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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).

Ludwig study uncovers a nutritional approach to improve cancer immunotherapy

A Ludwig Cancer Research study has uncovered a mechanism by which the tumor's harsh internal environment sabotages T lymphocytes, leading cellular agents of the anticancer immune response.

5 Oct 2020

Scientists discover small molecules that may reduce cellular stress

For many, getting older can unfortunately mean an increased risk of illness from cardiovascular disease to cancer.

5 Oct 2020

Feasibility of using dry reagents LAMP assay for SARS-CoV-2 detection

In a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv, researchers evaluated the suitability of the Loopamp SARS-CoV-2 Detection kit from Eiken Chemica, Japan, for detecting SARS-CoV-2. This is a LAMP method that uses dry reagents for RNA amplification.

5 Oct 2020

Study provides new insights into the microbiomes of pre-industrial agricultural populations

A new study published this week demonstrates a first attempt at using the methods of ancient bacterial detection, pioneered in studies of past epidemics, to characterize the microbial diversity of ancient gut contents from two medieval latrines.

5 Oct 2020

Direction and type of the force acting on a cell can alter gene expression

Tissues and cells in the human body are subjected to a constant push and pull - strained by other cells, blood pressure and fluid flow, to name a few.

1 Oct 2020

Researchers uncover the cause of 1990s Argentina cholera epidemic

The evolution of epidemic and endemic strains of the cholera-causing bacterium Vibrio cholerae in Argentina has been mapped in detail by researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the University of Cambridge and the INEI-ANLIS "Dr Carlos G. Malbrán", Argentina.

1 Oct 2020

Compounds repurposed from malaria treatment can kill diarrheal pathogen

A class of compounds used for malaria treatment also kill the intestinal parasite Cryptosporidium, a leading cause of diarrheal disease and death in children that has no cure, a multi-institution collaboration of researchers found in a new study.

1 Oct 2020

New upgrade to PET scanners may pave way for better cancer treatment

Experts in Japan have devised a simple way to glean more detailed information out of standard medical imaging scans.

1 Oct 2020

Study shows how cancer cells gain access to nerve signal to enter the bloodstream

Tumors come in many shapes and forms--curable or deadly, solid or liquid, lodged inside the brain, bone, or other tissues. One thing they all have in common, however, is a knack for molecular deceit.

1 Oct 2020

Immunotherapy drug improves survival over standard chemotherapy for lung cancer patients

The immunotherapy drug atezolizumab improves survival over standard chemotherapy for many patients with newly diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to a new study led by Yale Cancer Center (YCC) researchers.

1 Oct 2020

Researchers unravel new mechanism of cell survival in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Researchers at The Wistar Institute unraveled a mechanism employed by chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells for their survival.

30 Sep 2020

Genetic heritage from Neanderthals linked to severe COVID-19

Since first appearing in late 2019, the novel virus, SARS-CoV-2, has had a range of impacts on those it infects. Some people become severely ill with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, and require hospitalization, whereas others have mild symptoms or are even asymptomatic.

30 Sep 2020

Researchers create drug-like compounds to destroy coronavirus' frameshifting element

Scripps Research chemist Matthew Disney, PhD, and colleagues have created drug-like compounds that, in human cell studies, bind and destroy the pandemic coronavirus' so-called "frameshifting element" to stop the virus from replicating.

30 Sep 2020

Neanderthal gene variant linked to higher risk of developing severe COVID-19

A study published in Nature shows that a segment of DNA that causes their carriers to have an up to three times higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 is inherited from Neandertals. The study was conducted by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

30 Sep 2020

Genetic defects in patients' immune system may underlie severe COVID-19

Worldwide, otherwise healthy adolescents and young people without underlying conditions are sometimes severely affected by COVID-19, with the viral infection in the worst cases quickly becoming life-threatening. But why is this happening?

29 Sep 2020

Newly discovered genetic factor allows adult skin to regenerate like a newborn's

A newly identified genetic factor allows adult skin to repair itself like the skin of a newborn babe. The discovery by Washington State University researchers has implications for better skin wound treatment as well as preventing some of the aging process in skin.

29 Sep 2020