Up to 15% of all couples suffer from infertility at some point in their lives. Lack of knowledge about the causes of fertility problems can lead to prolonged clinical testing and extended treatment periods.
A recent study has uncovered the intricate ways in which a rare genetic mutation impacts brain cell communication, providing critical insights into the causes of a severe neurological disorder known as developmental and epileptic...
A new study from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center finds that, in healthy women, some breast cells that otherwise appear normal may contain chromosome abnormalities typically associated with invasive breast...
The combination of common DNA differences can help explain why some people have a rare neurodevelopmental brain condition without a specific, single genetic mutation causing it.
A new pathology tool created at Yale harnesses barcode technology and shows potential for use in cancer diagnoses. The technology, Patho-DBiT (pathology-compatible deterministic barcoding in tissue), was discussed in a new study...
An enzyme called EZH2 has an unexpected role in driving aggressive tumor growth in treatment-resistant prostate cancers, according to a new study by scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine.
In a new study published in the European Heart Journal, researchers at Karolinska Institutet show that genetic traits influence the cellular composition of atherosclerotic plaques, which over time will affect the risk of such lesions for...
Children living in war-torn countries not only suffer from poor mental health outcomes, but war may cause adverse biological changes at the DNA level, which could have lifelong health impacts, according to a study from the University of...
The first "blueprint" of human skeletal development reveals how the skeleton forms, shedding light on the process of arthritis, and highlighting cells involved in conditions that affect skull and bone growth.
Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC), BC Cancer, Harvard Medical School and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) have pinpointed what could be the early genetic origins of breast cancer—cancer-like mutations...
Neuroticism is a key personality trait described by well-established psychological theories, associated with a tendency towards emotional instability and negative emotions. Past studies found that this personality trait often goes hand...
Rosalind Franklin, James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the structure of DNA -- that molecular blueprint for life -- over 70 years ago. Today, scientists are still uncovering new ways to read it.
Researchers are helping uncover new information about the Y chromosome in horses, which will help owners identify optimal lineages for breeding and help conservationists preserve breed diversity.
Researchers described a promising new approach for using gene therapy to treat sickle cell disease in the journal Human Gene Therapy. To improve the efficacy of gene therapy when using anti-sickling beta globin gene transfer, they added...
Cancer researchers at the University of Chicago and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have discovered that mutations in certain genes can lead to the accumulation of DNA errors, resulting in a specific type of genetic...
Candida parapsilosis is a yeast fungus that can colonize the skin and digestive tract of humans and is usually harmless. However, it can cause severe wound and tissue infections, including life-threatening septicemia, in people who are...
Cell-to-cell communication through nanosized particles, working as messengers and carriers, can now be analyzed in a whole new way, thanks to a new method involving CRISPR gene-editing technology. The particles, known as small...
In most people, the lung-infecting pathogens known as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV) trigger mild cold-like symptoms. But in infants and seniors, these viruses can cause severe pneumonia and even...
Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) announced encouraging results from the first ever gene therapy trial for Danon disease (DD), a rare, X-linked heart condition caused by a single gene mutation. The phase 1 trial...
Researchers have carried out an in-depth analysis of 10,478 cancer genomes across 35 different cancer types, identifying 330 potential cancer-driving genes, 74 of which are newly associated with cancer. The findings highlight the...
A new type of therapy that "edits" a gene in patients with a rare heart condition has been shown to be safe and effective, according to research from UCL and the Royal Free Hospital.
Cancer occurs when genetic changes disrupt normal cell functions. These genetic mutations can be inherited; they can happen spontaneously when cells make copies of themselves; or they can be caused by environmental carcinogens—chemicals...
A new pregnancy health cohort study involving over 20,000 families has identified common complications, high-risk groups, and geographical trends through biological samples collected across China.
A new study introduces an innovative tool for exploring gene-disease connections: the PWAS Hub. This resource is based on the novel approach of the proteome-wide association study (PWAS), which complements traditional genetic analysis...
Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) are a cutting-edge tool in genetics, combining information from genetic markers across the genome to estimate a person's risk of developing certain diseases, such as coronary artery disease (CAD). By...
Many living organisms are able to regenerate damaged or lost tissue, but why some are particularly good at this and others are not is not fully understood. Molecular biologists have now made an important contribution to clarifying this...
An international team of researchers has achieved an unprecedented milestone: the creation of mouse stem cells capable of generating a fully developed mouse using genetic tools from a unicellular organism, with which we share a common...
A molar pregnancy, also known as a hydatidiform mole, is an abnormal human pregnancy with no embryo and an overgrowth of the cells that form the placenta. The common form of molar pregnancy affects one in every 600 pregnancies in Quebec.
Each cell in our body experiences up to tens of thousands of DNA-damaging events per day, primarily from routine cellular maintenance or exposure to toxins in our environment. Despite the high frequency of wear-and-tear, cells have...
Mitochondrial diseases are among the most prevalent hereditary metabolic disorders, known to occur in 1 out of every 5,000 births. Single nucleotide variations, indels, and structural variations are known to cause these disorders.
Gastric cancer (GC) is a lethal malignancy with worldwide occurrence, and is considered endemic in eastern Asian, eastern European and South American countries. Indeed, in my home country, Chile, GC is the leading cause of cancer death...
Scientists at deCODE genetics and collaborators have published a study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reporting a rare missense variant in STAT6 that protects against asthma.
From the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro to the shoulders of pirates: parrots are synonymous with color for people across the world. In a new study, scientists uncover a 'switch' in the DNA of parrots that controls their wide gamut of colors.
Research that was carried out by Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital doctors has led to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granting Orphan Drug Designation to a treatment for developmental and epileptic...
Dr. Cornelia Peterson is dedicated to finding treatments for cancer by researching tumors that develop in Meibomian glands, the specialized oil-secreting glands of the eyelid. She joined Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts...
In what could one day become a new treatment for epilepsy, researchers at UC San Francisco, UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley have used pulses of light to prevent seizure-like activity in neurons.The study appears Nov. 15 in Nature...
A wonderful but thoroughly conventional celebration of the science of evolution All things must pass, but some leave legacies. That is the story of life on Earth. Fossilised remains of organisms represent just one of the various treasure...
An international research team has uncovered a new mechanism crucial to the production of cellular proteins. When this mechanism is disrupted, the blueprints used by the cell to produce proteins are inaccurately edited through a process...
A multitude of genes have been linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease. Specifically how those genes might influence the progression of neurodegeneration remains something of a black box though, in part because of the challenges...
StitchR, a new gene therapy technique, delivers large genes in two parts to treat muscular dystrophies by restoring critical proteins in animal models.
Researchers have found a potential method to slow heart failure progression. They fed mice a diet high in soybean protein, which influenced gut bacteria and supported heart health. Analysis showed that this diet increased the production...
The interplay between the genetic makeup of crops and the conditions in which they grow is difficult to untangle. A research team aims to help breeders analyze the interactions to make crops more resilient and productive.
Researchers elucidated the molecular details of how Drosophila larval epidermal cells (LECs) undergo cell death in a controlled manner to regulate epithelial tissue remodeling. Specifically, lower activation of the epidermal growth...
Few questions have captivated humankind more than the origin of life on Earth. How did the first living cells come to exist? How did these early protocells develop the structural membranes necessary for cells to thrive and assemble into...
The protein in sea lettuce, a type of seaweed, is a promising complement to both meat and other current alternative protein sources. Seaweed also contains many other important nutrients, and is grown without needing to be watered,...
A research team reported recently that heart muscle cells grown from induced pluripotent stem cells can integrate into the hearts of monkeys with a state of pressure overload.
Why do some people develop severe flu symptoms? A study points the finger at an unsung portion of the antibodies our immune systems generate to fend off invading pathogens.
About 10-15% of adults have temporomandibular disorder, a condition connected with TMJ – here’s what to know It seems like all of my friends are having jaw pain. As we trudged deeper into our 30s, I was prepared to hear about bad backs...