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...
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...
A study from Cornell researchers could enable a quantum leap forward in identifying and deciphering cancer-driving genetic mutations, the first step in developing effective therapeutics.
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...
Researchers from the University of Colorado Cancer Center have solved a cellular mystery that may lead to better therapies for colorectal and other types of cancer.
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...
A study led by Prof. Liu Feng from the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has identified a crucial role for the tryptophan-aspartic acid (WD) repeat protein 5 (Wdr5) in maintaining the survival and genomic integrity...
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...
A new study explores how epigenetic markers—chemical modifications that influence gene activity—can help predict the risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases and guide personalized prevention strategies. The findings are particularly...
By analyzing huge amounts of biological data, the use of machine learning accelerates the identification of critical control hubs that are sensitive to changes in the network structure of the total controllability network, thereby having...
Cornell researchers have confirmed that a previously identified biomarker for detecting the presence of malignant testicular germ cell tumors—the most common solid cancers in young men—has the potential to improve patient outcomes...
Early animal studies show that a single vaccine could protect the recipient from different variants of the coronaviruses that cause COVID-19, the flu and the common cold. In addition to creating antibodies that target a specific region...
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is one of the most common birth defects, but the full extent of its genetic underpinnings has been a mystery. Now, a new study of more than 11,000 children with CHD identifies 60 genes that are mutated in...
Enzymes originally evolved in high-temperature environments and later adapted to lower temperatures as Earth cooled. Scientists discovered that a key shift in enzyme function occurred over evolutionary time due to amino acid changes...
Cedars-Sinai investigators have developed a novel artificial intelligence (AI) model, named DYNA, that accurately distinguishes harmful gene variations from harmless ones, potentially enhancing physicians' ability to diagnose diseases....
Plus: Nvidia bets on AI-powered robots, Musk juggles Tesla and politics, and AI fiction takes over Instagram Hello, and welcome to TechScape. In this week’s edition: 23andMe files for bankruptcy, Nvidia forecasts a fusion of AI and...
The genetic testing firm filed for bankruptcy after a major data breach. Here’s how to protect your DNA privacy Welcome to Opt Out , a semi-regular column in which we help you navigate your online privacy and show you how to say no to...
In vertebrate retinas, specialized photoreceptors responsible for color vision (cone cells) arrange themselves in patterns known as the "cone mosaic." Researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) have discovered...
Scientists used light to control how a starfish egg cell jiggles and moves during its earliest stage of development. Their optical system could guide the design of synthetic, light-activated cells for wound healing or drug delivery.
For successful cell division, chromosomal DNA needs to be packed into compact rod-shaped structures. Defects in this process can lead to cell death or diseases like cancer. A new study has shown how chromosomes change shape during cell...
Who were our earliest ancestors? The answer could lie in a special group of single-celled organisms with a cytoskeleton similar to that of complex organisms, such as animals and plants.