Genomics

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Study: Negative selection plays major role in cancer evolution

Natural selection shapes genomes to evolve and to adapt but, are the rules of natural selection also applying to cancer genome evolution?

13 Jul 2018

UCLA researchers uncover gene that controls equilibrium of bone and fat in bone marrow

In an unexpected discovery, UCLA researchers have found that a gene previously known to control human metabolism also controls the equilibrium of bone and fat in bone marrow as well as how an adult stem cell expresses its final cell type.

13 Jul 2018

Researchers uncover gene that plays role in cocaine addiction

Cocaine can have a devastating effect on people. It directly stimulates the brain's reward center, and, more importantly, induces long-term changes to the reward circuitry that are responsible for addictive behaviors.

12 Jul 2018

New study identifies inherited genetic variants that raise risk of clonal hematopoiesis

A new study led by researchers at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has identified some of the first known inherited genetic variants that significantly raise a person's likelihood of developing clonal hematopoiesis, an age-related white blood cell condition linked with higher risk of certain blood cancers and cardiovascular disease.

12 Jul 2018

Fighting cancer with engineered cancer cells

Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital have engineered cancer cells that track and kill cancer cells. The modified cancer cells have demonstrated anti-cancer efficacy in preclinical studies, destroying both primary and metastatic tumours.

12 Jul 2018

Study provides new insight into blood-clotting ability of leeches

Leeches are blood-feeding organisms that have a suite of anticoagulant compounds they secrete from their salivary glands that prevent blood clotting. This allows them to maximize feeding time and blood volume.

12 Jul 2018

New findings refine link between clonal hematopoiesis and blood cancer risk

It's a common occurrence in elderly people: Blood cells carrying mutated DNA explosively increase in number, resulting in genetic "mosaicism": the presence of a population of cells that carries an altered genome.

12 Jul 2018

Growing pains in CRISPR gene editing

In the six years since its inception, CRISPR gene editing has experienced ups and downs, from giddy excitement over the technology's potential to cure genetic diseases to patent disputes, ethical considerations and cancer scares.

12 Jul 2018

Novel informatics tool helps predict genomic features associated with specific drug responses

The rise of genomics, the shift from considering genes singly to collectively, is adding a new dimension to medical care; biomedical researchers hope to use the information contained in human genomes to make better predictions about individual health, including responses to therapeutic drugs.

12 Jul 2018

Researchers discover why CRISPR gene editing sometimes fails

A study has explained for the first time why the CRISPR gene editing tool fails to work in 15% cases, and has suggested methods to prevent this.

11 Jul 2018

Researchers uncover molecular drivers of a deadly pediatric cancer

Researchers have made important discoveries about the molecular mechanisms driving acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a deadly pediatric cancer.

11 Jul 2018

Researchers uncover evolutionary history of IBD-associated bowel cancer

A team of researchers from Queen Mary University of London have reported the genetic events involved in the early development of bowel cancer in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

11 Jul 2018

Alternative splicing plays vital role in adult muscle mass maintenance

Despite the importance that changes in muscle mass have in aging, overall body metabolism and in chronic disease, we still don't fully understand the mechanisms that contribute to the maintenance of adult muscle mass.

11 Jul 2018

Researchers reveal why CRISPR gene editing sometimes fails to work

Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago are the first to describe why CRISPR gene editing sometimes fails to work, and how the process can be made to be much more efficient.

11 Jul 2018

Researchers find ATM protein that can trigger production of antioxidants

One reason we're supposed to eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables is because they contain nutritious compounds called antioxidants.

11 Jul 2018

Researchers develop 3D map of gene interactions that play key role in heart disease

Researchers have developed a 3D map of the gene interactions that play a key role in cardiovascular disease, a study in eLife reports.

11 Jul 2018

Scientists discover new way to predict healthy individuals at risk of developing AML

An international team of leukemia scientists has discovered how to predict healthy individuals at risk of developing acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive and often deadly blood cancer.

10 Jul 2018

New biosensor chip detects single nucleotide polymorphism in real time with high sensitivity

A team led by the University of California San Diego has developed a chip that can detect a type of genetic mutation known as a single nucleotide polymorphism and send the results in real time to a smartphone, computer, or other electronic device.

10 Jul 2018

Researchers develop new method to identify genes contributing to heritable cancer risk

Researchers at the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona developed a new method to systematically identify genes contributing to heritable cancer risk.

10 Jul 2018

Researchers use genome editing to reduce cholesterol levels in animal model

Using genome editing to inactivate a protein called PCSK9 effectively reduces cholesterol levels in rhesus macaques, a species of monkey, according to researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

10 Jul 2018