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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).

Stress may just as harmful to our body as bad diet, BYU study finds

We all know that a poor diet is unhealthy, but a new BYU study finds that stress may just as harmful to our bodies as a really bad diet.

16 Oct 2017

CHLA and Keck Medicine of USC develop new liquid biopsy for tumor of the retina

Retinoblastoma is a tumor of the retina that generally affects children under 5 years of age. If not diagnosed early, retinoblastoma may result in loss of one or both eyes and can be fatal. Unlike most cancers that are diagnosed using a biopsy, retinoblastoma tumors cannot be directly biopsied.

16 Oct 2017

Investigating new cancer therapy candidates with live-cell imaging

There are two main things that we've worked on in the lab as regards to drug studies. One is identifying new combinations of drugs, and working on why a combination of drugs should work better than each alone.

From Sartorius 16 Oct 2017

Study finds link between sleep duration and measure of chromosomal health in sperm

A new study found a link between sleep duration and a measure of chromosomal health in sperm. The findings are published in the Journal of Sleep Research.

16 Oct 2017

Researchers identify several previously unknown antibiotic resistance genes

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have found several previously unknown genes that make bacteria resistant to last-resort antibiotics.

16 Oct 2017

TSRI scientists develop molecular model for improving design of osteoporosis treatments

Using advanced mass spectrometry technology, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have developed a molecular model that may provide a new framework for improving the design of osteoporosis treatments.

13 Oct 2017

New study describes unique role of androgens in kidney cancer

A new study is believed to be the first to describe the unique role of androgens in kidney cancer, and it suggests that a new approach to treatment, targeting the androgen receptor (AR), is worth further investigation.

13 Oct 2017

Specific regions of silenced DNA help define cell's identity, study suggests

The fundamental mechanisms governing how cells form an identity such as becoming a muscle cell or a nerve cell are not fully understood. Multiple diseases, including cancer, have been linked to cells going down the wrong developmental path during maturation.

13 Oct 2017

Study helps understand basic mechanisms of mitochondrial DNA maintenance

Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland have discovered a novel mechanism safeguarding mitochondrial DNA. The study, published in PNAS earlier this week, was carried out in close collaboration with research groups from CBMSO in Madrid, Spain, and Umeå University in Sweden.

13 Oct 2017

Study pinpoints which lifestyle factors cause longer or shorter lifespan

People who are overweight cut their life expectancy by two months for every extra kilogramme of weight they carry, research suggests.

13 Oct 2017

UC biologists find link between paternal diet and offspring’s health

Doctors long have stressed the importance of good nutrition for expectant mothers. Now biologists at the University of Cincinnati say the father's diet could play a similar role in the health of a baby.

12 Oct 2017

MIT researchers develop new technique to screen for genes that protect against diseases

Using a modified version of the CRISPR genome-editing system, MIT researchers have developed a new way to screen for genes that protect against specific diseases.

12 Oct 2017

Whole genome sequencing could help better understand genetic abnormalities underlying autism

An analysis of the complete genomes of 2,064 people reveals that multiple genetic variations could contribute to autism. The work suggests that scanning whole genomes may one day be useful for clinical diagnostics.Autism has genetic roots, but most cases can't be explained by current genetic tests.

12 Oct 2017

Study documents gene mutation as cause of cancer form in the liver

There is no effective treatment for the cancer form found in the liver called fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma, which is mainly found among children and young people.

12 Oct 2017

TSRI scientists demonstrate repurposing of DNA to create new substances

DNA evolved to store genetic information, but in principle this special, chain-like molecule can also be adapted to make new materials. Chemists at The Scripps Research Institute have now published an important demonstration of this repurposing of DNA to create new substances with possible medical applications.

12 Oct 2017

Existing drugs could help patients with rare form of bone cancer

Patients with a rare bone cancer of the skull and spine - chordoma - could be helped by existing drugs, suggest scientists from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, University College London Cancer Institute and the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust.

12 Oct 2017

Research expands range in dry preservation of mammalian sperm cells

In a paper forthcoming in the November issue of the journal Theriogenology, a team of researchers from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, announced the first successful drying and rehydration of domestic cat spermatozoa using a rapid microwave dehydration method.

12 Oct 2017

C-section kids could be at greater risk of being overweight due to differences in their gut bacteria

Researchers from NYU School of Medicine studied the effects of Caesarean section on the weights of the offspring in laboratory mice and found that they are more at risk of becoming overweight and obese.

12 Oct 2017

Canadian researchers pinpoint new gene linked to peanut allergy

Canadian researchers have pinpointed a new gene associated with peanut allergy, offering further evidence that genes play a role in the development of food allergies and opening the door to future research, improved diagnostics and new treatment options.

11 Oct 2017

Mitochondrial DNA copy number appears to be predictive of sudden cardiac death, heart attacks

Johns Hopkins researchers report that the level, or "copy number," of mitochondrial DNA--genetic information stored not in a cell's nucleus but in the body's energy-creating mitochondria--is a novel and distinct biomarker that is able to predict the risk of heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths a decade or more before they happen.

11 Oct 2017