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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).

Seed grants support cancer diagnosis and treatment, vascular health research

Five teams of scientists earned research seed grants awarded this year by the John S. Dunn Foundation. The awards support new collaborations by researchers at Rice University's BioScience Research Collaborative (BRC) and their partners at other institutional members of the Gulf Coast Consortia (GCC).

26 Nov 2013

Cleveland Clinic researchers elected as AAAS Fellows for excellent contributions to science

Cleveland Clinic researchers Richard A. Padgett, Ph.D., and Edward F. Plow, Ph.D., have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). This year's AAAS Fellows will be formally announced in the AAAS News & Notes section of the journal Science on Nov. 29, 2013.

26 Nov 2013

Dysregulation of epigenetic marks may play role in chronic kidney disease, shows study

The research of physician-scientist Katalin Susztak, MD, PhD, associate professor of Medicine in the Renal Electrolyte and Hypertension Division, at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, strives to understand the molecular roots and genetic predisposition of chronic kidney disease.

26 Nov 2013

Chicken eggs can provide better understanding of human birth defects

Clemson University researchers found that chicken eggs can provide a better understanding of human birth defects. Susan Chapman, associate professor in Clemson's College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences, received a South Carolina IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence award that allowed researchers to identify two regions in the chicken genome that are associated with congenital deafness and spine deformities in humans.

26 Nov 2013

Exposure of fetus to maternal mood disorders may lead to behavioral problems in offspring

A great number of women experience depression or anxiety while pregnant, and exposure of the fetus to these maternal mood disorders may lead to long-term emotional and behavioral problems in the offspring.

26 Nov 2013

Arrowhead seeks approval to start ARC-520 phase 2a trial for chronic hepatitis B infection

Arrowhead Research Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company developing targeted RNAi therapeutics, today announced that it recently filed an application for approval to begin a phase 2a clinical trial of its RNAi-based therapeutic candidate, ARC-520, for the potential treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

25 Nov 2013

Waseda University researchers observe molecular motors that play critical role in chromosome transport

Researchers at Waseda University in Japan have for the first time directly observed the “molecular motor”, called Xkid, that plays a critical role in facilitating the proper alignment of chromosomes during cell division. Their findings are expected to contribute greatly to elucidating the molecular mechanisms of chromosome segregation, a key aspect of the development of certain medical disorders including cancer and birth defects.

25 Nov 2013

CRISPR-Cas-system: A promising tool for genetic engineering

Viruses cannot only cause illnesses in humans, they also infect bacteria. Those protect themselves with a kind of 'immune system' which - simply put - consists of specific sequences in the genetic material of the bacteria and a suitable enzyme. It detects foreign DNA, which may originate from a virus, cuts it up and thus makes the invaders harmless.

25 Nov 2013

Phase 1/2 clinical trial data for VAL-083 in glioblastoma is presented at 18th Annual SNO meeting

DelMar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCQB: DMPI) ("DelMar" and "DelMar Pharma") today announced the presentation of interim data from a Phase 1/2 clinical trial for VAL-083 in recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) at the 4th Quadrennial Meeting of the World Federation of Neuro-Oncology (WFNO) being held in conjunction with the 18th Annual Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) meeting in San Francisco.

25 Nov 2013

Researchers identify immune cell protein that sets off body's initial response against viral infection

A Massachusetts General Hospital-led research team has identified an immune cell protein that is critical to setting off the body's initial response against viral infection. The report that will be published in an upcoming issue of Nature Immunology and is receiving early online release describes finding that a protein called GEF-H1 is essential to the ability of macrophages - major contributors to the innate immune system - to respond to viral infections like influenza.

25 Nov 2013

Researchers identify two gene mutations associated with increased risk of eating disorders

Eating disorders are disturbing and often-heartbreaking ailments that are relatively common, mostly among younger women.

25 Nov 2013

Genetic diagnostic test for inherited eye diseases now available from Mass. Eye and Ear

The Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School Department of Ophthalmology today announced the availability of a comprehensive genetic diagnostic test for inherited eye diseases.

