division, but human cells must continually fix DNA breaks to survive.

16 Aug 2023

Sulfate groups on complex sugar molecules affect brain plasticity

Can you recognize someone you haven't seen in years, but forget what you had for breakfast yesterday? Our brains constantly rearrange their circuitry to remember familiar faces or learn new skills, but the molecular basis of this process isn't well understood.

16 Aug 2023

Scientist receives $6.8M grant to study how environmental chemicals increase CVD risk

Exposure to environmental chemicals, including those in common plastic products, has been linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, or CVD, the leading cause of death worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, 17.9 million people died from CVDs in 2019.

16 Aug 2023