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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).

Genes associated with autism interact to modulate variable symptoms of disease

Genes located in a large chromosomal aberration associated with autism interact with each other to modulate the variable symptoms of the disease, according to new research.

29 Jun 2018

Human leukemia virus increases disease risk by changing the way DNA loops inside our cells

A human virus that causes a rare form of leukemia increases the risk of disease by changing the way DNA loops inside our cells.

29 Jun 2018

Study focuses on sexual habits of fungus that causes athlete's foot

The sexual habits of Trichophyton rubrum, the fungus that causes athlete's foot and other kinds of skin and nail infections, were the focus of a study published by Brazilian scientists and international collaborators in the journal Genetics.

29 Jun 2018

Porvair Sciences produces informative catalog on easy-to-use DNA kits

Porvair Sciences has produced an informative catalog that describes its growing range of easy-to-use kits for DNA extraction, purification and size selection.

From Porvair Sciences Limited 29 Jun 2018

Molecular brake on cell proliferation prevents DNA damage and cancer development

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, and the University of Sussex, England, have discovered that the process of copying DNA generates a brake signal that stalls cell division.

28 Jun 2018

Genetic biomarker can help predict survival outcomes in patients with certain gliomas

A DNA-level biomarker (MGMT promoter methylation) can be used to help predict survival outcomes in patients with high-risk, low-grade gliomas, according to a new study conducted through the NRG Oncology/RTOG collaborative clinical trials group and led by scientists at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.

28 Jun 2018

DNA methylation predicts survival outcome in patients with glioma

A new study has shown that survival rates among patients with glioma double if the tumor carries a methylated MGMT gene.

28 Jun 2018

Rethinking current method paves way for new, personalized cancer diagnostics

All diseases have a genetic component. Advances in understanding the genetic mechanisms behind these disease enables the development of early diagnostic tests, new treatments, or interventions to prevent disease onset or minimize disease severity.

28 Jun 2018

Individual species of lipids may be better signatures of metabolic health

Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States, and high triglyceride levels in the blood are cited as just one of several risk factors. Millions of lipid panels, blood tests that look at cholesterol levels as well as triglycerides, are performed in clinics each year.

27 Jun 2018

Texas A&M research paves way for more DNA studies

Dr. Wonmuk Hwang, associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University, is researching the mechanics of DNA, the blueprint of the human body.

27 Jun 2018

Substantial number of older adults at risk of vitamin B12 and folate deficiency, study shows

A new study by researchers from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, has shown for the first time that a substantial number of adults over 50 are at risk of deficiency in vitamin B12 and folate (the natural vitamin linked to the dietary supplement, folic acid).

27 Jun 2018

UPMC and Pitt announce launch of advanced genome sequencing center

UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh today announced the launch of an advanced genome sequencing center to support clinical diagnostics and research initiatives in precision medicine and immunotherapy.

27 Jun 2018

Error in most widely used method in epigenetics can cause misleading results

An error in one of the most widely used methods in epigenetics, DIP-seq, can cause misleading results, researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, have shown. This may have major significance in the research field, where "big data" and advanced methods of DNA analysis are used to study vast amounts of epigenetic data.

26 Jun 2018

Special collection of papers highlights research on craniofacial genetics

Our faces can reveal a lot about us, and now scientists are revealing a lot about faces. PLOS Genetics announces a special collection of papers to highlight recent advances in our understanding of how faces form, curated by Seth Weinberg of the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues.

26 Jun 2018

Scientists discover new kind of small-cell lung cancer

Researchers have discovered a new kind of small-cell lung cancer. The discovery paves the way for developing personalized medicine approaches to target this previously unnoticed form of the disease.

26 Jun 2018

Researchers identify novel mutation in amyloid diseases

Researchers have identified a one-of-a kind mutation in the DNA of a patient who died of transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis, a progressive condition characterized by the buildup of abnormal deposits of a misfolded protein called amyloid in the body's organs and tissues.

26 Jun 2018

CRISPR technique reduces repetitive behavior in fragile X syndrome mouse models

Scientists have used CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to lessen some autism symptoms in mice with a form of fragile X syndrome, the most common known single-gene cause of autism spectrum disorder.

25 Jun 2018

New discovery suggests potential target for treating cancers and other diseases

When cells grow and divide to ensure a biological function - such as a properly working organ - DNA must be unwound from its typical tightly packed form and copied into RNA to create proteins.

25 Jun 2018

Genetic subset of prostate cancer may benefit from combination checkpoint immunotherapy

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy released a study investigating the use of combination checkpoint immunotherapy in the treatment of a lethal form of advanced prostate cancer.

25 Jun 2018