DNA News and Research

RSS

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).

Salk scientists show how microenvironment signals encourage growth of pancreatic tumors

Just as an invasive weed might need nutrient-rich soil and water to grow, many cancers rely on the right surroundings in the body to thrive.

20 Jan 2017

New genital herpes vaccine candidate shows promising results in preclinical tests

Approximately 500 million people around the world are infected with the genital herpes virus known as herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV2).

20 Jan 2017

MGH-developed CTC-iChip with digital PCR assay improves detection of early-stage liver cancer

Use of an advanced form of the commonly used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method to analyze circulating tumor cells (CTCs) may greatly increase the ability to diagnose early-stage cancer, increasing the likelihood of successful treatment.

20 Jan 2017

Popularity of non-invasive prenatal testing increasing among pregnant women

Genetic counselors are playing a greater role in areas of medicine in the wake of advancement in genomic technology.

19 Jan 2017

Study provides link between common mutations in blood cells of older adults and atherosclerosis

A new study provides some of the first links between relatively common mutations in the blood cells of elderly humans and atherosclerosis.

19 Jan 2017

Selonterra publishes article on novel APOE4 mechanism linked to Alzheimer’s disease

Selonterra LLC, a biotechnology company discovering therapies for Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease announced the publication of the article “Identification of a Nuclear Respiratory Factor 1 Recognition Motif in the Apolipoprotein E Variant APOE4 linked to Alzheimer’s Disease” in Scientific Reports, a peer-reviewed journal of the Nature Publishing Group.

19 Jan 2017

New research provides insight into how estrogen modulates fear learning

Low estrogen levels may make women more susceptible to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some points in their menstrual cycles or lifetimes, while high estrogen levels may be protective.

19 Jan 2017

Sedentary lifestyle may hasten biological aging

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report that elderly women who sit for more than 10 hours a day with low physical activity have cells that are biologically older by eight years compared to women who are less sedentary.

18 Jan 2017

Enzyme identified in baker's yeast can efficiently annihilate leukemia cells

An enzyme identified in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, commonly known as brewer's or baker's yeast, has passed in vitro trials, demonstrating its capacity to kill acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells.

18 Jan 2017

Study finds link between obesity-related disease and epigenetic modifications

Obesity has been linked to "letter" changes at many different sites in the genome, yet these differences do not fully explain the variation in people's body mass index (BMI) or why some overweight people develop health complications while others don't.

18 Jan 2017

COGENT scientists uncover genes responsible for cognitive ability

An international team of scientists, led by Todd Lencz, PhD, professor at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research at Northwell Health and Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, have unlocked some of the genes responsible for cognitive ability.

17 Jan 2017

Metabolomics and NMR

Bruker has been involved in the Phenome Center network since its beginning. Several years ago, the whole visionary concept of a global phenome network was actually born with Professor Jeremy Nicholson and Bruker BioSpin has been part of it since the early stages.

From Bruker BioSpin - NMR, EPR and Imaging 17 Jan 2017

Epigenetic changes drive successful metastases of pancreatic cancer cells

A multicenter team of researchers reports that a full genomic analysis of tumor samples from a small number of people who died of pancreatic cancer suggests that chemical changes to DNA that do not affect the DNA sequence itself yet control how it operates confer survival advantages on subsets of pancreatic cancer cells.

17 Jan 2017

UVC machines can cut transmission of four drug-resistant superbugs by 30%, study finds

A new tool -- a type of ultraviolet light called UVC -- could aid hospitals in the ongoing battle to keep drug-resistant bacteria from lingering in patient rooms and causing new infections.

17 Jan 2017

Knowledge bank approach could help find best treatment option for AML patients

An international collaboration led by clinical researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute has shown proof-of-concept that truly personalised therapy will be possible in the future for people with cancer.

17 Jan 2017

Researchers explore how metastatic pancreatic cancer gets ‘reprogrammed’ for optimal malignancy

Metastatic pancreatic cancer -- cancer that has spread from the pancreas to other tissues and is responsible for most patient deaths -- changes its metabolism and is "reprogrammed" for optimal malignancy, according to new findings reported Jan. 16 in Nature Genetics.

16 Jan 2017

Endogenous retroviruses may have played significant role in development of the brain

Over millions of years retroviruses have been incorporated into our human DNA, where they today make up almost 10 per cent of the total genome.

12 Jan 2017

Harvard scientists discuss promise and peril of emerging IVG technique

In vitro fertilization has transformed reproductive medicine and sparked a number of therapeutic and diagnostic breakthroughs.

12 Jan 2017

Could pathogen infection really lead to Alzheimer’s?

New concepts of infectious disease are evolving with the realization that pathogens are key players in the development of progressive chronic diseases that originally were not thought to be infectious. Infection is well-known to be associated with numerous neurological diseases for which...

12 Jan 2017

Inhibition of EZH2 protein could be new strategy to treat multiple myeloma

In a study published in the scientific journal Oncotarget, researchers from Uppsala University show how the protein EZH2 affects the development of multiple myeloma, and that inhibition of EZH2 could be used as a new strategy to treat the disease.

12 Jan 2017

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

Salk scientists show how microenvironment signals encourage growth of pancreatic tumors

New genital herpes vaccine candidate shows promising results in preclinical tests

MGH-developed CTC-iChip with digital PCR assay improves detection of early-stage liver cancer

Popularity of non-invasive prenatal testing increasing among pregnant women

Study provides link between common mutations in blood cells of older adults and atherosclerosis

Selonterra publishes article on novel APOE4 mechanism linked to Alzheimer’s disease

New research provides insight into how estrogen modulates fear learning

Sedentary lifestyle may hasten biological aging

Enzyme identified in baker's yeast can efficiently annihilate leukemia cells

Study finds link between obesity-related disease and epigenetic modifications

COGENT scientists uncover genes responsible for cognitive ability

Metabolomics and NMR

Epigenetic changes drive successful metastases of pancreatic cancer cells

UVC machines can cut transmission of four drug-resistant superbugs by 30%, study finds

Knowledge bank approach could help find best treatment option for AML patients

Researchers explore how metastatic pancreatic cancer gets ‘reprogrammed’ for optimal malignancy

Endogenous retroviruses may have played significant role in development of the brain

Harvard scientists discuss promise and peril of emerging IVG technique

Could pathogen infection really lead to Alzheimer’s?

Inhibition of EZH2 protein could be new strategy to treat multiple myeloma

eBook: Exploring the Cell Cycle and DNA Damage and Repair eBook

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Latest Life Science News