Genomics

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St. Jude develops cost-effective genetic panel for pediatric cancer diagnosis

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have created a panel that is able to provide a diagnosis for >90% of pediatric cancer patients by sequencing 0.15% of the human genome.

1 Aug 2024

New studies reveal common DNA replication mechanisms in humans and yeast

Humans and baker's yeast have more in common than meets the eye, including an important mechanism that helps ensure DNA is copied correctly, reports a pair of studies published in the journals Science and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

1 Aug 2024

New nanosensing technique enhances quality control for gene therapy vectors

Over the past few decades, there has been remarkable progress in genetic manipulation technologies, bringing us closer to the point where genes can be modified in vivo.

1 Aug 2024

Vegan diet may slow aging

Vegan diets showed short-term benefits on epigenetic aging compared to omnivorous diets in healthy twins, with reduced epigenetic age metrics observed in the vegan group. However, telomere length and overall mitotic clock values remained unchanged for both diets.

31 Jul 2024

Epigenetic reprogramming and hypothalamic changes in metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a multifaceted disorder that impacts approximately 20–25% of the global population.

30 Jul 2024

Study finds higher levels of lncRNAs in the testes than previously estimated

Researchers at the University of Toronto have mapped the spatial distribution of around 700 long non-coding RNAs, otherwise known as lncRNAs, in the testes.

30 Jul 2024

Genetic variants associated with Parkinson's more common than estimated

New research has found that genetic variants associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) are more common than researchers previously believed. Investigators in the Parkinson's Foundation-backed PD GENEration study – which reached its goal of 15,000 participants ahead of schedule this spring – found that 13% of participants have a genetic form of PD, which is a significant observation compared to long-standing estimates. Results from the first 3.5 years of the study, which examined a broad North American cohort, were published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Brain.

30 Jul 2024

Study unveils dual roles of TNF-α receptors in tissue regeneration and cell death

A study published in The EMBO Journal opens new perspectives to better understand how the molecular mechanisms involved in regenerative medicine work.

29 Jul 2024

Canadian experts urge caution on free genetic testing and data sharing

Free genetic testing, offered partially or fully subsidized by industry, may have trade-offs, and health systems in Canada must carefully weigh potential clinical, ethical, and legal considerations to protect patient data, authors argue in a CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) commentary https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.231588.

29 Jul 2024

Eight-week vegan diet linked to epigenetic age reduction in identical twins

Eating a vegan diet for eight weeks is associated with reductions in biological age estimations based on levels of DNA methylation -; a type of chemical modification of DNA (known as an epigenetic modification) that alters gene expression but not DNA itself.

28 Jul 2024

New biomarker helps determine the optimal treatment for colon cancer

Many people with stage II or III colon cancer receive additional, or adjuvant, chemotherapy following surgery. However, clinical trials have shown that this treatment doesn't improve the chances of survival for every patient. A study published July 25th, 2024 in Cell Reports Medicine identifies and validates a 10-gene biomarker that potentially predicts whether a stage II or III colon cancer patient will benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.

27 Jul 2024

New guidelines expand BRCA testing and screening for men

More and more studies show that men face risks of cancer from BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations that are most often associated with breast and ovarian cancers in women.

27 Jul 2024

Cellular competition determines X chromosome usage in female bodies

A new study published in Nature Genetics by the Lymphoid Development Group at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences has reveals that the contribution of cells expressing maternal or paternal X chromosomes can be selectively skewed in different parts of the body. The study leverages human data from the 1000 Genomes Project combined with mouse models of human X chromosome-linked DNA sequence variation to advance our fundamental understanding of development in biologically female individuals who have two X chromosomes.

26 Jul 2024

Innovative array targets methylation in imprinted genes, simplifies epigenetic research

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed an array that assesses methylation levels of genes located in imprint control regions (ICRs) within the human genome.

25 Jul 2024

New insights into how genetic variants influence disease risk

A new study by scientists at deCODE Genetics, a subsidiary of Amgen, shows that sequence variants drive the correlation between DNA methylation and gene expression. The same variants are linked to various diseases and other human traits.

25 Jul 2024

Study identifies genes increasing risk of severe COVID-19

Whether or not a person becomes seriously ill with COVID-19 depends, among other things, on genetic factors. With this in mind, researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn, in cooperation with other research teams from Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy, investigated a particularly large group of affected individuals.

25 Jul 2024