A research team led by the University of the Basque Country has identified hundreds of molecular markers in saliva that could reveal the risk of a person developing major diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and...
Five-year SynHG project aims to pave way for next generation of medical therapies and treatment of diseases Researchers are embarking on an ambitious project to construct human genetic material from scratch to learn more about how DNA...
It has been 25 years since Bill Clinton announced one of humanity’s most important scientific achievements: the first draft of the human genome. At the time, there was a great deal of excitement about the benefits that this new knowledge...
New research by Sumeda Nandadasa, Ph.D., reveals how a key protein associated with Meckel-Gruber syndrome, nephronophthisis, Joubert syndrome and other ciliopathies is cut in half to perform two separate functions, both of which are...
A new study led by scientists from BGI Genomics' Institute of Intelligent Medical Research (IIMR) has identified early biomarkers and disease neurons associated with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) pathology.
Up to half of patients with Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disease, develop a complication called fibrosis, where the gut becomes scarred and obstructed, causing pain and bloating. Currently, the only treatment option for these...
A new study has revealed compelling evidence that brain criticality—a dynamic balance between neural excitation and inhibition—has a strong genetic foundation and is associated with cognitive performance. The research was published on...
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive cancer affecting the blood and bone marrow that progresses rapidly, making immediate treatment essential. While chemotherapy and targeted drugs have improved outcomes for some patients, many...
Researchers have developed a gene therapy that significantly slowed motor function loss in preclinical models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), offering new hope for treating the devastating neurodegenerative disease.
We all like to imagine we're aging well. Now a simple blood or saliva test promises to tell us by measuring our "biological age." And then, as many have done, we can share how "young" we really are on social media, along with our secrets...
From Romulus and Remus—the myth of the twin brothers who founded the city of Rome—to the synchronized speech of Australia's "Twinnies" Paula and Brigette Powers, identical siblings have long inspired our fascination and imagination.
In May 2025, researchers announced that K.J. Muldoon, a baby boy born without the ability to process dietary protein properly, had become the first person to be treated with a customized gene-editing therapy. Based on a technology...
Leafcutter ants live in highly organized colonies where every ant has a job, and now researchers can flip those jobs like a switch. By manipulating just two neuropeptides, scientists can turn defenders into nurses or gardeners into leaf...
Investigators have unveiled for the first time that changes in certain genes affect an aggressive cancer, T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), differently depending on genetic ancestry.
New research has found that the endothelial cell-specific A disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 10 (ADAM10) regulates abnormal blood vessel growth in the damaged retina, which can cause vision loss or impairment.
The Association for Molecular Pathology announced the publication of best practice recommendations for clinical laboratories developing and performing homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) testing. The manuscript, titled...
The newly launched South African Blood Regulatory (SABR) dataset reveals how genetic variation influences blood traits and gene activity in African populations, providing crucial insights into diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University have identified a gene that, when activated by metabolic stress, damages pancreatic β-cells—the cells responsible for insulin production and blood sugar control—pushing them toward...
Cells depend on the precise reading of DNA sequences to function correctly. This process, known as gene expression, determines which genetic instructions are activated. When this fails, the wrong parts of the genome can be activated,...
Scientists at Fox Chase Cancer Center have identified a mutation in a common oncogene—a gene that can cause cancer—that may play an important role in colon cancer. Researchers also showed how this mutation could be targeted therapeutically.
Using gene editing in a preclinical model, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center blocked the symptoms of a rare smooth muscle disease before they developed. Their findings, published in Circulation, could eventually lead to gene...
Two Ice Age wolf pups once thought to be early dogs have been identified as wild wolves, thanks to detailed DNA and chemical analysis. Surprisingly, their last meals included woolly rhinoceros meat—an unusually large prey item—hinting...
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of liver cancer and the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, is extremely challenging to treat. However, the future of HCC patient care looks brighter thanks to...
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men worldwide. However, the mechanisms controlling the early stages of prostate cancer formation are poorly understood.
Northwestern Medicine scientists have uncovered key details about a group of rare but serious blood disorders, which may help inform potential treatments, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
University of Otago–Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka has led international research uncovering a new genetic cause for a rare developmental disorder that profoundly impacts brain growth and function in children.
