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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).

Researchers examine human mutations' impact on therapeutic effect of medicine

Every person has a unique DNA sequence in their genome. Now researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge have tried to quantify what these differences in the genome mean in the context of the genes targeted by drugs.

15 Dec 2017

Cancer immunotherapy’s effectiveness may depend on patient’s genetic makeup

Cancer cells arise when DNA is mutated, and these cells should be recognized as "foreign" by the immune system. However, cancer cells have found ways to evade detection by the immune system.

15 Dec 2017

Medicare fails to recover hundreds of millions of dollars in lab overcharges

Five years ago, Companion DX Reference Lab hoped to cash in on cutting-edge genetic tests paid for by Medicare.

15 Dec 2017

Inherited gene variation may be to blame for poor survival of patients with early-onset breast cancer

A new study led by scientists at the University of Southampton has found that inherited variation in a particular gene may be to blame for the lower survival rate of patients diagnosed with early-onset breast cancer.

14 Dec 2017

Study tests accuracy of laboratory-developed cancer tests and FDA-approved companion diagnostics

Cancer molecular testing can drive clinical decision making and help a clinician determine if a patient is a good candidate for a targeted therapeutic drug.

14 Dec 2017

Scientists unravel mystery of how immune cells remember infections decades later

A perplexing question in immunology has been, how do immune cells remember an infection or a vaccination so that they can spring into action decades later? Research led by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, in collaboration with investigators at Emory University, has found an answer: A small pool of the same immune cells that responded to the original invasion remain alive for years, developing unique features that keep them primed and waiting for the same microbe to re-invade the body.

14 Dec 2017

Researchers win NIH grants for Alzheimer's research on Amish resilience and rapid onset

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have received two grant awards, in partnership with investigators from other institutions, from the National Institutes of Health to conduct major studies on Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of memory loss and other forms of dementia in older persons.

14 Dec 2017

Studies reveal possibility for memory T cells to serve a dual purpose

Scientists of two new complementary studies researching mice and humans claim that they have the strongest evidence yet that memory T cells responsible for long-term immune protection also serve an additional role.

14 Dec 2017

Study finds social stigma as barrier to successful treatment of children with HIV in Ethiopia

The social stigma surrounding HIV is still strong in many parts of the world. Children living with HIV in Ethiopia are at high risk of receiving inadequate treatment - or no treatment at all - on account of deeply rooted prejudice.

14 Dec 2017

Human ‘common cold’ virus kills healthy chimpanzees in Uganda

In the wild, chimpanzees face any number of dire threats, ranging from poachers to predators to deforestation.

13 Dec 2017

Steroid study provides new insights into medicines' side effects

Fresh insights into key hormones found in commonly prescribed medicines have been discovered, providing further understanding of the medicines' side effects.

13 Dec 2017

Study reveals impact of diabetes during pregnancy on baby's heart

A new study conducted at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA discovered how increased glucose levels caused either by diabetes or other factors keep heart cells from maturing normally.

13 Dec 2017

Scientists develop new, high resolution method for identifying microbial species and strains

Scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Sema4, and collaborating institutions New York University and the University of Florida today published a report detailing their new, more accurate method for identifying individual microbial species and strains in a community.

13 Dec 2017

Time-lapse imaging reveals how antimicrobial treated surfaces kill superbugs in two hours

Experts at the University of Warwick have produced microscopic footage of the potentially deadly E. coli bacteria being wiped out in just two hours on an antimicrobial treated ‘intelligent’ surface.

13 Dec 2017

Caris Life Sciences reveals identification of new mechanism of action to treat NHL

Caris Life Sciences, a leading innovator in molecular science focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine, today announced a data presentation, at the 59th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting & Exposition in Atlanta, demonstrating the identification of a new mechanism of action to treat non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

13 Dec 2017

Researchers discover how high glucose levels in pregnancy affect baby's heart

Researchers at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA have discovered how high glucose levels -- whether caused by diabetes or other factors -- keep heart cells from maturing normally.

12 Dec 2017

Bipolar disorder may involve accelerated epigenetic aging, study finds

Bipolar disorder may involve accelerated epigenetic aging, which could explain why persons with the disorder are more likely to have - and die from - age-related diseases, according to researchers from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

12 Dec 2017

Study identifies potassium as key to circadian rhythms in red blood cells

An innovative new study from the University of Surrey and Cambridge's MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications, has uncovered the secrets of the circadian rhythms in red blood cells and identified potassium as the key to unraveling the mystery.

12 Dec 2017

Researchers reveal pathological mechanisms in congenital myotonic dystrophy

Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is the most common form of genetic muscular dystrophy that begins in adulthood. DM is characterized by progressive muscle wasting and weakness. People with this disorder often have prolonged muscle contractions (myotonic) and are not able to relax certain muscles after use.

12 Dec 2017

Newly discovered molecular chaperones may soon be part of therapies for Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative disease. It is always fatal. The disease is caused by a defect in the Huntingtin gene. To this day, no therapy will put a stop to the insidious disintegration of brain cells.

12 Dec 2017

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

Researchers examine human mutations' impact on therapeutic effect of medicine

Cancer immunotherapy’s effectiveness may depend on patient’s genetic makeup

Medicare fails to recover hundreds of millions of dollars in lab overcharges

Inherited gene variation may be to blame for poor survival of patients with early-onset breast cancer

Study tests accuracy of laboratory-developed cancer tests and FDA-approved companion diagnostics

Scientists unravel mystery of how immune cells remember infections decades later

Researchers win NIH grants for Alzheimer's research on Amish resilience and rapid onset

Studies reveal possibility for memory T cells to serve a dual purpose

Study finds social stigma as barrier to successful treatment of children with HIV in Ethiopia

Human ‘common cold’ virus kills healthy chimpanzees in Uganda

Steroid study provides new insights into medicines' side effects

Study reveals impact of diabetes during pregnancy on baby's heart

Scientists develop new, high resolution method for identifying microbial species and strains

Time-lapse imaging reveals how antimicrobial treated surfaces kill superbugs in two hours

Caris Life Sciences reveals identification of new mechanism of action to treat NHL

Researchers discover how high glucose levels in pregnancy affect baby's heart

Bipolar disorder may involve accelerated epigenetic aging, study finds

Study identifies potassium as key to circadian rhythms in red blood cells

Researchers reveal pathological mechanisms in congenital myotonic dystrophy

Newly discovered molecular chaperones may soon be part of therapies for Huntington's disease

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