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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).

Scientists map genes responsible for early embryonic development in humans

An international team of scientists led from Sweden's Karolinska Institutet has for the first time mapped all the genes that are activated in the first few days of a fertilized human egg. The study, which is being published in the journal Nature Communications, provides an in-depth understanding of early embryonic development in human - and scientists now hope that the results will help finding for example new therapies against infertility.

3 Sep 2015

Study reveals new epigenetic mechanism underlying progression of cancer tumors

Aggressive cancer growth and alterations in gene activity without changes in DNA sequence (epigenetics) are associated with mutant p53 proteins, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

3 Sep 2015

Study reveals presence of new genetic mutation in melanoma cancer cells

There is strong evidence that the protein complex APC/C may function as a tumor suppressor in multiple cancers including lymphoma, colorectal and breast cancer, and now melanoma. A new study has revealed that a genetic mutation leading to repression of a specific protein, Cdh1, which interacts with APC/C, is present in melanoma cancer cells.

3 Sep 2015

Shire and Sangamo revise agreement to expedite development of ZFP Therapeutics for Huntington's disease, hemophilia A and B

Sangamo BioSciences, Inc., a leader in therapeutic genome editing, announced today that the company and its collaborator, Shire plc, have agreed to revise their January 2012 collaboration and license agreement to expedite the development of ZFP Therapeutics for hemophilia A and B and Huntington's disease.

2 Sep 2015

New approach may bring scientists one-step closer to DNA nanomachines

Scientists have been studying ways to use synthetic DNA as a building block for smaller and faster devices. DNA has the advantage of being inherently "coded". Each DNA strand is formed of one of four "codes" that can link to only one complementary code each, thus binding two DNA strands together.

2 Sep 2015

Huntington’s disease prevention breakthrough? An interview with Professor Lesley Jones

Huntington’s disease is an inherited disease which, whilst quite rare, is one of the more common inherited neurodegenerative diseases. About 1 in 6,000 people in the UK are at risk and what’s horrible about this disease is that if one of your parents has it, then you have a fifty-fifty chance of inheriting it.

2 Sep 2015

Incorporating clinical genomic sequencing data into clinical management improves pediatric cancer treatment

In a study that included children and young adults with relapsed or refractory cancer, incorporation of integrative clinical genomic sequencing data into clinical management was feasible, revealed potentially actionable findings in nearly half of the patients, and was associated with change in treatment and family genetics counseling for a small proportion of patients, according to a study in the September 1 issue of JAMA.

2 Sep 2015

UC Santa Barbara neuroscientists uncover mechanism of Alzheimer's progression

Medical research has yet to discover an Alzheimer's treatment that effectively slows the disease's progression, but neuroscientists at UC Santa Barbara may have uncovered a mechanism by which onset can be delayed by as much as 10 years.

2 Sep 2015

New NIH grants support research that combines DNA sequence information and electronic medical records

A dozen awards from the National Institutes of Health will support research that incorporates DNA sequence information into electronic medical records. The goal of research conducted by the Electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE) network is to better understand the genomic basis of disease and to tailor medical care to individual patients based on their genomic differences.

2 Sep 2015

Altering protein recycling complexes in human cells may help overcome chemotherapy resistance

Altering the protein recycling complexes in human cells, including cancer cells, allows the cells to resist treatment with a class of drugs known as proteasome inhibitors, according to Whitehead Institute scientists.

2 Sep 2015

U-M study suggests potential treatment options for children with aggressive, advanced cancer

For children with rare, aggressive and advanced cancer, precision medicine may help doctors determine their best treatment options, a new study finds.

2 Sep 2015

PRESTIGE study suggests novel target to prevent stent thrombosis

Recruitment of leukocytes is a hallmark of stent thrombosis, according to results from the PRESTIGE study presented today at ESC Congress and published in European Heart Journal. The findings suggest that immune cell mediated thrombotic processes may be a realistic target for novel therapies to prevent stent thrombosis.

