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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).

Humans carry recessive disease mutations that can cause severe genetic disorders or prenatal death

Humans carry an average of one to two mutations per person that can cause severe genetic disorders or prenatal death when two copies of the same mutation are inherited, according to estimates published today in the journal GENETICS.

9 Apr 2015

Vanderbilt researchers join multi-center effort to accelerate development of potential Ebola therapy

Vanderbilt University researchers have joined a multi-center effort led by Pennsylvania-based Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. to accelerate development of potential antibody therapies against the often-lethal Ebola virus.

9 Apr 2015

Clearer understanding of ORC offers new insight into fundamental DNA replication initiation mechanisms

A clearer understanding of the origin recognition complex (ORC) - a protein complex that directs DNA replication - through its crystal structure offers new insight into fundamental mechanisms of DNA replication initiation. This will also provide insight into how ORC may be compromised in a subset of patients with Meier-Gorlin syndrome, a form of dwarfism in humans.

9 Apr 2015

Mobidiag announces CE-IVD marking and launching of Amplidiag C. difficile+027 test

Mobidiag Ltd, a Finnish molecular diagnostics company specialized in the development of innovative diagnostics solutions for infectious diseases, today announced the launch of Amplidiag C. difficile+027, a qualitative qPCR-based test performed from DNA extracted from stool in suspected cases of C. difficile infection (CDI).

9 Apr 2015

Changes in height can affect risk of coronary heart disease

The shorter you are- the more your risk of coronary heart disease. That's the key finding of a new study led by the University of Leicester which discovered that every 2.5 inches change in your height affected your risk of coronary heart disease by 13.5%. For example, compared to a 5ft 6inch tall person, a 5 foot tall person on average has a 32% higher risk of coronary heart disease because of their relatively shorter stature.

8 Apr 2015

Study suggests possibility of developing personalized treatments for brain cancer

DNA mutations can cause cancer but in some cases, more mutations may mean a better prognosis for patients. A Yale-led comprehensive genomic analysis of more than 700 brain tumors has revealed one such subtype of the most malignant brain tumor, called glioblastoma, or GBM. This subtype possesses thousands of tumor-specific DNA errors or mutations instead of dozens observed in most glioblastoma cases. It is also associated with longer survival.

8 Apr 2015

Experimental oligonucleotide-based drug stimulates human immune system to fight infections

An experimental single-stranded oligonucleotide-based drug, MGN1703, comprised only of natural DNA components, stimulates the human immune system to fight infections and attack cancer cells without causing the harmful side effects associated with similar compounds that also contain non-natural DNA components.

8 Apr 2015

New blood test may more accurately identify biomarkers for Parkinson's disease

A new blood test may more accurately identify blood signatures, or biomarkers, for Parkinson's disease (PD), according to a new study published in the journal Movement Disorders.

7 Apr 2015

RNA could be a potential target for new anticancer drugs, say UC Berkeley scientists

Most of today's anticancer drugs target the DNA or proteins in tumor cells, but a new discovery by University of California, Berkeley, scientists unveils a whole new set of potential targets: the RNA intermediaries between DNA and proteins.

7 Apr 2015

Study: Key signaling pathway in B-cell lymphoma can be blocked using compounds

Cancer researchers from the University of Zurich have identified a key signaling pathway in B-cell lymphoma, a malignant type of blood cancer.

7 Apr 2015

High Throughput ChIP Sequencing

Chromatrap®, a business unit of Porvair Sciences, has announced a major product launch at the European Human Genetics Conference (Glasgow, UK) and the Festival of Genomics (Boston, USA) on the 6th June 2015 and 22nd-24th June 2015 respectively

From Chromatrap® - Porvair Sciences Ltd 6 Apr 2015

Regular consumption of nuts reduce mortality by more than 20%

Nuts are a key element of a healthy diet. According to The World Health Organization (WHO), a healthy diet including nuts, regular exercise, the maintenance of ideal weight and staying away from tobacco and alcohol could be sufficient to prevent cancer cases.

6 Apr 2015

Breast milk purchased online has significant amounts of cow's milk added, study finds

A study published today on the safety of human breast milk bought over the Internet found that 10 percent of samples contained added cow's milk. The discovery that purchased samples of human milk may be purposely "topped off" with cow's milk or infant formula confirms a danger for the large number of babies receiving the purchased milk due to medical conditions.

6 Apr 2015

Natera raises $55.5 million in funding led by Sofinnova Ventures

Natera, Inc., a leader in non-invasive genetic testing, today announced that it has raised approximately $55.5 million in funding led by Silicon Valley life sciences investment firm Sofinnova Ventures. This financing round also includes participation from Capital Research and Management, Franklin Templeton Investments, Jennison Associates, RA Capital Management, Healthcor Partners and OrbiMed Advisors.

From Natera 6 Apr 2015

Findings of Ariosa's non-invasive prenatal testing study published online in NEJM

Results from the largest clinical trial to date, comparing non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) using the Harmony Prenatal Test with conventional first trimester combined screening (FTS) in a general pregnancy population have been published online in The New England Journal of Medicine.

6 Apr 2015

Study reveals how cell's protein quality control mechanism helps combat neurodegenerative diseases

A molecular pathway known to suppress tumors appears to also be a major player in clearing cells of damaged proteins implicated in neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and certain types of dementia, new research in roundworms and human cells suggests.

6 Apr 2015

Researchers discover genetic factors key to POMC cells

The little voice inside your head that tells you to eat, or stop eating, isn't a little voice - it's actually a cluster of about 10,000 specialized brain cells. And now, an international team of scientists has found tiny triggers inside those cells that give rise to this "voice", and keep it speaking throughout life.

6 Apr 2015

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

Humans carry recessive disease mutations that can cause severe genetic disorders or prenatal death

Vanderbilt researchers join multi-center effort to accelerate development of potential Ebola therapy

Clearer understanding of ORC offers new insight into fundamental DNA replication initiation mechanisms

Mobidiag announces CE-IVD marking and launching of Amplidiag C. difficile+027 test

Changes in height can affect risk of coronary heart disease

Study suggests possibility of developing personalized treatments for brain cancer

Experimental oligonucleotide-based drug stimulates human immune system to fight infections

New blood test may more accurately identify biomarkers for Parkinson's disease

RNA could be a potential target for new anticancer drugs, say UC Berkeley scientists

Study: Key signaling pathway in B-cell lymphoma can be blocked using compounds

High Throughput ChIP Sequencing

Regular consumption of nuts reduce mortality by more than 20%

Breast milk purchased online has significant amounts of cow's milk added, study finds

Natera raises $55.5 million in funding led by Sofinnova Ventures

Findings of Ariosa's non-invasive prenatal testing study published online in NEJM

Study reveals how cell's protein quality control mechanism helps combat neurodegenerative diseases

Researchers discover genetic factors key to POMC cells

Researchers analyze false-positive results from new prenatal genetic screens

Scientists identify small RNA molecule that can suppress cancer-causing genes in GBM

Adolescent binge-drinking alters genes needed for normal brain maturation

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