Metachromatic leukodystrophy is a rare genetic disorder that mainly affects young children and results in severe neurological symptoms accompanied by a loss of motor and intellectual capacities. At Paris Brain Institute, Françoise Piguet...
Clarifying the cause of a skin disease had led to the discovery of a new disease-causing gene, a new category of diseases, and new perspectives for both counseling and therapy. The discovery is the first time that epigenetic silencing,...
DNA methylation data provide extremely accurate age predictors, but so far, little is known about the dynamics of this epigenomic biomarker over the course of life.
An international collaborative research team, including scientists from UQ's Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), has discovered a novel mechanism underlying memory involving rapid changes in a specific DNA structure.
Ciliopathies are rare diseases in which the formation or function of cilia, cylindrical-shaped extensions found on the surface of many cells, is altered. There is a high degree of ciliary specialization, ranging from motile cilia of the...
Epidemiology researchers are harnessing tools developed by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, to untangle the origins of the 2020 Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo...
Twin studies have proven invaluable for teasing out the effects of both genetics and the environment on human biology. In a study published April 2 in Cell Reports, researchers studied pairs of twins to look at how the interplay of...
Animal and plant populations have been extensively studied, which has helped to understand ecosystem processes and evolutionary adaptations. However, this has not been the case with microbial populations due to the impossibility of...
Some genes are known to drive cancer, and astonishing new research shows why: Mutations in the noncoding regions become functional, altering the abundance of messenger RNA, or mRNA, and potentially facilitating cell proliferation. Even...
The origin of life continues to remain a matter of debate. The ribonucleic acid (RNA) world hypothesis proposes that 'ribozymes' which store genetic information and possess catalytic functions may have supported the activities of early...
Two siblings who have the only known mutations in a key gene anywhere in the world have helped scientists gain new insights that could help progress the search for new treatments in type 1 diabetes.
A multi-institutional team of geneticists and genomic and genotyping specialists in Japan has sequenced the genomes of thousands of Japanese people from across the country, looking to settle the debate surrounding the ancestry of the...
In post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), intrusive thoughts, changes in mood, and other symptoms after exposure to trauma can greatly impact a person's quality of life. About 6% of people who experience trauma develop the disorder, but...
The rate at which human cells age is influenced by multiple interconnected factors. New research examined how restricting calories influences telomere length and biological aging.
Penn State researchers may have uncovered another layer of complexity in the mystery of how diet impacts aging. A new study led by researchers in the Penn State College of Health and Human Development examined how a person's...
Heritability for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) varies for males and females, with higher heritability seen for males than females, according to a study published online April 17 in JAMA Psychiatry.
Trying to hit a target size before dividing seems like the best strategy for maintaining a precise cell size, but bacteria don't do that. Now we know why.
Using a pair of sensors made from carbon nanotubes, researchers discovered signals that help plants respond to stresses such as heat, light, or attack from insects or bacteria. Farmers could use these sensors to monitor threats to their...
To make weeding easier, scientists suggest bioengineering crops to be colorful or to have differently shaped leaves so that they can be more easily distinguished from their wild and weedy counterparts. This could involve altering the...
By discovering how a type of smooth muscle—which is essential for mechanical aspects of absorbing fats from food—forms in the gut, Cornell scientists have opened doors to making artificial muscle, repairing muscle following gut...
Researchers have discovered a DNA repair mechanism that advances understanding of how human cells stay healthy, and which could lead to new treatments for cancer and premature aging.
By analyzing electronic health records, researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have identified hundreds of new genes associated with tobacco use disorder. They also identified hundreds of potential drug...
Researchers have shown that an Amazonian butterfly is a hybrid species, formed by two other species breeding together almost 200,000 years ago. Researchers have shown that an Amazonian butterfly is a hybrid species, formed by two other...
Cambridge scientists critique study that concluded the cancer was no longer a threat to species’ survival Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails , free app or daily news podcast...
