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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).

About 30% of iPSCs not safe for clinical use, report multi-institutional researchers

As the promise of using regenerative stem cell therapies draws closer, a consortium of biomedical scientists reports about 30 percent of induced pluripotent stem cells they analyzed from 10 research institutions were genetically unstable and not safe for clinical use.

10 Jun 2016

New method helps speed up bacterial identification

Pinpointing the type of bacteria that are at the root of an infection in clinical samples removed from living tissues, such as blood, urine or joint fluids, to quickly identify the best anti-microbial therapy still poses a formidable challenge.

10 Jun 2016

RNA editing enzyme ADAR1 may play role in regeneration of leukemia stem cells

Cancer stem cells are like zombies — even after a tumor is destroyed, they can keep coming back. These cells have an unlimited capacity to regenerate themselves, making more cancer stem cells and more tumors.

10 Jun 2016

New qPAINT technology helps develop more precise, less expensive microscopes

Knowing the exact number of molecules located at specific junctures in cells can be a critical measure of health as well as disease. For example, abnormally high numbers of growth factor receptors on cells can be an indication of cancerous and precancerous states; specific proteins located at the junction where neurons connect in the brain may affect brain function as they accumulate or disperse.

10 Jun 2016

New IVF-based technique can reduce risk of mothers passing on mitochondrial disease to infants

A new IVF-based technique is likely to lead to normal pregnancies and reduce the risk that babies born will have mitochondrial disease, according to researchers at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Disease at Newcastle University.

9 Jun 2016

Whole-exome sequencing can help characterize genetic alterations for commonly used bladder cancer cell lines

Much of basic cancer research is based on studies with cultured cancer cells. However, the usefulness of these studies greatly depends on how accurately these cancer cells grown in a dish represent human tumors.

9 Jun 2016

Drug candidate delivered by plant-virus-based carrier shows promise for triple-negative breast cancer

In a pair of firsts, researchers at Case Western Reserve University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have shown that the drug candidate phenanthriplatin can be more effective than an approved drug in vivo, and that a plant-virus-based carrier successfully delivers a drug in vivo.

9 Jun 2016

Understanding DNA scrunching could help develop novel ways to fight infections

Evidence of DNA "scrunching" may one day lead to a new class of drugs against viruses, according to a research team from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Columbia University.

9 Jun 2016

Researchers deploy mobile DNA sequencing laboratories to help combat Zika virus spread in Brazil

Researchers from the University of Birmingham are working with health partners in Brazil to combat the spread of Zika virus by deploying a pair of mobile DNA sequencing laboratories on a medical 'road trip' through the worst-hit areas of the country.

From Oxford Nanopore Technologies 8 Jun 2016

New technology can detect KRAS gene mutations, facilitate targeted therapies for lung and colorectal cancers

A new technology suitable for practical clinical testing can detect KRAS gene mutations in lung and colorectal cancers and could thereby facilitate targeted therapies, according to a new report in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.

8 Jun 2016

New drug-capture device can soak up chemotherapy drugs to limit toxicity

Doctors have a powerful arsenal of cancer-fighting chemotherapy drugs to choose from, though a key challenge is to better target these drugs to kill tumors while limiting their potentially harmful side effects.

8 Jun 2016

Lund researchers discover two new types of childhood leukaemia

Through a detailed study of leukaemia cells from more than 200 children, a research group at Lund University in Sweden has discovered two new types of childhood leukaemia.

8 Jun 2016

New study sheds light on impact of unknown genetic mutations in cystic fibrosis patients

When it comes to cystic fibrosis (CF), more than 2,000 different genetic mutations have been reported. However, only 200 of them have been categorized - leaving a genetic soup of 1,800 others for scientists and genetic counselors to figure out.

8 Jun 2016

Scientists discover unexpected functions of snoRNAs that explains cause of some diseases

Scientists have discovered unexpected functions of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) that explain the cause of some diseases.

7 Jun 2016

Scientists develop non-toxic transplantation procedure using antibodies to target blood stem cells in mice

Harvard Stem Cell Institute scientists have taken the first steps toward developing a treatment that would make bone marrow - blood stem cell - transplantation safer and, as a result, more widely available to the millions of people living with blood disorders like sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, and AIDS.

7 Jun 2016

Study may help identify genetic basis of why some people's brains age better than others

More than one thousand people have had their entire genetic make-up decoded as part of a long-term study to gain insight into why some people's brains age better than others.

7 Jun 2016

Unlocking the first gene to cause otosclerosis: an interview with Dr Ralph Holme

Otosclerosis is a common cause of hearing loss, particularly amongst young adults. It normally starts in their 20s or 30s and it affects about 1 in 200 hundred people. In the UK, about 300,000 people are affected by the condition.

7 Jun 2016

Epigenomic alterations play key role in triggering obesity-induced diabetes

Obesity is a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, yet not all obese humans develop the disease. In a new study, researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and from the Institute of Health and Medical Research in France have identified epigenomic alterations that are associated with inflammation and type 2 diabetes

7 Jun 2016

Northwestern Medicine scientists link TMEM230 gene mutations to Parkinson's disease development

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered a new cause of Parkinson's disease -- mutations in a gene called TMEM230. This appears to be the third gene definitively linked to confirmed cases of the common movement disorder.

7 Jun 2016

Researchers aim to find new approach to improve chronic wound repair

Chronic wounds cause nearly 80,000 lower leg amputations annually in the U.S. alone and are associated with an increased likelihood of death.

6 Jun 2016

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

About 30% of iPSCs not safe for clinical use, report multi-institutional researchers

New method helps speed up bacterial identification

RNA editing enzyme ADAR1 may play role in regeneration of leukemia stem cells

New qPAINT technology helps develop more precise, less expensive microscopes

New IVF-based technique can reduce risk of mothers passing on mitochondrial disease to infants

Whole-exome sequencing can help characterize genetic alterations for commonly used bladder cancer cell lines

Drug candidate delivered by plant-virus-based carrier shows promise for triple-negative breast cancer

Understanding DNA scrunching could help develop novel ways to fight infections

Researchers deploy mobile DNA sequencing laboratories to help combat Zika virus spread in Brazil

New technology can detect KRAS gene mutations, facilitate targeted therapies for lung and colorectal cancers

New drug-capture device can soak up chemotherapy drugs to limit toxicity

Lund researchers discover two new types of childhood leukaemia

New study sheds light on impact of unknown genetic mutations in cystic fibrosis patients

Scientists discover unexpected functions of snoRNAs that explains cause of some diseases

Scientists develop non-toxic transplantation procedure using antibodies to target blood stem cells in mice

Study may help identify genetic basis of why some people's brains age better than others

Unlocking the first gene to cause otosclerosis: an interview with Dr Ralph Holme

Epigenomic alterations play key role in triggering obesity-induced diabetes

Northwestern Medicine scientists link TMEM230 gene mutations to Parkinson's disease development

Researchers aim to find new approach to improve chronic wound repair

eBook: A guide to RNA sequencing eBook

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

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