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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).

Normal DNA repair process can lead to mutations in cancer

Hypermutation is an unusual occurence that can lead to many nearby mutations at once, severely damaging our genetic material and potentially causing cancer.

4 Aug 2020

ALKBH5 enzyme shows promising target for cancer immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy -; a treatment that better enables a patient's own immune system to attack tumors -; has shown great potential against some cancers. Yet immunotherapy doesn't work against all tumor types, and many patients who initially respond later develop resistance and relapse.

4 Aug 2020

AGA white paper provides a roadmap for colorectal cancer screening

Fewer people would die of colorectal cancer if health care providers adopted a new model of screening that combines better risk assessment, more options for noninvasive testing and more targeted referrals for colonoscopy.

3 Aug 2020

Study reveals impact of TP53 gene mutations on MDS severity

Considered the "guardian of the genome," TP53 is the most commonly mutated gene in cancer. TP53's normal function is to detect DNA damage and prevent cells from passing this damage on to daughter cells.

3 Aug 2020

Penn researchers identify genetic driver of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease

Inherited mutations in a gene that keeps nerve cells intact was shown, for the first time, to be a driver of a neuropathy known as Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease.

3 Aug 2020

A blood test may be an easy way to predict who will benefit from immunotherapy

A test which detects changing levels of tumour fragments in the blood may be an easy, non-invasive and quick way to predict who will benefit from immunotherapy, a treatment option for advanced cancers.

3 Aug 2020

Children exposed to trauma show biological signs of aging faster

Children who suffer trauma from abuse or violence early in life show biological signs of aging faster than children who have never experienced adversity, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

3 Aug 2020

New method to detect rare circulating tumor cells in blood samples

Metastasis - the development of tumor growth at a secondary site - is responsible for the majority of cancer-related deaths. It occurs when the primary tumor site sheds cancerous cells which are then circulated through the body via blood vessels or lymph nodes.

3 Aug 2020

Long stretches of repeating DNA associated with susceptibility to systemic sclerosis

Researchers from the University of Tsukuba show that long stretches of repeat DNA sequences in the gene FLI1 are associated with susceptibility to systemic sclerosis.

2 Aug 2020

New bivalent vaccine delivers robust cell-mediated and humoral immunity against SARS-CoV-2

In a groundbreaking bioRxiv study, US researchers demonstrate the capability of next-generation bivalent human adenovirus serotype 5 (hAd5) vaccine for inducing both cellular and humoral immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – using both an S protein sequence optimized for cell surface expression and a conserved nucleocapsid antigen designed to be transported to the endosomal subcellular compartment.

2 Aug 2020

Researchers develop new therapeutic approach to treat CLN3 Batten disease

Researchers led by a team at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science have devised a new therapeutic approach to treating a rare but deadly neurodegenerative genetic disease in children.

31 Jul 2020

15 young scientists receive Damon Runyon Fellowship Award to pursue cancer research

Grants totaling nearly $3.5 million give early career investigators independence to pursue brave and bold cancer research.

31 Jul 2020

Study: ANGEL2 enzyme performs unique chemical reaction at the end of RNA molecules

Scientists led by Javier Martinez from the Max Perutz Labs, a joint venture of the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna, have identified a unique chemical reaction at the end of RNA molecules for the first time in human cells.

31 Jul 2020

Touchlight, Cancer Research UK and University of Southampton team up to develop DNA cancer vaccine

Cancer Research UK, the University of Southampton and Touchlight Genetics, a London based biotechnology company, today (Wednesday) announce a new clinical development partnership to progress a therapeutic DNA vaccine, TGL-100, into an early phase clinical trial targeting head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

31 Jul 2020

Researchers report a liquid biopsy for COVID-19

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in July 2020 reports the potential of cell-free DNA as a marker of the severity of disease in COVID-19. This could help triage patients as well as provide a prognostic marker.

30 Jul 2020

Immunosuppressive steroids help tumors to evade the immune system

A new study has revealed that tumors can evade the immune system by telling immune cells to produce immunosuppressive steroids.

30 Jul 2020

From swab to sequencing - scalable method for identifying SARS-CoV-2

A research group headed by Stanford University scientists has developed a scalable, high throughput method to generate high fidelity whole genome and HLA sequencing, viral genomes, and representation of human transcriptome from single nasopharyngeal swabs of coronavirus disease (COVID19) patients. Their results are published on the medRxiv preprint server.

30 Jul 2020