Chemotherapy seeks to destroy tumor cells and has been a standard treatment for cancer for decades. However, it doesn't always work. "Chemotherapy is good for some patients, but it's not effective in all cases. Between 20 and 50% of...
Institut Curie researchers have identified a sex-specific molecular pathway connecting E-cadherin loss, estrogen receptor-α (ERα), and GRPR, contributing significantly to increased melanoma metastasis in women.
In a remarkable twist of science, researchers have transformed a fungus long associated with death into a potential weapon against cancer. Found in tombs like that of King Tut, Aspergillus flavus was once feared for its deadly spores....
Mismatch repair (MMR) germline alterations are enriched among patients with uveal melanoma (UM), according to a study published online June 18 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
Some of the most harmful genetic changes in cancer are also the hardest to see. These structural alterations, deep within a tumor's DNA, can fuel aggressive growth and evade standard testing, especially when tissue samples are small or...
The relationship between genetic variants and the risk of late-onset cardiomyopathy remains poorly understood in survivors of childhood cancer despite being otherwise well established. Scientists from St. Jude Children's Research...
Newborns will have whole genome sequencing to enable personalised healthcare that predicts and prevents illness Every baby in England is to have a DNA screening to avoid fatal diseases and receive personalised healthcare as part of the...
My friend and former colleague David Hopkinson, who has died aged 89, was director of the Medical Research Council’s human biochemical genetics unit at University College London from 1976 until its closure in 2000. Hoppy, as he was...
A new laboratory method developed by researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons may now help physicians more quickly diagnose patients with suspected genetic disorders of the immune system, many who...
Even after 20 million years of evolutionary separation, two tiny worm species show astonishingly similar patterns in how they turn genes on and off. Scientists mapped every cell s activity during development and found that genes...
Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have identified a novel gene associated with neurodevelopmental disorders and epilepsy. The study, published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, leveraged large data...
"Biological stochasticity"—random events at the molecular and cellular level—might be one of the biggest, most overlooked drivers of differences in how we age, says Ryo Sanabria.
During Earth's ancient Snowball periods, when the entire planet was wrapped in ice, life may have endured in tiny meltwater ponds on the surface of equatorial glaciers. MIT researchers discovered that these watery refuges could have...
New research is shaking up our understanding of evolution by revealing that some species may not evolve gradually at all. Instead, scientists discovered that certain marine worms experienced an explosive genetic makeover when they...
Information stolen from US company included details of 150,000 British residents including family trees The genetic testing company 23andMe has been fined more than £2.3m for failing to protect the personal information of more than...
Anne Wojcicki made $305m bid for firm, which has lost customers since declaring bankruptcy, with backing of Fortune 500 company 23andMe’s former CEO is set to regain control of the genetic testing company after a $305m bid from a...
Sea anemones may hold the key to the ancient origins of body symmetry. A study from the University of Vienna shows they use a molecular mechanism known as BMP shuttling, once thought unique to bilaterally symmetrical animals like humans,...
Aphid-hunting wasps can reproduce with or without sex, challenging previous assumptions. This unique flexibility could boost sustainable pest control if its hidden drawbacks can be managed.
A University of Queensland-led project has developed a tool to standardise genetic testing of koala populations, providing a significant boost to conservation and recovery efforts.
Female earwigs may be evolving exaggerated weaponry just like males. A study from Toho University found that female forceps, once assumed to be passive tools, show the same kind of outsized growth linked to sexual selection as the male's...
Sea cucumbers, long known for cleaning the ocean floor, may also harbor a powerful cancer-fighting secret. Scientists discovered a unique sugar in these marine creatures that can block Sulf-2, an enzyme that cancer cells use to spread....
Scientists have discovered that a molecule known for defending animal immune systems called itaconate also plays a powerful role in plants. Researchers showed that itaconate not only exists in plant cells but actively stimulates growth,...
Scientists have uncovered over 200 new giant viruses lurking in ocean waters that not only help shape marine ecosystems but also manipulate photosynthesis in algae. These massive viruses once nearly invisible to science are now being...
Anne Wojcicki, ex-CEO of the DNA testing firm, put in a $305m bid, upending Regeneron’s $256m agreement The DNA testing company 23andMe is back up for sale, throwing a purchase agreement reached last month into chaos, court filings show....