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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).

Soil bacteria have strategies for fighting antibiotics

Drug-resistant bacteria annually sicken 2 million Americans and kill at least 23,000. A driving force behind this growing public health threat is the ability of bacteria to share genes that provide antibiotic resistance.

22 May 2014

Researchers discover key proteins involved in DNA repair gone awry

Accumulation of DNA damage can cause aggressive forms of cancer and accelerated aging, so the body's DNA repair mechanisms are normally key to good health. However, in some diseases the DNA repair machinery can become harmful.

22 May 2014

Researchers identify existing drugs that could be "repurposed" to fight MERS-CoV

A team led by a University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) researcher, working as a grantee from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has identified a number of existing drugs that could be "repurposed" to fight outbreaks of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV).

22 May 2014

Dolutegravir drug offers added benefit in HIV patients

Dolutegravir has been approved since January 2014 in combination with other antiretroviral drugs for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected adults and adolescents above 12 years of age.

22 May 2014

New laser method provides a better understanding on how genes are controlled, regulated

Almost every one of our cells has an entire copy of our genome. But only differing subsets of genes are active and expressed in any given cell.

21 May 2014

69% of healthy American adults are infected with 109 strains of human papillomavirus

In what is believed to be the largest and most detailed genetic analysis of its kind, researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center and elsewhere have concluded that 69 percent of healthy American adults are infected with one or more of 109 strains of human papillomavirus (HPV).

21 May 2014

New LASER could revolutionize medicine and our knowledge of the human genome

Within the framework of the European ATLAS project, a team of researchers in Naples has created a LASER-based prototype that could revolutionize medicine and our knowledge of the human genome.

21 May 2014

Juventas presents positive trial results of JVS-100 drug delivered by Biocardia’s Helix transendocardial system

BioCardia®, Inc., a leader in cardiovascular regenerative medicine, today announced the presentation by Juventas Therapeutics of their positive four-month results for their STOP-HF Trial.

20 May 2014

Researchers find that humans have more than doubled tropical nitrogen inputs

A new paper co-written by four University of Montana researchers finds that humans have more than doubled tropical nitrogen inputs.

20 May 2014

Scientists show people are more likely to pick mates who have similar DNA

Individuals are more genetically similar to their spouses than they are to randomly selected individuals from the same population, according to a new study from the University of Colorado Boulder.

20 May 2014

DNA-directed RNA interference and hepatitis C: an interview with Carl Stubbings, Chief Business Officer, Benitec Biopharma

RNA interference (RNAi) is a naturally occurring process, which cells can use to silence, or ‘turn off’ unwanted genes.

From Quest Diagnostics 19 May 2014

Bacteria in urine may be associated with overactive bladder

Contrary to popular belief, urine is not sterile and the bacteria in it may be associated with overactive bladder (OAB) in some women, according to research presented today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.

19 May 2014

Viewpoints: GOP attacks on health law; challenging assumptions about Obamacare politics; is employer mandate worth it?

A crucial component of the Republican Party's assault on the Affordable Care Act always has been ignorance -- that is, the promotion of ignorance about the ACA's benefits among the general population. Now, from the consulting firm McKinsey & Co., comes hard evidence that the campaign worked, bigtime. In its latest national survey to determine how the healthcare reform act has been working, McKinsey found that the perceived cost of health insurance still was the No. 1 reason given by respondents for not enrolling (Michael Hiltzik, 5/14).

16 May 2014

Research: Single episode of binge drinking can have negative health effects

It only takes one time. That's the message of a new study by scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School on binge drinking. Their research found that a single episode of binge drinking can have significant negative health effects resulting in bacteria leaking from the gut, leading to increased levels of toxins in the blood.

16 May 2014