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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).

Connection between herpes virus and Alzheimer’s refuted

A new study has shown that unlike previous claims, there is no association between getting herpes infections and developing Alzheimer’s disease. The study from the researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine was titled, “Are HHV-6A and HHV-7 really more abundant in Alzheimer’s disease?” and was published in the journal Neuron.

19 Dec 2019

Experimental Zika vaccine improves fetal outcomes in rhesus macaque model

An experimental Zika vaccine lowered levels of virus in pregnant monkeys and improved fetal outcomes in a rhesus macaque model of congenital Zika virus infection, according to a new study in Science Translational Medicine.

19 Dec 2019

Edematous severe acute malnutrition linked to DNA modification

A group led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine has identified significant differences at the epigenetic level - the chemical tags in DNA that help regulate gene expression - between two clinically distinct forms of acute childhood malnutrition known as edematous severe acute malnutrition (ESAM) and non-edematous SAM (NESAM).

19 Dec 2019

Domesticated animals hold the key to spread of viruses among humans and wildlife

Our domesticated animals - both pets and livestock - hold the key to the spread of viruses among humans and wildlife according to new research involving Swansea University.

19 Dec 2019

Scientists create new classification system for tumors

Based on the largest study of cancer patients of its kind, scientists have created a new way of classifying tumors.

19 Dec 2019

Researchers discover a way to move precision immunotherapy forward for multiple myeloma

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have discovered a way to move precision immunotherapy forward by using genomics to inform immunotherapy for multiple myeloma, a blood cancer, according to a study published in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, in December.

19 Dec 2019

Glutamine could help obese people reduce inflammation of fat tissue

Glutamine could help people with obesity reduce inflammation of fat tissue and reduce fat mass, according to a new study at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the University of Oxford in the U.K. The researchers also show how glutamine levels can alter gene expression in several different cell types.

19 Dec 2019

First images of new gene editing complex which could upgrade CRISPR

Nobel Prize-winning technique used to capture images of a new gene-editing tool that could improve CRISPR-based tools.

19 Dec 2019

Scientists extract complete human genome from a thousands-of-years old “chewing gum”

It seems that chewing gum is not a new trend! Researchers have found chewing gum that is 5,700 years old and it has provided clues regarding ancient DNA. A study with the findings was published in the journal Nature Communications. It is titled, “A 5,700-year-old human genome and oral microbiome from chewed birch pitch.”

18 Dec 2019

Study refutes link between increased levels of herpes virus and Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine report today in the journal Neuron evidence that refutes the link between increased levels of herpes virus and Alzheimer's disease.

18 Dec 2019

Research shows harmful effects of chemicals in vaping liquids to lung tissue

New research appearing in the journal Scientific Reports unpacks the list of chemicals that comprise flavored e-liquids and pods used in vaping and details their harmful effects to lung tissue, including inflammation and genetic damage that could indicate long-term risk for respiratory disease and even cancer.

18 Dec 2019

New method identifies harmful bacteria in less time and at a very low cost

A new bacterial identification method, called ON-rep-seq, examines selective, strain-specific fragments of the bacterial genome, allowing the generation of results that earlier required DNA sequencing of the entire bacterial genome or tedious approaches like pulsed field gel electrophoresis, which previously has been the golden the standard for strain-level typing of microorganisms.

18 Dec 2019

Olympus and Ultivue Announce Comarketing Agreement for Leading-Edge Fluorescent Multiplexing Solution

Olympus SLIDEVIEW™ VS200 slide scanner and Ultivue UltiMapper™ reagents meet the changing needs of the scientific community

From Evident Corporation - Life Sciences 18 Dec 2019

Nature’s own gene therapy

A brand-new technique of gene therapy was reported on December 16, 2019, in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering. The scientists made use of the potential of human cells to produce biological nanoparticles chockful of edited genes, so that they could insert beneficial genes into people suffering from various disease processes.

17 Dec 2019

Using math equations to detect and forecast liver cancer risk

The use of mathematical modeling in the study of biological systems has become a challenging and rewarding field of research as it yields many unknown pieces of information. A new study published online on December 16, 2019, in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS).

17 Dec 2019

Moffitt researchers develop efficient method for creating mouse models to study melanoma

Genetically engineered mouse models are often used by scientists to study how the addition, deletion or mutation of genes affects the development of disease and effects of drugs.

17 Dec 2019

Targeting specific nuclear transport systems may lead to possible therapeutic strategies for cancer

Although less often the focus of cancer research, recent studies have hinted at the possible importance of a type of protein known as nuclear transport receptors.

17 Dec 2019

Study shows how immune cells quickly switch to attack mode

Macrophages have two faces: In healthy tissue, they perform important tasks and support their environment. However during an infection, they stop this work and hunt down the pathogens instead.

17 Dec 2019

Researchers identify protein that is key for successful viral DNA uncoating

Viruses have been part of animals and humans for eons. When viruses invade a cell, they can infiltrate the nucleus with their genome and become part of the genome of the infected organism. Viruses transfer their genes between various organisms, as well as between tissues containing well differentiated cells inside a living creature. But how they uncoat their well-packed genes and release them to cause infection is largely unknown.

17 Dec 2019