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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 new protective mechanism for tumor cells in breast cancer

Greater knowledge of the mechanisms that contribute to the survival of tumor cells is key to vanquishing them.

25 May 2018

New drug-delivering nanoparticle could offer better way to treat brain tumors

Glioblastoma multiforme, a type of brain tumor, is one of the most difficult-to-treat cancers. Only a handful of drugs are approved to treat glioblastoma, and the median life expectancy for patients diagnosed with the disease is less than 15 months.

25 May 2018

New study puts forth most comprehensive tree of life for malaria parasites

A new study led by the American Museum of Natural History puts forth the most comprehensive tree of life for malaria parasites to date.

24 May 2018

Tau mutations may serve as novel risk factor for cancer

Mutations to the protein tau, commonly associated with neurodegenerative disorders, may serve as a novel risk factor for cancer, according to results published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

24 May 2018

UD researchers examine connection between DNA replication in HPV and cancer

A pair of researchers from the University of Delaware Department of Medical and Molecular Sciences are investigating genetic variations in DNA replication of human papillomaviruses and its correlation with HPV-related cancers.

23 May 2018

Skin responsible for uptake of cancer-causing compounds during barbecuing than lungs

With summer coming, it's only a matter of time before the smells and tastes of barbecued foods dominate the neighborhood. But there's a downside to grilling that can literally get under your skin.

23 May 2018

Researchers complete genomic map of chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Researchers have created a high-resolution map of the entire epigenome of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the most common form of leukemia.

23 May 2018

HU researchers explore how simulated microgravity affects gene expression, muscle cell differentiation

Astronauts go through many physiological changes during their time in spaceflight, including lower muscle mass and slower muscle development. Similar symptoms can occur in the muscles of people on Earth's surface, too. In fact, it could affect everyone to some extent later in life.

23 May 2018

Schizophrenics' blood samples feature genetic material from more types of microorganisms

The blood of schizophrenia patients features genetic material from more types of microorganisms than that of people without the debilitating mental illness, research at Oregon State University has found.

22 May 2018

Researcher develops nanoparticle-based tags to detect viruses and cancer with high sensitivity

How can we detect cancer and viruses with high sensitivity? Physical chemist Laura Fabris-;an associate professor in the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and principal investigator of the Fabris NanoBio Group-;is addressing this very question.

22 May 2018

Researchers to test two-pronged approach in humans to treat advanced colorectal cancer

For the first time in humans, researchers will test a two-pronged approach to treat advanced stage colorectal cancer, potentially increasing life expectancy.

22 May 2018

DNA vaccine shows promise for colorectal cancer

For the first time in humans, researchers are testing a combined approach to treating advanced stage colorectal cancer (CRC) that may be life-changing for patients.

22 May 2018

Scientists decipher workings of little-understood bacterial riboswitch

In a discovery that points to potential new antibiotic medicines, scientists from Rice University and the University of Michigan have deciphered the workings of a common but little-understood bacterial switch that cuts off protein production before it begins.

22 May 2018

Are you and your primary care doc ready to talk about your DNA?

If you have a genetic mutation that increases your risk for a treatable medical condition, would you want to know? For many people the answer is yes. But such information is not commonly part of routine primary care.

22 May 2018

CRISPR-Cas9-based strategy allows researchers to precisely alter hundreds of different genes

Geneticists have been using model organisms ranging from the house mouse to the single-cell bakers' yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, to study basic biological processes that regulate human development and physiology, and that can be compromised in various diseases.

22 May 2018

Researchers create tool to determine patient's response to immunotherapy drugs

Understanding that not all bladder cancers are the same, researchers at the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center have created a tool that may help them to uncover why only a fraction of patients respond to new immune-based treatments.

21 May 2018

Researchers identify protein essential for eye lens development and clear vision

If you want to take clear photographs, you don't use sandpaper to clear a smudge from your camera's lens. Similarly, if you want to see clearly, the lens of your eye has to be free of obstruction.

21 May 2018

Study brings fresh insights into biology of malaria parasite

A team of researchers led by a University of California, Riverside, scientist has found that various stages of the development of human malaria parasites, including stages involved in malaria transmission, are linked to epigenetic features and how chromatin -- the complex of DNA and proteins within the nucleus -- is organized and structured in these parasites.

18 May 2018

New CRISPR/Cas9 system targets regulatory genes of AIDS virus

By destroying the regulatory genes of the AIDS virus HIV-1 using the genome editing system CRISPR/Cas9, a Japanese research group has succeeded in blocking the production of HIV-1 by infected cells.

18 May 2018

Scientists identify new potential target to combat acute myeloid leukemia

AML is not a single disease. It is a group of leukemias that develop in the bone marrow from progenitors of specialized blood cells, the so-called myeloid cells. Rapidly growing and dividing, these aberrant cells crowd the bone marrow and bloodstream, which can be fatal within weeks or months if the disease is left untreated.

18 May 2018