Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Virginia Tech team identifies proteins that can reverse lung scarring

A Virginia Tech team has identified a promising new therapeutic strategy for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), showing that blocking two proteins can halt and even reverse lung scarring in pre-clinical models.

28 Apr 2026

Obesity may leave immune cells stuck in inflammatory mode after weight loss

A new EMBO Reports study suggests that obesity can leave a lasting epigenetic imprint on CD4 T cells, delaying the restoration of adaptive immune balance after weight loss. Using mouse models and human cohorts, researchers linked this immune “memory” to DNA methylation changes, saturated fatty acids, autophagy, and immune senescence.

28 Apr 2026

Scientists uncover why brain damage continues after stroke

Every stroke begins with a sudden interruption of blood flow in the brain. But what happens afterward—why neurons continue to lose function and die over the following days—has remained one of the most important unanswered questions in neuroscience.

28 Apr 2026

Lipid pathways driving diabetes and heart disease risk in South Asians

Identifying lipid-linked genetic pathways in Asian Indians offers insights into diabetes and heart disease, crucial for developing ancestry-specific therapies.

28 Apr 2026

Single protein shapes both brain connectivity and vascular stability

The communication network in the developing brain builds when neurons partner up to form contact points called synapses, allowing signals to pass form one cell to another.

27 Apr 2026

Estrogen loss after menopause impacts heart health through gene regulation

Virginia Tech scientists at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute say the increased risk of cardiovascular disease after menopause may stem not only from declining hormone levels, but also from how those changes influence gene activity.

27 Apr 2026

Scientists seek to reverse neurodegeneration by eliminating harmful RNA pollution

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, the Salk Institute and Sanford Burnham Prebys have received a four-year, $13 million award from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to investigate how to reverse age-related neurodegeneration by eliminating what the researchers call "RNA pollution" in aging neurons.

27 Apr 2026

Engineered cells boost production of gene editing delivery vehicles

Gene editing has emerged as a powerful approach for targeting the genetic causes of disease, but getting the editing machinery into the right cells efficiently, safely, and at the scale needed for therapies remains one of the biggest set of challenges in the field.

25 Apr 2026

International consortia honored for advancing stem cell research collaboration

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) has named CorEUstem COST Action and Stem Cell COREdinates as the recipients of the 2026 ISSCR Public Service Award.

25 Apr 2026

Fucosylated IgG drives adipose tissue dysfunction during aging

A study published in Engineering has identified fucosylated immunoglobulin G (IgG) as a key mediator contributing to adipose tissue dysfunction during aging, offering insights into age-related metabolic disorders and potential therapeutic targets.

25 Apr 2026

The heart's constant beating suppresses tumor growth in cardiac tissues

The heart's constant beating may actively suppress tumor growth in cardiac tissues, a new study reports. This is because cellular pathways in these tissues alter gene regulation in cancer cells to keep them from proliferating.

25 Apr 2026

Molecular map reveals how Down syndrome alters brain development

Scientists at UCLA have created one of the first cellular-resolution molecular maps detailing how Down syndrome alters human brain development before birth - a resource that resolves longstanding contradictions in the field and could lay the groundwork for future therapeutic strategies.

25 Apr 2026

Intercellular heme transfer pathway sustains red blood cell production under stress

Scientists have long been puzzled by how maturing red blood cells manage to produce all the hemoglobin they need to carry oxygen to tissues, even after shedding the vital structures they need to produce it.

25 Apr 2026

Molecular gatekeepers in bacteria prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance

A new study finds that bacteria can actively block the transfer of beneficial genes to neighboring cells, using specialized proteins to specifically destroy shared DNA before it spreads.

25 Apr 2026

WHO prequalifies first malaria treatment designed for youngest vulnerable patients

Ahead of World Malaria Day on 25 April, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a significant step forward in the fight against malaria with the prequalification of the first treatment developed specifically for newborns and young infants weighing between two and five kilograms.

24 Apr 2026

New mouse model reveals primary trigger of rare muscle disorder

Myofibrillar myopathy type 6 (MFM6) is a rare genetic muscle disorder that leads to severe muscle weakness and a drastically shortened life expectancy due to a disruption in muscle protein regulation.

24 Apr 2026

Study reframes Hodgkin lymphoma as a cancer of failed cell development

For the first time, Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have demonstrated that Hodgkin lymphoma cancer cells from patient samples are immune cells stuck in an "identity crisis."

24 Apr 2026

Study identifies epigenetic patterns affecting insulin and glucagon production in type 2 diabetes

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have carried out the most detailed mapping to date of the epigenome in the cells that regulate the body's blood sugar levels.

24 Apr 2026

New model improves detection of Li-Fraumeni Syndrome risk

In a prospective validation study, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center demonstrated that a new mathematical model, called LFSPRO, was effective in supporting genetic counselor decision-making and more accurately predicted individuals at higher risk of Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS), a hereditary condition that carries a higher risk of developing multiple cancers.

23 Apr 2026

MSK scientists shed new light on a tumor's earliest moments

Scientists at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and their colleagues are shedding new light on a tumor's earliest moments - revealing how lung cells with cancer-causing mutations recruit accomplices from healthy surrounding tissue to pave the way for a tumor to develop.

23 Apr 2026