Genetics

Genetics is the study of genes and heredity. Heredity is the passing of genetic information and traits (such as eye color and an increased chance of getting a certain disease) from parents to offspring.

How Do Genetic Mutations Cause Disease?

Mutations in genes can lead to genetic disorders, impacting health. Understand the types, causes, and implications of genetic mutations and disease.

Von Recklinghausen Disease Expressivity

History of Genetics

What is Cytogenetics?

Genetics and Gene Expression

What is the Expanded Genetic Code?

Genetic Risk Associated with Social Anxiety

The Role of Alternative Splicing in Disease

Genetic Inheritance

Genetic Regulation of Fingers and Toes Development

What is Genetic Anticipation?

Genetic Change

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START and STOP Codons

Genetics of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Applications of the Expanded Genetic Code

Genetics Research and Technology

Genotype Versus Phenotype

The Importance of Genetic Counseling In Healthcare And Medicine

Latest Genetics News and Research

UC Davis researchers lead $5.5 million study on language development in children with Down syndrome

UC Davis researchers are leading a $5.5 million study to better understand how children with Down syndrome develop expressive communication - the skills used to share what we want, think or feel.

21 Nov 2025

CAR T cell therapy could be a highly effective tool against atherosclerosis

A pioneering preclinical study has shown that CAR T cell therapy-a personalized form of immunotherapy used in cancer treatment-could be a highly effective tool against atherosclerosis, the condition where a build-up of plaque in the arteries reduces blood flow, leading to heart attacks and strokes.

21 Nov 2025

UK Biobank releases the world’s largest metabolomic dataset for disease research

UK Biobank has today [Thursday 20 November] released the final set of data on nearly 250 metabolites – the molecules in our blood produced by our bodies as we go about our lives – in half a million volunteers.

20 Nov 2025

Midlife exercise cuts dementia risk by up to 45 percent, new study shows

Higher physical activity in midlife and late life is linked to a substantially lower risk of all-cause and Alzheimer’s dementia. Midlife benefits are strongest for moderate or heavy activity, while late-life activity is protective across all intensity levels.

20 Nov 2025

Study develops highly accurate polygenic risk models tailored for Han Chinese populations

Researchers at Academia Sinica have developed the first population-specific polygenic risk score (PRS) models for people of Han Chinese ancestry, achieving unprecedented accuracy in predicting risks for common diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune disorders.

20 Nov 2025

Prenatal stress hormones may shape when a baby’s teeth erupt

A study links maternal stress hormones in late pregnancy to the timing of baby teeth eruption, highlighting prenatal factors in early childhood development.

20 Nov 2025

Scientists uncover genetic components linked to bone density in young people

Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) revealed important genetic components that affect bone density in children and adolescents.

19 Nov 2025

Parental monitoring can offset genetic risks for conduct problems in adolescents

Parents may have more influence than they realize when it comes to shaping their children's behavior, especially for those at higher genetic risk for conduct problems, according to Rutgers Health-led research.

19 Nov 2025

Current genetic screening guidelines overlook most cases of familial hypercholesterolemia

Current genetic screening guidelines fail to identify most people with an inherited condition known as familial hypercholesterolemia that can cause dangerously high cholesterol and early heart disease, a Mayo Clinic study found.

19 Nov 2025

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

Maternal stress linked to earlier baby teeth

Children have 20 milk teeth, 10 in each jaw. This set of teeth is important for chewing and speaking, and helps to keep space open for the subsequent set of 32 permanent teeth.

18 Nov 2025

First-of-its-kind provincial registry opens to build Ontario’s hereditary cancer database

The Ontario Hereditary Cancer Research Network's (OHCRN) participant portal is now open and Ontarians at risk of hereditary cancers are invited to register.

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

Why early- and late-onset depression are fundamentally different

Genetic differences in early- and late-onset depression highlight distinct risk profiles, informing targeted strategies for improved clinical outcomes.

17 Nov 2025

Study finds increased rates of DNA mutations in mice pups conceived with IVF

Mice pups conceived with in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the lab have slightly increased rates of DNA errors, or mutations, compared to pups conceived naturally, a new study on artificial reproductive technologies suggests.

17 Nov 2025

Parental postpartum depression linked to higher autism risk

Findings reveal a strong link between parental postpartum depression and autism risk, stressing the importance of mental health support for new parents.

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

Higher melanoma rates linked to agricultural areas in Pennsylvania

Counties in Pennsylvania that contained or were near cultivated cropland had significantly higher melanoma rates compared to other regions, according to a new study led by scientists at Penn State.

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