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DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA. Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus (where it is called nuclear DNA), but a small amount of DNA can also be found in the mitochondria (where it is called mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA).

Deciphering the role of RET in cancer and breakthroughs in targeted treatments

Xueqing Hu , Ujjwol Khatri , Tao Shen , and Jie Wu, at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, USA, provides a comprehensive review of the role of the RET (REarranged during Transfection) receptor tyrosine kinase in cancer development and the advancements in RET-targeted cancer therapies.

19 Jul 2024

New insights into modified nucleoside synthesis

The genetic information on DNA is transcribed into messenger RNA (mRNA) and translated to the amino acid sequence by transfer RNA (tRNA) on the ribosome. Modified nucleosides within RNA are involved in maintaining and regulating the protein synthesis system.

19 Jul 2024

Diverse genetic data illuminates health disparities across populations

The majority of genetic studies focus on people of European descent, which limits the understanding of how genes influence health in other populations.

18 Jul 2024

Type 1 diabetes in children linked to increased risk of mental health problems

Children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes are at significantly higher risk of a number of mental health issues, including mood and anxiety disorders, a study from a team in the UK and the Czech Republic has found.

18 Jul 2024

Harnessing ctDNA measurements for response assessment in metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer

A new editorial paper was published in Oncotarget's Volume 15 on July 2, 2024, entitled, "Using early on-treatment circulating tumor DNA measurements as response assessment in metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer."

18 Jul 2024

CU Boulder research uncovers role of endogenous retroviruses in cancer

Peek inside the human genome and, among the 20,000 or so genes that serve as building blocks of life, you'll also find flecks of DNA left behind by viruses that infected primate ancestors tens of millions of years ago.

18 Jul 2024

Llama-derived molecules target hidden strains of HIV

A research team at Georgia State University has developed tiny, potent molecules that are capable of targeting hidden strains of HIV. The source? Antibody genes from llama DNA.

17 Jul 2024

Novel method enables RNA detection with Cas12 nucleases

CRISPR-Cas systems, defense systems in bacteria, have become a plentiful source of technologies for molecular diagnostics.

17 Jul 2024

Mitochondrially-targeted antioxidants could reduce SARS-CoV-2 effects across multiple organs

Building upon groundbreaking research demonstrating how the SARS-CoV-2 virus disrupts mitochondrial function in multiple organs, researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) demonstrated that mitochondrially-targeted antioxidants could reduce the effects of the virus while avoiding viral gene mutation resistance, a strategy that may be useful for treating other viruses.

15 Jul 2024

Genetic marker predicts gabapentin response in chronic pelvic pain

Women who carry a particular form of a pain gene are more likely to respond well to a common medication used to treat long-term discomfort, research shows.

15 Jul 2024

ARPA-H funding boosts Wyss Institute's RNA therapeutic project

With the award for up to $27 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), a collaborative research project at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University will advance a disease-agnostic novel RNA therapeutic with the potential to treat diverse diseases, and to be effectively and rapidly deployable.

15 Jul 2024

Unraveling the role of liquid-liquid phase separation in neurodegenerative diseases

Liquid-liquid phase separation is not a precursor to formation of amyloid fibrils, a pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease, shows study.

15 Jul 2024

One-time prime editing targets common genetic cause of cystic fibrosis

Researchers optimized prime editing for the efficient correction of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator F508del mutation in human airway epithelial cells, achieving high correction efficiencies and functional restoration with minimal off-target effects.

15 Jul 2024

Poll: Majority of Brits fear cancer diagnosis more than any other condition

Two-thirds of the public say they are very or somewhat worried about being told they have the disease – higher than for any other medical condition, including dementia and having a heart attack – according to polling released today.

14 Jul 2024

Study identifies RFC4 as key player in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Lichuan Wu et al., at Medical College of Guangxi University, China, presented a comprehensive study on the role of replication factor C subunit 4 (RFC4) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), a type of epithelial cancer commonly associated with Epstein-Barr virus infection.

12 Jul 2024

Novel DNA aptamers of melanopsin developed to regulate circadian rhythm

DNA aptamers of melanopsin that regulate the clock hands of biological rhythms were developed by the Toyohashi University of Technology and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) group.

12 Jul 2024

Neighborhood disadvantage linked to higher expression of stress-related genes in prostate tumors

Those living in disadvantaged neighborhoods have significantly higher activity of stress-related genes, new research suggests, which could contribute to higher rates of aggressive prostate cancer in African American men.

12 Jul 2024

Enzymatic RNA synthesis paves the way for sustainable therapeutics

While the COVID-19 vaccines introduced many people to RNA-based medicines, RNA oligonucleotides have already been on the market for years to treat diseases like Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and amyloidosis.

12 Jul 2024

New study reveals the genetic cause of Parkinson's disease

According to Science Alert, neuroscientists from Johns Hopkins University have recently discovered a new treatment for Parkinson's disease using an FDA-approved cancer drug.

11 Jul 2024

Study reveals how DDM1 protein suppresses 'jumping genes' in plants

International joint research led by Akihisa Osakabe and Yoshimasa Takizawa of the University of Tokyo has clarified the molecular mechanisms in thale cresses (Arabidopsis thaliana) by which the DDM1 (Decreased in DNA Methylation 1) protein prevents the transcription of "jumping genes."

11 Jul 2024