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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).

Novel method can edit genes with substantially fewer errors

Gene therapy is an emerging strategy to treat diseases caused by genetic abnormalities. One form of gene therapy involves the direct repair of a defective gene, using genome-editing technology such as CRISPR-Cas9. Despite its therapeutic potential, genome editing can also introduce unwanted and potentially harmful genetic errors that limit its clinical feasibility.

5 Feb 2018

Researchers use innovative method to screen kinases for cancer drug's effectiveness

In recent years, a powerful suite of drugs known as kinase inhibitors have been developed to treat cancer and other diseases. Primary targets of such drugs include a family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) which protrude from cell surfaces like antennae and can activate cancer-related pathways in virtually all types of cancer when signaling molecules bind with them.

5 Feb 2018

Novel grape-derived compounds could be developed as therapeutic agents for treatment of depression

In a study to be published online February 2 in Nature Communications, scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai describe an extensive analysis of novel grape-derived compounds, dihydrocaffeic acid (DHCA) and malvidin-3'-O-glucoside (Mal-gluc),which might be developed as therapeutic agents for the treatment of depression.

2 Feb 2018

Study uncovers potential targets for treatment of aggressive triple-negative breast cancers

As part of a breast-cancer diagnosis, doctors analyze the tumor to determine which therapies might best attack the malignancy.

2 Feb 2018

Specialized cellular structures may hold clues to health effects of psychological stress

How does psychological stress translate into physical health effects? A key piece of the puzzle may be found in specialized cellular structures known as mitochondria, according to a pair of articles in the January issue of Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, the official journal of the American Psychosomatic Society.

2 Feb 2018

Higher susceptibility of some babies to Zika virus has a genetic origin, study shows

Microcephaly, brain calcification, skeletal alterations, auditory and visual deficits - these are examples of the damage that can be caused by Zika virus in babies born to mothers infected during pregnancy.

2 Feb 2018

Study reveals the mechanism of common DNA mutations

Researchers at The Ohio University have uncovered the mechanism by which thymine and guanine, the most commonly mutated bases in DNA, become damaged.

2 Feb 2018

Scientists develop immune-stimulating injections against cancer

A team of researchers have developed two immune-stimulating injections, that removed all traces of cancer when injected directly into solid mouse tumors.

2 Feb 2018

New ChIPseq kit is optimized for fresh and frozen tissue samples

The new, high-performance Chromatrap ChIP-Seq kit (v.1.5) is optimized to work from fresh and frozen extracted tissue, as well as cell lines.

From Chromatrap® - Porvair Sciences Ltd 2 Feb 2018

New modular platform offers robust biological approach that targets endless number of diseases

The biological complexity of cancer and other diseases demands a more formidable arsenal of therapies than currently available. Most therapeutic approaches ignore the dynamic molecular network of genes, targeting instead only very few selected disease-related genes.

1 Feb 2018

Two bacterial species collaborate to drive development of colon cancers

Patients with an inherited form of colon cancer harbor two bacterial species that collaborate to encourage development of the disease, and the same species have been found in people who develop a sporadic form of colon cancer, a study led by a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy research team finds.

1 Feb 2018

Free magnesium ions regulate chromosome shape, new tool shows

Japanese researchers report a new ion detector, MARIO. Using it, they show that changes in the intracellular concentration of free magnesium ions (Mg2+) is critical for the chromosome folding that must occur for cells to divide.

1 Feb 2018

Computer-based models reveal optimal conditions for killing harmful bacteria

Bacteria, transformed into dormant spores, can survive millions of years in extreme environments, threatening human life in the form of food poisoning and the biological weapon anthrax. But understanding how bacteria adapt to hostile environments has largely remained a mystery--until now.

1 Feb 2018

Houston Methodist researchers have new explanation for why airways close during asthma attacks

Houston Methodist researchers have a new explanation for what causes the lungs' airways to close during asthma attacks.

31 Jan 2018

New projects to develop innovative technologies to address global health challenges

Fifteen projects announced today, 31 January 2018, will develop new healthcare technologies to tackle international health challenges, ranging from the prevention of limb loss by Syrian refugees to faster diagnosis and treatment for parasitic diseases such as malaria.

31 Jan 2018

Expert panel releases updated guidelines for lung cancer molecular testing

Lung cancer treatment often pairs targeted therapies with genetic alterations driving the disease. This makes detecting these genetic alterations an essential step in diagnosis.

30 Jan 2018

Scientists discover how gene mutation affects T cell function to promote immune disorders

Scientists discovered how a gene mutation affects T cell function to promote immune disorders and then tested a treatment based on the discovery-; successfully fixing donated immune cells from a 16-year-old boy with an abnormally low level of white blood cells called lymphopenia.

30 Jan 2018

Researchers discover link between rheumatoid arthritis and bacteria in milk

A strain of bacteria commonly found in milk and beef may be a trigger for developing rheumatoid arthritis in people who are genetically at risk, according to a new study from the University of Central Florida.

30 Jan 2018

Researchers sequence human genome using pocket-sized device

Scientists have assembled the most complete human genome to date using a pocket-sized, portable DNA sequencer.

From Oxford Nanopore Technologies 30 Jan 2018

Computational approach can help identify chemoresistant potential targets in cancer stem cells

In cancer, one of the most important features is the methylation of deoxycytosine to form 5-methylcytosine (5mC). DNA methylation is a process by which methyl groups (structural units of organic compounds consisting of three hydrogen atoms bonded to a carbon atom) are added to the DNA molecule.

30 Jan 2018

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

Novel method can edit genes with substantially fewer errors

Researchers use innovative method to screen kinases for cancer drug's effectiveness

Novel grape-derived compounds could be developed as therapeutic agents for treatment of depression

Study uncovers potential targets for treatment of aggressive triple-negative breast cancers

Specialized cellular structures may hold clues to health effects of psychological stress

Higher susceptibility of some babies to Zika virus has a genetic origin, study shows

Study reveals the mechanism of common DNA mutations

Scientists develop immune-stimulating injections against cancer

New ChIPseq kit is optimized for fresh and frozen tissue samples

New modular platform offers robust biological approach that targets endless number of diseases

Two bacterial species collaborate to drive development of colon cancers

Free magnesium ions regulate chromosome shape, new tool shows

Computer-based models reveal optimal conditions for killing harmful bacteria

Houston Methodist researchers have new explanation for why airways close during asthma attacks

New projects to develop innovative technologies to address global health challenges

Expert panel releases updated guidelines for lung cancer molecular testing

Scientists discover how gene mutation affects T cell function to promote immune disorders

Researchers discover link between rheumatoid arthritis and bacteria in milk

Researchers sequence human genome using pocket-sized device

Computational approach can help identify chemoresistant potential targets in cancer stem cells

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