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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).

Research shows how viruses inactivate immune system, causing cancer

It's no new news that viruses cause cancer. For example, human papillomavirus causes almost all of the more than 500,000 annual worldwide cases of cervical cancer.

2 Mar 2018

Researchers identify genetic variations that affect blood pressure using cigarette smoking behavior

Using a technique that is opening the door to more complex analyses of the human genome, researchers have identified dozens of new genetic variations that affect blood pressure.

2 Mar 2018

CRISPR enzyme can also cleave RNA, finds study

Researchers have discovered that the Cas-9 enzyme used in CRISPR gene editing can also cleave complimentary messenger RNA, in addition to DNA.

2 Mar 2018

Skin bacteria may be an answer to cancer find researchers

The skin protects the body from harm and is also covered with billions of bacteria which are called commensal bacteria that form the microbiota of the skin. These are friendly bacteria that stay on the skin surface without causing harm.

2 Mar 2018

Researchers report potential new role for skin bacteria in protecting against cancer

Science continues to peel away layers of the skin microbiome to reveal its protective properties. In a study published in Science Advances on February 28, University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers report a potential new role for some bacteria on the skin: protecting against cancer.

1 Mar 2018

Fraunhofer researchers develop process to accurately diagnose koi herpes virus

Whether grilled, spicy with bell peppers or breaded in flour and fried floating in oil - the carp is one of the most popular edible fish.

1 Mar 2018

Study unlocks big puzzle in familial breast cancer

Mutations in known breast cancer genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 are identified in only approximately 20 per cent of women who are offered genetic testing for familial breast cancer.

1 Mar 2018

Researchers develop genetic bar codes for superfoods

Chia seeds, Moringa powder, Açai or Goji berries, the list of foods with alleged health benefits is increasing constantly. Health-conscious consumers love "superfoods" that are attributed stress-reducing and detoxifying properties as well as properties strengthening the immune system.

1 Mar 2018

Scientists identify single genetic change in Salmonella that plays key role in bloodstream infections

Scientists have identified a single genetic change in Salmonella that is playing a key role in the devastating epidemic of bloodstream infections currently killing around 400,000 people each year in sub-Saharan Africa.

1 Mar 2018

Scientists explore factors that most affect our immune system

Why do we respond differently to infections or vaccines? Why are some people allergic to pollen? These are still unanswered questions in biological and medical science.

28 Feb 2018

UNIGE researchers discover why premature cell division promotes tumor formation

The accumulation of mutations in the human genome is at the origin of cancers, as well as the development of resistance to treatments. The Cyclin E and Myc genes are active in the control of cell division.

28 Feb 2018

RNA-based method cures lung tumors in mice

By turning down the activity of a specific RNA molecule researchers at Sahlgrenska Academy, Sweden, have cured lung tumors in mice by 40-50 percent.

28 Feb 2018

Breast cancer and lymphoma survivors at greater risk of developing heart failure

Patients who were treated for breast cancer or lymphoma are more than three times at risk for developing congestive heart failure, compared with patients who did not have cancer. Congestive heart failure is when the heart muscle does not pump blood as well as it should.

28 Feb 2018

CRISPR-like gene editing could be potential way to treat patients with harmful blood lipid levels

Using a variation of CRISPR gene editing may be a potential strategy for mimicking the protective effects of a genetic mutation linked to lower cholesterol levels and heart disease risks, according to new mouse research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania published this week in Circulation.

28 Feb 2018

Quiescent cells also acquire particular type of mutation, research shows

For almost a hundred years, geneticists have believed that the more a cell divides the more mutations it acquires. However, research by scientists at the Institut Pasteur shows that quiescent cells, which do not divide, also acquire a particular type of mutation - deletions (mutations through loss of nucleobases).

27 Feb 2018

Telomere length testing can alter treatment decisions for certain diseases

Research led by Johns Hopkins physicians and scientists shows that a test for measuring the length of DNA endcaps, called telomeres, which has a variability rate of 5 percent, can alter treatment decisions for patients with certain types of bone marrow failure.

27 Feb 2018

ASU researchers uncover crucial step in telomerase enzyme catalytic cycle

Can we stay young forever, or even recapture lost youth? Research from the laboratory of Professor Julian Chen in the School of Molecular Sciences at Arizona State University recently uncovered a crucial step in the telomerase enzyme catalytic cycle.

27 Feb 2018

Scientists map breast cancer's spread routes

Breast cancer spreads to other organs in the body according to certain specific patterns. This has been shown by a team of researchers from Karolinska Institutet and KTH in Sweden and the University of Helsinki in Finland who have mapped breast cancer's spread routes in patients by studying the cancer cells' DNA. The study is published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.

27 Feb 2018

Researchers develop new tool that provides 3D view of metabolic processes

An international team of researchers has developed a computational resource that provides a 3D view of genes, proteins and metabolites involved in human metabolism.

27 Feb 2018

Novel method to extract valuable psychiatric symptom information from doctors' notes

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School have developed a new method to extract valuable symptom information from doctors' notes, allowing them to capture the complexity of psychiatric disorders that is missed by traditional sources of clinical data.

26 Feb 2018