DNA News and Research

RSS

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).

UA receives $37.5 million NIH grant to research potential regenerative therapy for Alzheimer's

The University of Arizona Center for Innovation in Brain Science has received a $37.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to research a potential regenerative therapy for Alzheimer's disease.

6 Sep 2019

Lefthandedness genes change the way the brain develops

A new study has discovered four genes related to left-handedness, and the associated differences in the way the brain is organized. About a tenth of people are left-handed, making this a not uncommon trait. However, the new findings point to greater verbal fluency with this alternate version of the brain, compared to right-handedness.

6 Sep 2019

Newly discovered resistance-spreading mechanism is independent of the use of antibiotics

Bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to common antibiotics. Often, resistance is mediated by resistance genes, which can simply jump from one bacterial population to the next.

5 Sep 2019

How tuberculosis progresses: genetic factors play a major role

There are almost 1.8 billion people with tuberculosis bacilli in their body, but only about 5% to 15% develop overt infection, usually within 18 months of initial exposure. The reason behind this selective progression has been sought for decades by scientists from a variety of fields.

5 Sep 2019

Researchers discover a molecule that regulates tumor development in different types of cancers

Researchers from the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, discover that a non-coding region of the genome originates a key molecule for the proliferation of tumors in breast cancer and some types of sarcoma.

5 Sep 2019

Large-scale study maps the genetic underpinnings of early TB progression

While the vast majority of the 1.8 billion people infected with the TB bacterium never experience active disease, an estimated 5 to 15 percent do develop full-blown infections--roughly half of them within 18 months of exposure.

4 Sep 2019

Researchers map uncharted area of genome using advanced imaging

Using advanced imaging techniques, researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have mapped a previously uncharted region of the human genome that gives rise to a variety of disease, setting the stage to potentially test for the conditions in the future.

4 Sep 2019

Study aims to achieve earlier diagnosis of ATTR cardiac amyloidosis in minority populations

Researchers at Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine, in collaboration with Columbia University Irving Medical Center, are leading a national, multi-site study aimed to achieve earlier diagnosis of transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis.

4 Sep 2019

Breast cancer gene could be key to developing targeted therapy for hepatoblastoma

Hepatoblastoma is a rare form of liver cancer affecting just a few individuals per million. However, it is the leading cause of liver cancer in infants and young children, with most patients diagnosed before their third birthday.

4 Sep 2019

Study links FAK protein to chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer

Although the number of women being diagnosed and dying of ovarian cancer is declining, recurrence, drug resistance and mortality remain high for women with high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma, the most common form of epithelial ovarian cancer.

3 Sep 2019

CRISPR-Cas9 successfully reverses type 2 diabetes in mice

Researchers have used CRISPR-Cas9 to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes in mice, a development that could eventually benefit humans.

3 Sep 2019

Study reshapes the understanding of telomerase's function in normal cells

New research from the University of Maryland and the National Institutes of Health reveals a new role for the enzyme telomerase.

3 Sep 2019

Large study quashes idea of “gay gene”

A vast new study including almost half a million people has concluded that no single gene is associated with same-sex behavior.

2 Sep 2019

SATI gene editing could replace CRISPR

Scientists have developed a new gene editing tool called SATI that is safer than CRISPR.

2 Sep 2019

DNA methylation closely linked to telomere length

Aging is associated with multiple disease conditions. Recently it has been found that many of these illnesses are linked to the length of the telomeres at the ends of every chromosome. Telomere length (TL) is affected by both genetic and epigenetic contributions.

2 Sep 2019

Leukemia is not just one disease

An estimated 61,780 new cases of leukemia will be diagnosed in the United States this year, with some 2,000 cases in New Jersey, according to the American Cancer Society.

30 Aug 2019

New discovery may help identify type 1 diabetes earlier than is currently possible

Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease that typically emerges before the age of 20, wipes out the body's ability to produce insulin--a hormone that's essential to life. Diagnosis often comes after symptoms arise, at which point the disease has taken hold.

30 Aug 2019

Cracking the code of a recurrent brain cancer

One of the most common brain cancers in children, Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) medulloblastoma, also is one of the more survivable for most kids. Unfortunately, for a subset of patients the cancer resists treatment and relapses with a vengeance to then turn deadly.

30 Aug 2019

Understanding yeast with probiotic properties

Researchers led by Prof. Johan Thevelein (VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology) have discovered that Saccharomycesboulardii, a yeast with probiotic properties, produces uniquely excessive amounts of acetic acid, the main component of vinegar.

30 Aug 2019

Cell-free DNA identifies pathogens and quantifies injuries to organs

A common problem in diagnosing infectious disease is that the presence of a potential pathogen in the body does not necessarily mean the patient is sick. This can be particularly challenging for the treatment of organ transplant recipients, who often grapple with infection as well as complications related to immunosuppression.

29 Aug 2019