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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 reveals key mechanism that helps cells to adapt to low-nutrient conditions

Scientists from the UNC School of Medicine and Stanford University have uncovered what may be a fundamental biological mechanism that helps organisms adapt to rapid changes to nutrients in their environments.

6 Nov 2019

Chiral interactions could be leveraged to improve the performance of drug-delivery nanoparticles

MIT engineers have shown that they can enhance the performance of drug-delivery nanoparticles by controlling a trait of chemical structures known as chirality -- the "handedness" of the structure.

6 Nov 2019

Scientists discover cell protein crucial in preventing viral replication

A research team has discovered a protein without which cells infected by viruses cannot trigger an immune response, leading to 100% mortality with even non-disease-producing strains. The discovery of the new Z-DNA binding protein, or ZBP1, was reported in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology. It could help develop new treatment methods for viruses that target the nervous system such as the Zika or West Nile Encephalitis virus.

6 Nov 2019

Study: Spherical exosomes could help in treating acute kidney injury

Like a swarm of construction workers in the aftermath of a destructive storm, cargo-filled, nanometer-sized spheres arrive on the scene following an acute kidney injury.

5 Nov 2019

Health impact of Daylight Saving Time

Every year people make a change in their daily timetables to make use of what is called “Daylight Saving Time” (DST), and then transition back again to their earlier time clocks. However, new research published in JAMA Neurology shows that this yearly change about may affect health over the long term. The researchers strongly call for stopping this practice, which has no economic benefit, and may have severe and chronic negative health impacts.

5 Nov 2019

Novel detection method for retinoblastoma

A retinoblastoma is a dangerous cancer often occurring in very young children, under 2, which can cause blindness or the loss of the eye. The tumor is a diffuse, gluey mass spread all over the eye. It also spreads easily. As a result of this, direct biopsy is impossible, unlike with most other tumors. Instead, eye examination by ophthalmologists (eye specialists) and ultrasound imaging are needed to make a diagnosis.

5 Nov 2019

Researchers discover new process of antitumor response of NK cells in myeloma

NK cells mean Natural Killer cells. They are part of the innate immune system. They are known primarily for their ability to recognize and kill tumor cells, cells infected by viruses and bacteria, or dying by apoptosis. Although evidence about their antitumoral capacity, how this activity occurred remained unknown.

5 Nov 2019

Researchers find genes from 'fossil' virus in human DNA to be active

Genes from a virus that was stitched into the human genome thousands of years ago are active, producing proteins in the human brain and other tissues, according to researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the Laval University School of Medicine in Quebec, Canada.

5 Nov 2019

Researchers develop new type of transposase protein with improved biochemical properties

The team, comprising researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, the Universitätsklinikum Würzburg and the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, managed to design a new variant of the Sleeping Beauty transposase with dramatically improved biochemical properties.

4 Nov 2019

UK aims to lead with cutting-edge radiation therapy

The UK is all set to launch its run into the future as the undisputed leader in the field of personalized and effective radiation therapy. The proposal is undergirded by a whopping £56 million, which will be used to set up and fund advanced radiation therapy research by a new collaborative setup, Cancer Research UK RadNet, over five years. This is the largest sum ever invested by this organization into radiotherapy research.

4 Nov 2019

Scientists capture elusive cancer-related protein in action

Scientists have for the first time seen how the MYC protein, which plays a central role in cancer, binds to a key protein and controls important functions in the cell.

4 Nov 2019

Some skin cancers originate in hair follicles, says new study

A new study published online in Nature Communicationson November 4, 2019, reports that some melanomas, which are among the deadliest skin cancers, originate in melanocyte stem cells that are located within the hair follicles.

4 Nov 2019

Researchers discover way to find genetic tumor information of retinoblastoma

Retinoblastoma is a cancer that forms in the light-detecting cells in the back of the eye. It often appears in children under two years of age and can lead to blindness or eye removal. Most cancers are biopsied and studied so that medical research can design targeted treatments. Unfortunately, this is not possible with retinoblastoma.

4 Nov 2019

RCSB Protein Data Bank at Rutgers receives $34.5 million funding

The RCSB Protein Data Bank headquartered at Rutgers University-New Brunswick has been awarded $34.5 million in grants over five years from three U.S. government agencies.

4 Nov 2019

Self-sampling could increase detection of cervical pre-cancer

A non-invasive test to detect cervical pre-cancer could increase participation rates in cervical cancer screening programs.

4 Nov 2019

Some deadly skin cancers may originate in hair follicles

Some deadly skin cancers may originate in the pigment-making stem cells in hair follicles rather than in skin.

4 Nov 2019

Some skin cancers may originate in hair follicles

Some of the most deadly skin cancers may start in stem cells that lend color to hair, and originate in hair follicles rather than in skin layers, a new study finds.

4 Nov 2019

Innovative research network marks a new era of radiotherapy research in the UK

The UK will be transformed into a global hub for radiotherapy research, pioneering the use of the latest techniques such as FLASH radiotherapy and artificial intelligence, with a new £56 million research network announced by Cancer Research UK today (Monday).

4 Nov 2019

Research could address lingering quandaries about how life began

A research team at The University of Tokyo has reproducibly synthesized staircase-like supramolecules of a single handedness, or chirality, using standard laboratory equipment.

2 Nov 2019

Chemotherapy can cause drug-resistant mutations in pediatric ALL patients who relapse

Chemotherapy has helped make the most common childhood cancer one of the most curable, but researchers have evidence that the treatment may also prime some patients for relapse.

2 Nov 2019