Genetic News and Research

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Study raises ethical concerns about gene-editing technologies

Genome editing of human embryos represents one of the most contentious potential scientific applications today. But what if geneticists could sidestep the controversy by editing sperm and eggs instead?

22 Oct 2020

Researchers identify a valuable source for treating pediatric cancer

For many cancers, doctors are increasingly looking to the DNA that solid tumors shed into the blood stream to help with diagnosis and monitoring.

22 Oct 2020

Researchers uncover a new cellular mechanism for disposing of misfolded proteins

About 30 years ago, Dr. Richard Sifers set out on a journey to discover why people with a rare condition known as alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency present with high variation in the severity of liver disease.

21 Oct 2020

Study discusses the role of insects as a potential new food allergen

Those with food allergies must avoid allergens in food. Health problems can be triggered by even the smallest traces for those affected. This is why manufacturers of ready-made foods must list the ingredients on the packaging.

21 Oct 2020

New DNA-cutting tool could advance gene editing for novel treatments

Gene editing for the development of new treatments, and for studying disease as well as normal function in humans and other organisms, may advance more quickly with a new tool for cutting larger pieces of DNA out of a cell's genome, according to a new study by UC San Francisco scientists.

21 Oct 2020

Study explores the impact of microbial immune diversity on dynamics of host-virus interactions

CRISPR-Cas serves as a key driving force of strain diversity in host-virus systems during an evolutionary fight between the host and virus.

21 Oct 2020

First-ever draft sequence of the human proteome mapped successfully

Two decades after the release of the human genome, researchers have mapped the first-ever draft sequence of the human proteome.

21 Oct 2020

Researchers discover a gene responsible for urination

In a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study involving both mice and patients who are part of an NIH Clinical Center trial, researchers discovered that a gene, called PIEZO2, may be responsible for the powerful urge to urinate that we normally feel several times a day.

20 Oct 2020

Researchers develop new method to advance wildlife genomics

A team of scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW), the Australian Museum, and the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) report a new method for identifying any genome sequence located next to a known sequence.

20 Oct 2020

Cell nucleus may enable the cells to evade crowded environments

Like people, cells in the human body protect their personal space. They seem to know how much space they need, and if it gets too tight, most cells prefer to break free.

20 Oct 2020

Researchers demonstrate the impact of epithelial cells, mammary microenvironment on breast cancer cells

The cover for issue 30 of Oncotarget features Figure 4, "RNAseq results demonstrating differences between normal, cancer, and redirected cells," by Frank-Kamenetskii, et al. which reported that the influence of breast cancer cells on normal cells of the microenvironment, such as fibroblasts and macrophages, has been heavily studied but the influence of normal epithelial cells on breast cancer cells has not.

19 Oct 2020

Researchers identify “silent” mutations in the genetic code of COVID-19 virus

We know that the coronavirus behind the COVID-19 crisis lived harmlessly in bats and other wildlife before it jumped the species barrier and spilled over to humans.

19 Oct 2020

Plant genetic engineering can help address micronutrient malnutrition

More than two billion people worldwide suffer from micronutrient malnutrition due to deficiencies in minerals and vitamins.

19 Oct 2020

Childhood trauma leads to metabolic changes across generations

People who experienced childhood trauma usually suffer lifelong consequences that impact their physical and mental health.

19 Oct 2020

Small RNA molecule regulates the virulence factors of stomach bacteria

Over 50% of the global population carries the bacterium Helicobacter pylori in their stomach mucosa.

19 Oct 2020

New technology rapidly diagnoses sickle cell disease

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have developed a new way to diagnose diseases of the blood like sickle cell disease with sensitivity and precision and in only one minute.

16 Oct 2020

Study shows cocaine use in mice leads to formation of synapses

Drugs of abuse, like cocaine, are so addictive due in part to their cellular interaction, creating strong cellular memories in the brain that promote compulsive behaviors.

16 Oct 2020

Researchers identify potential drugs that could be repurposed as pan-coronavirus treatments

A large international consortium of almost 200 researchers from 14 leading institutions in six countries has studied three different coronaviruses - SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and MERS-CoV - with the aim of finding vulnerabilities shared by these three pathogens.

16 Oct 2020

Cell-cultured meat can surpass nutritional profile of conventionally farmed meat

Researchers have produced plant nutrients by genetically modifying the muscle cells of cows. These nutrients are not natively found in beef cells.

15 Oct 2020

Study provides new insights into molecular mechanisms of adipogenesis

The impairment of adipogenesis, the process in which fat cells (also known as adipocytes) accumulate to become fat tissue, can lead to many diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and heart conditions.

15 Oct 2020