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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).

Rare gut condition is more predictable from individual's genetic makeup, study finds

Hirschsprung disease - a rare condition where the failure of gut nerves to develop before birth leads to impaired bowel contractions that prevent infants from passing stool - is more predictable from an individual's genetic makeup than previously envisioned.

11 Apr 2019

Bacteria share genes with one another, even across tissue boundaries

Bacteria in the human body are sharing genes with one another at a higher rate than is typically seen in nature, and some of those genes appear to be traveling - independent of their microbial hosts - from one part of the body to another, researchers report in the journal Scientific Reports.

11 Apr 2019

New liquid biopsy technique used to assess melanoma progression

When the surgeon surgically removes a melanoma, some patients are said to be 'cancer-free' and they do not get additional treatment. However, should the fluid obtained in the drainage implanted after surgery be tested using the liquid biopsy technique rather than be disposed of as medical waste, the test might predict the high or low risk of cancer recurrence.

11 Apr 2019

Scientists develop new approach to unravel toxic effects of multiple stressors

Genomic markers are the key in a new approach for assessing the toxic effects arising from exposure to multiple stressors.

11 Apr 2019

Researchers discover pathway contributing to fatty liver disease

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet have found a protein that is a critical regulator in the development of fatty liver disease in mice, according to a study published in the journal Nature Communications.

11 Apr 2019

Active lifestyle influences regenerative capacity of neurons after spinal cord injury

The influence of an active lifestyle on the regenerative capacity of the peripheral nervous system, that is, the set of cranial and spinal nerves that control motor and sensory functions, is described here for the first time, explains Ángel Barco, who has led the participation of the Institute of Neurosciences UMH-CSIC, in Alicante, in this international study.

11 Apr 2019

MUSC researchers find why some babies are born with malformed hearts

Almost one percent of all American babies are born with malformed hearts. Heart abnormalities are at once the most common and most deadly type of birth defect in the U.S.

11 Apr 2019

New strategy for editing and repairing genetic mutation associated with microduplications

Scientists at UMass Medical School have developed a strategy for editing and repairing a particular type of genetic mutation associated with microduplications using CRISPR/Cas9 and a seldom-used DNA repair pathway.

11 Apr 2019

Scientists solve mystery surrounding common genetic cause of ALS

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have cracked the mystery surrounding the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease.

11 Apr 2019

Maryland researchers find four bat lineages that exhibit extreme longevity

University of Maryland researchers analyzed an evolutionary tree reconstructed from the DNA of a majority of known bat species and found four bat lineages that exhibit extreme longevity.

11 Apr 2019

Study relates DNA methylation levels to obesity

DNA methylation is a mechanism that regulates whether genes are "on" or "off" and is influenced by hereditary and environmental factors, as well as lifestyle and nutritional habits.

10 Apr 2019

Researchers identify alternative treatment for bacterial meningitis

With the increasing threat of antibiotic resistance, there is a growing need for new treatment strategies against life threatening bacterial infections.

10 Apr 2019

Researchers map genetic mutation behind incurable disease

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have mapped the genetic mutation behind the incurable disease systemic mastocytosis.

10 Apr 2019

Why hay fever persists, despite low pollen counts

A team of researchers are investigating why despite low forecasts of pollen counts, on some days, there is a higher incidence of hay fever.

10 Apr 2019

Alcohol, Cannabis and Other Drugs: A Pharmacological Evaluation

Understanding the interactions between alcohol and cannabis can provide researchers, clinicians and other HCPs with important information on the severity of their side effects.

10 Apr 2019

Science of Chocolate series of workshops aims to promote interest in science

This project has been coordinated by the Scientific Communication Unit of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili and the Catalan Chemical Research Institute.

10 Apr 2019

Large-scale screen efficiently identifies drugs that are potent cancer-killers

UC San Francisco scientists have designed a large-scale screen that efficiently identifies drugs that are potent cancer-killers when combined, but only weakly effective when used alone.

10 Apr 2019

Proton therapy shows excellent outcomes, minimal side effects in high-risk neuroblastoma patients

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania analyzed the largest cohort to date of pediatric patients with high-risk neuroblastoma treated with proton radiation therapy, finding both that proton therapy was effective at reducing tumors and demonstrated minimal toxicity to surrounding organs.

10 Apr 2019

New bioinformatics method helps scientists to understand differences in gene regulation in cells

A Belgian team of computational biologists led by Stein Aerts has developed a new bioinformatics method called cisTopic.

10 Apr 2019

New resource accelerates use of FISH techniques to study spatial organization of DNA in cells

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet present a publicly available resource that can accelerate the use of so-called FISH techniques for studying how the genome is spatially organised in the cell nucleus.

9 Apr 2019