In a study co-led by the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), researchers have identified a "master regulator" gene, ZNFX1, that may act as a biomarker to help guide treatment in future clinical trials involving patients...
Knocking out a single gene reprograms part of the large intestine to function like the nutrient-absorbing small intestine. In a preclinical study, Weill Cornell Medicine investigators showed that the technique reversed the malnutrition...
A new study has revealed that Beagle dogs carrying mutations in the Shank3 gene—a high-risk gene for autism spectrum disorder (ASD)—exhibit face-processing abnormalities similar to those observed in human ASD patients.
Sanger Institute’s Tree of Life team say genomes offer invaluable insight into how species will fare under climate crisis Voting is now open! Vote for your favourite here “We are following the ‘invertebrate of the year’ series with bated...
As soon as the genetic testing company 23andMe filed for bankruptcy on March 23, 2025, concerns about what would happen to the personal information contained in its massive genetic and health information database were swift and...
An AI model trained on large amounts of genetic data can predict whether bacteria will become antibiotic-resistant. The new study shows that antibiotic resistance is more easily transmitted between genetically similar bacteria and mainly...
In a recent study, precancerous pancreatic lesions and some pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumors harboring KRAS mutations had higher-than-normal expression of the FGFR2 protein, and FGFR2 inactivation delayed KRAS-mutated PDAC...
An international team of researchers, including experts from the University of Adelaide, has found genomic testing and targeted therapies for patients with advanced cancer could improve survival rates by up to 40%.
Scientists at Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, and the Department of Neurosciences and Pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego, have made a significant breakthrough in understanding the causes of spina...
A group of diatom species belonging to the Nitzschia genus, gave up on photosynthesis and now get their carbon straight from their environment, thanks to a bacterial gene picked up by an ancestor, according to a new study.
Genomic changes in the infectious yeast Candida tropicalis may play a role in its resistance to antifungals, according to a new study. These genomic changes can be brought on by a common antifungal, TBZ. The study demonstrates that the...
Gene therapy, a technique that is revolutionizing the treatment of multiple genetic conditions, including eye and muscle diseases and blood disorders, requires efficient and specific delivery of the genetic material to the tissue and...
In mice, autism symptoms arise when a certain pair of competing nerve proteins falls out of equilibrium, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Dongdong Zhao of Wenzhou Medical University, China, Yun-wu...
Linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid found in seed oils such as soybean and safflower oil, and animal products including pork and eggs, specifically enhances the growth of the hard-to-treat 'triple negative' breast cancer subtype,...
Scientists have released new and more accurate genome sequences for five species of duckweed. Their research reveals the specific genes responsible for some of the plant's most useful traits, allowing for new commercial agriculture...
Researchers from Tel Aviv University have developed an innovative method that can help to understand better how cells behave in changing biological environments, such as those found within a cancerous tumor.
Research led by Children's Hospital of Fudan University in China has found that a gene called pancreatic progenitor cell differentiation and proliferation factor (PPDPF) helps protect kidney cells by supporting enzymes involved in...
The same genes could hold the key to regenerating cells in the ear and eye, according to a new mouse study from the USC Stem Cell laboratory of Ksenia Gnedeva, Ph.D., published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Scientists have revealed exactly how tobacco smoke damages DNA to drive the development of different types of head and neck cancer, a finding that could unlock new treatments and prevention strategies.
Swedish researchers have identified genetic variants that increase the risk of atherosclerosis. The aim is for these new findings to enable earlier detection of atherosclerosis and improved treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as...
A recent study led by the UAB demonstrates the potential of gene therapy to restore motor capacity in an ultra-rare disease, megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts (MLC), even when treatment begins after symptom onset.
As warehouses go, nuclei are more like libraries than bank vaults. Too many cellular components need access to the genome to lock it down like Fort Knox. Instead, large groupings of more than 1,000 individual protein molecules called...
Northwestern Medicine scientists have uncovered new details about the genetic structure of ovarian cancer stem cells, according to a study published in Advanced Science.
Alopecia is an autoimmune disorder that causes non-scarring hair loss on the scalp and body that is experienced by almost 2% of the global population at some point in their lifetime.
Investigators at Mass General Brigham have uncovered how resistance to chemotherapies may occur in some cancers. Researchers focused on a pathway that harnesses reactive oxygen species (ROS) to kill cancer cells. The study found that...
