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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 provides systematic view of gene enhancer activity in diverse tumors

At the heart of any cancer diagnosis or treatment are cells. If one thinks of the cell components controlling gene activation as a Russian nesting-doll of gene regulatory layers, within those increasingly smaller tiers are short pieces of non-coding DNA called enhancers.

5 Apr 2018

New method simplifies genetic modification of T-cells in mice

A new method enables genes in living T-cells in mice to be modified quickly and efficiently. It makes use of plasmids, a tried-and-tested method of genetic engineering.

5 Apr 2018

Research links DNA variants to increased risk of IBS in women

New research coordinated by Karolinska Institutet in Sweden links certain DNA variants to increased risk of irritable bowel syndrome in women. The findings, published in the scientific journal Gastroenterology, might help explain why IBS is more common in women than in men.

5 Apr 2018

Viruses dating back millions of years identified

Scientists have now discovered over 200 viruses that were till date unknown to humans. These belong to same strains that cause diseases such as hemorrhagic fevers (Dengue or Ebola) and influenza. Their origins have been traced back to millions of years when the animals first roamed earth. The study appeared in the latest issue of the journal Nature and was released online yesterday 4th April 2018.

5 Apr 2018

DNA-mimicking synthetic molecule could lead to new HIV treatment

Researchers have developed a synthetic compound that mimics the surface of DNA and is able to inhibit several DNA-processing enzymes.

4 Apr 2018

Ionizing radiation can reduce stiffness of tumor cell microenvironment

Nearly half of all cancer patients receive radiation therapy to curb the growth of malignant cells. But little is known about how ionizing radiation affects the extracellular matrix (ECM), a patchwork of proteins and other biomolecules that surrounds cells and plays a vital role in their shape, movement and signaling functions.

3 Apr 2018

Human genome is like a time machine, says researcher

The human genome is a bit like a time machine, says Ben Voight, an associate professor in Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and of Genetics in Penn's Perelman School of Medicine.

3 Apr 2018

Stable proteins in the brain offer clues to long-term memory and learning in mice

In the tiny brain space where two nerve cells meet, chemical and electric signals shuttle back and forth, a messaging system that ebbs and flows in those synaptic spaces, sometimes in ways that scientists believe aid and abet learning and memory.

3 Apr 2018

'Molecular scissors' could play pivotal role in fighting diseases including HIV infection

One way to fight diseases including HIV infection and autoimmune disorders could involve changing how a naturally occurring enzyme called SAMHD1 works to influence the immune system, new research suggests.

3 Apr 2018

Researchers identify 200 mutations in non-coding DNA that play role in cancer

Most of the human genome - 98 percent - is made up of DNA but doesn't actually encode genes, the recipes cells use to build proteins.

2 Apr 2018

Gut microbiome could be accurate predictor of hospitalizations for patients with cirrhosis

The gut microbiome -- a collection of bacteria and other microbes in the gut -- could be a highly accurate predictor of hospitalizations for patients with cirrhosis, according to a recently published study led by a researcher at Virginia Commonwealth University.

30 Mar 2018

Research reveals role of colon signaling pathway in development of IBD

The intestine encounters more foreign substances, and potential toxins, than other parts of the body, so it is not surprising that a healthy gut is maintained by the tight control of immune responses.

30 Mar 2018

Researchers untap potential of wearable sensors and AI technologies to predict biological age

Researchers from the longevity biotech company GERO and Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology have shown that physical activity data acquired from wearables can be used to produce digital biomarkers of aging and frailty.

30 Mar 2018

New model predicts impact of rare genetic variants on IQ

Researchers have developed a new model that can predict the effect of rare genetic variants on a person’s IQ.

30 Mar 2018

New model predicts impact of rare genetic variants on IQ

Researchers have developed a new model that can predict the effect of rare genetic variants on a person’s IQ.

30 Mar 2018

Leukemia itself may increase risk for long-term neurocognitive problems in survivors

Leukemia itself, not just side effects related to its treatment, may increase the risk for long-term problems with attention, organization and related neurocognitive skills in survivors of the most common childhood cancer, according to research from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The study appears today in the journal JAMA Oncology.

29 Mar 2018

Genomic test effective for detecting Lynch syndrome in CRC patients

A single, upfront genomic test is more effective for detecting Lynch syndrome in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients than the traditional multiple, sequential testing approach, according to new clinical data reported by The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.

29 Mar 2018

Tiny biochip holds promise for rapid and accurate disease detection

A novel invention by a team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) holds promise for a faster and cheaper way to diagnose diseases with high accuracy.

29 Mar 2018

New tracing methods reveal breadth of neural communication in visual cortex

An international collaboration of neuroscientists have today published a paper in Nature demonstrating the breadth of neural communication in visual cortex using a combination of methods for tracing the projections of individual neurons across the brain.

29 Mar 2018