Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

SARS-CoV-2 does not infect the entire body in the same way, finds study

COVID-19, the disease caused by the pandemic coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, is primarily regarded as a respiratory infection. Yet the virus has also become known for affecting other parts of the body in ways not as well understood, sometimes with longer-term consequences, such as heart arrhythmia, fatigue and "brain fog."

24 Feb 2021

World's largest resource of genome variation data on malaria parasites released

Genome variation data on more than 7,000 malaria parasites from 28 endemic countries is released today (24 February) in Wellcome Open Research.

24 Feb 2021

Study: Interbacterial toxins may contribute to bacterial genetic diversity

A toxin produced by bacteria as a defence mechanism causes mutations in target bacteria that could help them survive, according to a study published today in eLife.

23 Feb 2021

Innate immune system overreacts in patients with severe COVID-19

In patients with severe COVID-19, the innate immune system overreacts. This overreaction may underlie the formation of blood clots (thrombi) and deterioration in oxygen saturation that affect the patients.

23 Feb 2021

New gene-editing tool enables programming of sequential cuts over time

Researchers from the University of Illinois Chicago have discovered a new gene-editing technique that allows for the programming of sequential cuts -- or edits -- over time.

23 Feb 2021

Could rotavirus vaccine platforms aid in the immunization campaign against SARS-CoV-2?

The study began with the generation of recombinant (r)SA11 rotaviruses, into which segment 7 modified RNAs were introduced. These encoded sequences for the non-structural protein NSP3 and some parts of the viral spike.

23 Feb 2021

Propranolol can be used to treat cerebral cavernous malformations

Propranolol, a drug that is efficacious against infantile haemangiomas ("strawberry naevi", resembling birthmarks), can also be used to treat cerebral cavernous malformations, a condition characterized by misshapen blood vessels in the brain and elsewhere.

23 Feb 2021

HSE researchers discover genetic predisposition to COVID-19 severity

HSE University researchers have become the first in the world to discover genetic predisposition to severe COVID-19. The results of the study were published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.

23 Feb 2021

Maturation of 'mini brain' organoids matches human brain development

A new study from UCLA and Stanford University researchers finds that three-dimensional human stem cell-derived 'mini brain' organoids can mature in a manner that is strikingly similar to human brain development.

23 Feb 2021

Study findings help explain the diversity of cancers in different Li-Fraumeni patients

The most frequently mutated gene in human cancers is called p53. Patients with Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which is a rare disorder that increases the risk of developing several types of cancer, often have an increased risk to develop cancers at early ages if they inherit p53 mutations.

23 Feb 2021

Stem cell breakthrough offers hope for critically endangered wildlife species

A paper recently published in the scientific journal Stem Cells and Development shares an important advancement in conservation -- one that may make the difference between survival and extinction for wildlife species that have been reduced to very small population sizes.

23 Feb 2021

People with absence of natural killer cell receptor are likely to develop severe COVID-19

The course and severity of COVID-19 in individual patients are largely influenced by the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and the human immune system.

23 Feb 2021

Neanderthal gene can confer protection against severe COVID-19, finds study

A new study has detailed how some of the genes in the human genome inherited from Neanderthals appear to confer a protective effect against severe COVID-19.

22 Feb 2021

New partnership launches Down syndrome research biobank

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center has collaborated with DownSyndrome Achieves (DSA) to launch a research biobank, which serves as a central repository for biospecimens donated by individuals with Down syndrome and their immediate families.

22 Feb 2021

Researchers use functional test to measure the effect of inherited variants in BRCA2 cancer gene

Researchers at Mayo Clinic have combined results from a functional test measuring the effect of inherited variants in the BRCA2 breast and ovarian cancer gene with clinical information from women who received genetic testing to determine the clinical importance of many BRCA2 variants of uncertain significance (VUS).

20 Feb 2021

Whole-genome study of IBD in African Americans reveals a different genetic risk landscape

In African Americans, the genetic risk landscape for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is very different from that of people with European ancestry, according to results of the first whole-genome study of IBD in African Americans.

20 Feb 2021

Study: First influenza infection does not make people immune to future flu viruses

A child's first influenza infection shapes their immunity to future airborne flu viruses-;including emerging pandemic strains.

19 Feb 2021

One in five people lack protein α-actinin-3 in their muscle fiber, shows study

Almost one in five people lack the protein α-actinin-3 in their muscle fibers. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden now show that more of the skeletal muscle of these individuals comprises slow-twitch muscle fibers, which are more durable and energy-efficient and provide better tolerance to low temperatures than fast-twitch muscle fibers.

18 Feb 2021

Researchers measure baseline activity of single neurons

Our brains are complicated webs of billions of neurons, constantly transmitting information across synapses, and this communication underlies our every thought and movement.

18 Feb 2021