DNA News and Research

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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).

Study uncovers more pieces of the autism puzzle

A major international study from the Autism Sequencing Consortium with participation of researchers from the Danish iPSYCH psychiatry project, has recently mapped 102 new autism genes.

4 Feb 2020

Developing tests for genetic signs could lead to earlier cancer detection

Early signs of cancer can appear years before diagnosis and developing tests for these genetic signs could provide new ways to spot cancer early, according to new research led by the Crick and EMBL-EBI, and supported by an international cancer genomics consortium, the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes Project.

4 Feb 2020

DNA extracted from museum specimens can provide genetic information

DNA in preserved museum specimens can allow scientists to explore the history of species and humanities impact on the ecosystem, but samples are typically preserved in formaldehyde which can damage DNA and make it very difficult to recover.

4 Feb 2020

Single-cell DNA assessment method can detect fetal genetic abnormalities

Non-invasive prenatal tests are used for fetal genetic disease screening in pregnant women. In contrast, invasive tests like amniocentesis carry the risk of causing fetal harm.

4 Feb 2020

New technology provides point of care insights to Rush oncologists

Rush University Medical Center is the first health care organization to launch medical record company Epic's module for genomic results, giving providers the tools they need to tailor patient care at the molecular level.

4 Feb 2020

Researchers discover fundamental mechanism that regulates gene activity in cells

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have discovered a fundamental mechanism that regulates gene activity in cells.

4 Feb 2020

New vaccine designs could reduce rates of dangerous bacterial disease

New research has found that rates of disease caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae could be substantially reduced by changing our approach to vaccination.

3 Feb 2020

Comparing DNA-repair gene mutations in African American and Caucasian men with prostate cancer

Pathogenic or likely pathogenic alterations in these 14 DNA repair genes were less likely to be detected in African Americans as compared to Caucasians.

3 Feb 2020

Researchers reveal mutation's role in blood cancers

A genetic mutation that disrupts how DNA sends messages to the rest of a cell has been linked to a large number of blood cancers.

3 Feb 2020

Sperm microbiome revealed with RNA sequencing

A new study reports the first-ever detailed description of the human sperm microbiome, using newer RNA sequencing techniques that are capable of discriminating between sperm RNA and that of bacterial contamination or colonization.

2 Feb 2020

Jackson Laboratory announces research affiliation, publishes new papers on genes and microbiome

January has been an exciting month at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX). With this surplus of news, we wanted to share three major stories from the past week:

31 Jan 2020

Long noncoding RNA can protect our metabolism against metabolic complications

Unlike what we commonly refer to as 'genes', these phantom genes or 'Long noncoding RNA' (LncRNAs) do not lead to the production of proteins that our cells, and thus our entire bodies are made of.

31 Jan 2020

Multimodal analysis of tumors could give new insights into treating cancer patients

Melding the genetic and cellular analysis of tumors with how they appear in medical images could give physicians and other cancer therapy specialists new insights into how to best treat patients, especially those with brain cancer, according to a new study led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute, an affiliate of City of Hope.

31 Jan 2020

Researchers locate specific mutation in the gene responsible for Chédiak-Higashi syndrome

Humans and animals are made up of trillions of cells, and each cell contains DNA specific to that individual. Therefore, identifying DNA that causes genetic disorders gives researchers and clinicians a better understanding of how to treat inherited diseases and possibly prevent the diseases from being passed down to future generations.

30 Jan 2020

MSU researcher makes strides in discovering new cellular mechanism

A Montana State University biotechnology researcher was part of an international team that recently discovered an internal mechanism which may protect human cells from oxidative damage.

30 Jan 2020

Research uncovers how HIV develops resistance to key drugs

The mechanism behind how HIV can develop resistance to a widely-prescribed group of drugs has been uncovered by new research from the Crick and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, with the findings opening the door to the development of more effective treatments.

30 Jan 2020

Researchers use new technique to improve the ability to model lung diseases

Using a combination of pluripotent stem cells (cells that can potentially produce any cell or tissue type) and machine learning (artificial intelligence that allows computers to learn automatically), researchers have improved how they generate lung cells.

30 Jan 2020

Turning stink into therapy for atherosclerosis

In an amusing but amazing turnaround, it seems the most foul-smelling compound on earth, called putrescine, could help relieve chronic inflammation, most importantly in the arterial thickening called atherosclerosis. This discovery is reported in the journal Cell Metabolism in January 2020.

30 Jan 2020

Increased brain growth, mutations and autism linked in new study

Salk Institute researchers have now found a pattern of DNA damage that is unique to brain cells derived from individuals with a single form of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) called macrocephalic ASD. The study, published in the journal Cell Stem Cell in January 2020, may offer an explanation about the developmental misstep that caused this disease.

30 Jan 2020

Gene-editing taken to advanced levels in human stem cells

A new study published in the journal Stem Cell Reports in January 2020 reports the use of an adaptation to a commonly used gene editing technology to achieve a more than 900% increase in efficiency.

30 Jan 2020