22 Nov 2013

Researchers study role of small non-coding RNAs expressed in the human male germline

Researchers from the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute in Barcelona, Spain, have studied the role of a peculiar class of small non-coding RNAs that are mainly expressed in the human male germline.

22 Nov 2013

Longer looks: Parents' crusade on rare diseases; fighting obesity; experts' view of alternative medicine

In the beginning, Chris Hempel noticed the clumsiness. Her girls tripped over toys on the floor. Their grandfather said he couldn't teach them to pedal their tricycles. … The Hempels learned of people who called themselves citizen-scientists. Many shared research papers and their day-to-day experience. Some talked of their willingness to try any promising drug. Others sought a role as equal partners with researchers. Scientists, while sympathetic, generally believe their work should be left to experts. Families are encouraged to raise money if they want to help, but the traditional view is that amateurs can't shape research or find cures. The Hempels found a maddening gap between the search for scientific knowledge and the search for treatments (Amy Docker Marcus, 11/2013).

22 Nov 2013

Studies link hundreds of gene mutations in the brain to increased autism risk

Pity the poor autism researcher. Recent studies have linked hundreds of gene mutations scattered throughout the brain to increased autism risk. Where do you start?

22 Nov 2013

New technique can diagnose cancer with high degree of accuracy, say researchers

A team of researchers from UCLA and Harvard University have demonstrated a technique that, by measuring the physical properties of individual cells in body fluids, can diagnose cancer with a high degree of accuracy.

21 Nov 2013

Unemployed men show signs of faster ageing in their DNA

Men who are unemployed for more than two years show signs of faster ageing in their DNA, a new study has found.

21 Nov 2013

Brown University biologists find way to measure effects of aging

Biologists at Brown University have found a way to measure the effects of aging by watching the ebb and flow of chromatin, a structure along strands of DNA that either silences or permits gene expression. In several newly published experiments they show that gene silencing via chromatin in fruit flies declines with age.

21 Nov 2013

New method uses lab-on-a-chip device and cell phone to determine concentration of molecules

In developing nations, rural areas, and even one's own home, limited access to expensive equipment and trained medical professionals can impede the diagnosis and treatment of disease.

21 Nov 2013

Buck Institute research provides method to study sarcopenia

Our epigenome is a set of chemical switches that turn parts of our genome off and on at strategic times and locations. These switches help alter the way our cells act and are impacted by environmental factors including diet, exercise and stress. Research at the Buck Institute reveals that aging also effects the epigenome in human skeletal muscle. The study, appearing on line in Aging Cell, provides a method to study sarcopenia, the degenerative loss of muscle mass that begins in middle age.

21 Nov 2013

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

Seed grants support cancer diagnosis and treatment, vascular health research

Cleveland Clinic researchers elected as AAAS Fellows for excellent contributions to science

Dysregulation of epigenetic marks may play role in chronic kidney disease, shows study

Chicken eggs can provide better understanding of human birth defects

Exposure of fetus to maternal mood disorders may lead to behavioral problems in offspring

Arrowhead seeks approval to start ARC-520 phase 2a trial for chronic hepatitis B infection

Waseda University researchers observe molecular motors that play critical role in chromosome transport

CRISPR-Cas-system: A promising tool for genetic engineering

Phase 1/2 clinical trial data for VAL-083 in glioblastoma is presented at 18th Annual SNO meeting

Researchers identify immune cell protein that sets off body's initial response against viral infection

Researchers identify two gene mutations associated with increased risk of eating disorders

Genetic diagnostic test for inherited eye diseases now available from Mass. Eye and Ear

Researchers study role of small non-coding RNAs expressed in the human male germline

Longer looks: Parents' crusade on rare diseases; fighting obesity; experts' view of alternative medicine

Studies link hundreds of gene mutations in the brain to increased autism risk

New technique can diagnose cancer with high degree of accuracy, say researchers

Unemployed men show signs of faster ageing in their DNA

Brown University biologists find way to measure effects of aging

New method uses lab-on-a-chip device and cell phone to determine concentration of molecules

Buck Institute research provides method to study sarcopenia

eBook: A guide to RNA sequencing eBook

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

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How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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