Roughly one out of three women ages 14-49 in the United States develop a vaginal bacterial imbalance known as bacterial vaginosis (BV) during their lifetime. BV is characterized by unpleasant odors, and potentially painful side effects,...
The new study reveals a remarkable way that cells keep us safe from transposable elements (TEs) gone wild. The researchers found that cells have taken advantage of an entire protein network to repress TE activity and keep themselves...
Music is central to human emotion and culture. Does our ability to enjoy music have a biological basis? A genetic twin study, published in Nature Communications, shows that music enjoyment is partly heritable. An international team led...
An R75W mutation in the gap junction β2 (GJB2) gene causes severe fragmentation of gap junction plaques, connecting adjacent cells and leading to syndromic hearing loss. In a new experimental study, scientists from Juntendo University in...
In a manuscript published in the American Journal of Psychiatry titled "Psychiatric Genetics in Clinical Practice: Essential Knowledge for Mental Health Professionals," the authors provide updated guidelines on what mental health...
Scientists have uncovered a surprising role for calcium in shaping the building blocks of life. Their study reveals that calcium ions help determine the molecular 'handedness' (chirality) of tartaric acid polymers -- an essential feature...
Researchers have discovered the mechanism that drives the parasitic vine Cuscuta campestris to insert organs into plants after making contact with the hosts.
Previously unknown access points in cell membrane proteins have been discovered, enabling laboratory-developed drugs to modify cell function. The discovery was made possible through computer simulations with an unprecedented level of...
To encourage scientists to speak up when people misuse science to serve political agendas, biology professor Mark Peifer of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill argues that eugenics should be included in college genetics...
A new study from Queen Mary University of London found that 9% of all reported adverse drug reactions (ADRs) reported to the UK medicines regulator are associated with medications where side effect risk is partly dependent on the...
Researchers at the Center for Embryology and Healthy Development (CRESCO) aim to find out why so many early embryos fail in their development. New insights into how maternal and paternal DNA is replicated during the initial stages of...
On March 23, direct-to-consumer genetic testing company 23andMe announced it had filed for bankruptcy. The move came after the company, which generated genetic profiles based on saliva samples from customers, faced financial woes and a...
According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 1 in 8 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. In addition, about 1 in 44 men will die from the disease, placing it second behind lung cancer...
As more people receive genetic testing after a cancer diagnosis, newer variants have been identified that increase the risk of developing cancer. A recent study led by the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center finds that patients...
Millions paid to give away their most personal data. At least in return they found out more about their earwax Information is the most valuable resource on Earth. We shed data from everything that we do, and megalithic corporations...
The genetic testing firm 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy, another twist in the story of a company that promised a pioneering approach to precision health. Now users are scrambling to delete their personal data, with the future ownership...
Two specific genes that evolve exclusively in humans jointly influence the development of the cerebrum. Researchers have provided evidence that these genes contribute together to the evolutionary enlargement of the brain.
Mutations in BRCA2—a gene known to repair damaged DNA and suppress tumor formation—can predict an individual's predisposition to develop breast cancer, ovarian, prostate, pancreatic, and other epithelial tumors.
Researchers at City of Hope have found that cell mutations are necessary but not always sufficient for tumors to form. Instead, they suggest that additional risk factors that promote tumor growth, like chronic inflammation, are a key...
Opioid use disorder is associated with more than 350,000 deaths annually worldwide. Guided by the need for an increased understanding of critical neurobiological features of addiction, researchers have now found a unique molecular...
Researchers have developed 'tomoseqr' -- a new software tool that enables easy estimation of the three-dimensional (3D) spatial distribution of gene expression. Tomoseqr is free to use and has been integrated into Bioconductor -- a...
Six years before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, an Ebola outbreak in West Africa had people fearing the possibility of a global outbreak. This was the first time many had ever heard of the virus, but since it was first identified in...
Less than 2% of human genomes analysed so far have been those of Africans. Yemaachi Biotech’s Africa Cancer Atlas aims to fill the research gap When Yaw Bediako lost his father to liver cancer, it set the Ghanaian immunologist on a...
Even with significant expansion in the global market for antibodies used in clinical care and research, scientists recognize that there is still untapped potential for finding new antibodies. Many proteins group together in what are...
For human health, prematurely aging cells are a big problem. When a cell ages and stops growing, its function changes, which can cause or worsen cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease and other chronic diseases. But these cells are...