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DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA. Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus (where it is called nuclear DNA), but a small amount of DNA can also be found in the mitochondria (where it is called mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA).

Study uncovers how shattered chromosomes make cancer cells more aggressive

Cancer is one of the world's greatest health afflictions because, unlike some diseases, it is a moving target, constantly evolving to evade and resist treatment.

From UC San Diego 24 Dec 2020

Researchers report a potential cancer drug that targets mitochondrial function

A newly developed compound starves cancer cells by attacking their "power plants" - the so-called mitochondria. The new compound prevents the genetic information within mitochondria from being read.

23 Dec 2020

Scientists discover molecular defects associated with rare genetic disorder in children

Damien D'Amours and his team at the Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology needed three years to discover the molecular defects associated with the LIC Syndrome, a serious genetic disorder that affects young children and result in acute respiratory distress, immune deficiency and abnormal chromosomes.

23 Dec 2020

Scientists find master switch that adjusts gene activity to match nutrient levels in roundworms

Transforming a fertilized egg into a fully functional adult is a complicated task. Cells must divide, move, and mature at specific times. Developmental genes control that process, turning on and off in a choreographed way.

23 Dec 2020

New computational tool can segment and analyze cell images of C. elegans

A joint research team co-led by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has developed a novel computational tool that can reconstruct and visualise three-dimensional (3D) shapes and temporal changes of cells, speeding up the analysing process from hundreds of hours by hand to a few hours by the computer.

23 Dec 2020

Scientists identify new protein that may improve future chemotherapy treatment

Chemotherapy not only attacks cancer cells but also targets all cells in the human body. This is the reason why patients receiving this treatment generally experience adverse side effects, like hair loss, physical weakness, and nausea.

18 Dec 2020

Study demonstrates drug repurposing can be used to treat genetic diseases

A new study by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago describes a potential technique of using drug repurposing for the treatment of genetic diseases.

18 Dec 2020

AI-powered psychological aging clocks interpret psychosocial factors

Deep Longevity, a firm that specializes in designing artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor human aging and prolong productive longevity, has launched the first AI-powered psychological aging clocks to inspect and decode the psychosocial factors with respect to aging.

17 Dec 2020

TGen identifies genetic target that could help explain the variation in COVID-19 effects

The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), an affiliate of City of Hope, has identified a specific genetic target that could help explain the tremendous variation in how sick those infected with COVID-19 become.

17 Dec 2020

Study may lead to new treatments for certain types of disease

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have found a new way to prevent some tumours from repairing their own DNA, a function that is essential for cancer cell survival. This discovery could lead to much needed new treatments for certain types of the disease.

17 Dec 2020

Researchers use unique DNA markers to tackle rhino poaching

Scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) have applied DNA markers to offer forensic proof for suspected poaching cases that involved the Indian rhino.

17 Dec 2020

Plastics contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals that threaten human health, shows new report

Plastics contain and leach hazardous chemicals, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that threaten human health.

16 Dec 2020

Researchers test effects of weedkiller on wildlife

Prolonged exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of the weedkiller Roundup causes significant harm to keystone species according to new research at the University of Birmingham.

16 Dec 2020

Scientists invent new RNA drug-discovery tool for undruggable diseases

Imagine trying to throw a bullseye when the dartboard lies buried within a crumpled box. That's the challenge faced by scientists working to make new medicines for some "undruggable" diseases, including a type of metastatic breast cancer.

16 Dec 2020

Tumor's stiff-arm tactic restricts the effectiveness of checkpoint inhibitors

In a paper just published in the Journal for the Immunotherapy of Cancer (doi:10.1136/jitc-2020-001712), Dr. Herbert, Head of Discovery at InsideOutBio, asks whether cancer cells stiff-arm immune cells just like rugby players push off defenders from the other team.

16 Dec 2020

Study sheds new light on a genetic developmental disorder

The rare hereditary developmental disorder, called Meier-Gorlin syndrome, or MGS for short, causes dwarfism, missing patella, a small brain, small ears, and other skeletal abnormalities. This condition leads to stillbirths and miscarriages in severe cases.

15 Dec 2020