Creating visually distinctive plants likely to become important as more weed-like crops are grown for food Genetically engineering crops to be colourful could help farmers produce food without using herbicides, as it would make it easier...
Determining how genetics contribute to common forms of strabismus has been a challenge for researchers. Small discoveries are considered meaningful progress.
Most rare diseases are congenital—including CPAM (congenital pulmonary airway malformations). These are airway malformations of the lungs that can lead to severe breathing problems in some affected newborns and can be associated with an...
Plants with multiple sets of chromosomes, known as polyploids, are salt-tolerant or drought-resistant and often achieve higher yields. However, newly formed polyploid plants are often sterile or have reduced fertility and are unsuitable...
Scientists have reached a milestone in the research of childhood asthma. For the first time, they have clarified how a certain genetic defect in children initially leads to frequent infections and later to asthma. The study, published in...
A research team discovers previously unknown gene that indirectly promotes photosynthesis Protein regulator NirP1 influences the coordination of the nitrogen and carbohydrate metabolism 'Such protein regulators could in future be...
An international team of scientists has published a single-cell atlas for Pristina leidyi (Pristina), the water nymph worm, a segmented annelid with extraordinary regenerative abilities that has fascinated biologists for more than a...
A study has revealed how aberrant epigenetic regulation contributes to the development of atypical teratoid/rhabdoid (AT/RT) tumors, which are aggressive brain tumors that mainly affect young children. There is an urgent need for more...
An international team of researchers has discovered what causes an unusual and incredibly rare genetic condition, giving hope to the families with it and others with related disorders.
How muscle changes with aging and tries to fight its effects is now better understood at the cellular and molecular level with the first comprehensive atlas of aging muscles in humans.
Study details how nutrient-starved cells divert protein transport stations to cellular recycling centers to be broken down, highlighting a novel approach cells use to deal with stressful conditions.
A study conducted at the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä showed that a genetic predisposition for higher muscle strength predicts a longer lifespan and a lower risk for developing common diseases. This...
The typical job of the proteasome, the garbage disposal of the cell, is to grind down proteins into smaller bits and recycle some of those bits and parts. That's still the case, for the most part, but researchers, studying nerve cells...
A deep dive into macroalgae genetics has uncovered the genetic underpinnings that enabled macroalgae, or 'seaweed,' to evolve multicellularity. Three lineages of macroalgae developed multicellularity independently and during very...
The rise of RNA viruses like SARS-CoV-2 highlights the need for new ways to fight them. RNA-targeting tools like CRISPR/Cas13 are powerful but inefficient in the cytoplasm of cells, where many RNA viruses replicate. Scientists have...
Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. With global incidence rates rising, new, more effective treatments are necessary to alleviate the health burden of the disease. Important advances in recent years include doctors using...
Approximately one in seven couples face difficulties conceiving a child naturally. Half of these cases are due to male infertility—either caused by the complete absence or low number of mature sperm. In today's clinical practice, over...
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the second most common cancer-causing virus, accounting for 690,000 cervical and other cancers each year worldwide. While the immune system usually clears HPV infections, those that persist can lead to...
Researchers reveal how DNA gyrase resolves DNA entanglements. The findings not only provide novel insights into this fundamental biological mechanism but also have potential practical applications. Gyrases are biomedical targets for the...
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the second most common cancer-causing virus, accounting for 690,000 cervical and other cancers each year worldwide. While the immune system usually clears HPV infections, those that persist can lead to...
Researchers have identified 14 genes that thale cress -- a plant commonly used in genetic investigations since its genome is well documented -- express more when responding to five specific stressors, as well as eight genes that the...
Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative movement disorder that progresses relentlessly. It gradually impairs a person's ability to function until they ultimately become immobile and often develop dementia. In the U.S. alone, over a...
Northwestern Medicine investigators have discovered that inhibiting a chromatin remodeling complex associated with a particular gene in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells may decrease cancer cell differentiation and tumor growth,...