1 Sep 2015

Benznidazole has significant antiparasitic activity, but does not reduce progression of Chagas cardiomyopathy

A 40 to 80 day treatment with the antiparasitic medication benznidazole significantly reduced parasite activity in the blood, but not progression, of serious heart problems over a 5-year period among patients with established Chagas disease (CD) cardiomyopathy, results of the BENEFIT trial show.

1 Sep 2015

UCSF-led team develops new technique to create tiny models of human tissues

A UCSF-led team has developed a technique to build tiny models of human tissues, called organoids, more precisely than ever before using a process that turns human cells into a biological equivalent of LEGO bricks. These mini-tissues in a dish can be used to study how particular structural features of tissue affect normal growth or go awry in cancer. They could be used for therapeutic drug screening and to help teach researchers how to grow whole human organs.

1 Sep 2015

Northwestern University receives $11.7 million NCI grant to use nanotechnology for cancer treatments

Northwestern University, a leader in cancer nanotechnology research, has received a five-year, $11.7 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to use nanotechnology to develop next-generation cancer treatments.

1 Sep 2015

Gene ZSCAN4 may help treat Down syndrome

For people with Down syndrome, news from Elixirgen, LLC may brighten their day. The biotechnology company, located in the Science + Technology Park at Johns Hopkins, has outlined one of the best potential therapies yet for people with Down syndrome and other chromosome disorders in a paper entitled, "Correction of Down syndrome and Edwards syndrome aneuploidies in human cell cultures," published in the journal DNA Research.

31 Aug 2015

Scientists identify new protein that regulates severity of tissue damage caused by RA

Scientists have identified a new protein (C5orf30) which regulates the severity of tissue damage caused by rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation, pain, stiffness and damage to the joints of the feet, hips, knees, and hands.

31 Aug 2015

ESC Guidelines recommend DNA analysis for post mortem assessment in young sudden death victims

ESC Guidelines published today recommend DNA analysis as a fundamental component of post mortem assessment in young sudden death victims. Identification of a genetic cause helps to quickly diagnose and protect relatives.

29 Aug 2015

Fetal microchimerism could be a subtle and dizzyingly complex puzzle

Parents go to great lengths to ensure the health and well-being of their developing offspring. The favor, however, may not always be returned.

29 Aug 2015

Researchers provide new insights into biology of aging, age-related diseases

The scientific team of a new biotech company Gero in collaboration with one of the leading academics in the field of aging Prof. Robert J. Shmookler Reis (current world record holder in life extension for model animals - 10 fold for nematodes) has recently brought new insights into biology of aging and age-related diseases, primarily, around the stability and stress resistance of certain gene regulatory networks.

28 Aug 2015

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

Scientists map genes responsible for early embryonic development in humans

Study reveals new epigenetic mechanism underlying progression of cancer tumors

Study reveals presence of new genetic mutation in melanoma cancer cells

Shire and Sangamo revise agreement to expedite development of ZFP Therapeutics for Huntington's disease, hemophilia A and B

New approach may bring scientists one-step closer to DNA nanomachines

Huntington’s disease prevention breakthrough? An interview with Professor Lesley Jones

Incorporating clinical genomic sequencing data into clinical management improves pediatric cancer treatment

UC Santa Barbara neuroscientists uncover mechanism of Alzheimer's progression

New NIH grants support research that combines DNA sequence information and electronic medical records

Altering protein recycling complexes in human cells may help overcome chemotherapy resistance

U-M study suggests potential treatment options for children with aggressive, advanced cancer

PRESTIGE study suggests novel target to prevent stent thrombosis

Benznidazole has significant antiparasitic activity, but does not reduce progression of Chagas cardiomyopathy

UCSF-led team develops new technique to create tiny models of human tissues

Northwestern University receives $11.7 million NCI grant to use nanotechnology for cancer treatments

Gene ZSCAN4 may help treat Down syndrome

Scientists identify new protein that regulates severity of tissue damage caused by RA

ESC Guidelines recommend DNA analysis for post mortem assessment in young sudden death victims

Fetal microchimerism could be a subtle and dizzyingly complex puzzle

Researchers provide new insights into biology of aging, age-related diseases

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