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Genetic burden of retrogene mutations is greater than originally believed

According to a new study performed by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön, Germany, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, the possible genetic burden of mutations emerging from retrogenes is considerably greater than originally believed.

3 Feb 2021

Scientists discover the origin of rare genetic syndrome

Improvements in DNA sequencing have revealed a rare syndrome triggered by changes in the SATB1gene.

29 Jan 2021

Genetic changes in tumors could help predict patient's response to immunotherapy drugs

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, the UCL Cancer Institute, and the Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence have identified genetic changes in tumours which could be used to predict if immunotherapy drugs would be effective in individual patients.

28 Jan 2021

New variant of CRISPR-Cas9 tool expands genomic editing in plants

For the first time, Yiping Qi has represented the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources on the Web of Science 2020 list of Highly Cited Researchers.

26 Jan 2021

Cancer cells can exchange and recombine their genetic material, shows study

Evolution within groups of tumor cells follows the principles of natural selection, as evolution in pathogenic microbes.

22 Jan 2021

Researchers define cancer invasion machinery orchestrated by cancer gene

Researchers at the University of Helsinki have defined a cancer invasion machinery, which is orchestrated by a frequently mutated cancer gene called Ras. When signaling from Ras protein becomes abnormally high, like it does in many cancers, this switches on the cellular machinery that helps the cancer cells to depart from the tissue from which the cells have developed.

20 Jan 2021

Study shows how specific gene mutations cause different types of diseases

Renowned cancer experts have resolved a query of how different types of mutations in a single gene are responsible for causing various types of diseases.

15 Jan 2021

Scientists detect genomic DNA changes even in sun-protected skin

Researchers have quantified the diverse types of genomic DNA variations that take place in skin cells and found that mutations from UV light is common.

15 Jan 2021

Speciation process takes place in the presence of maximal gene flow, indicates study

Spatial isolation is known to promote speciation - but researchers at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich have now shown that, at least in yeast, the opposite is also true. New ecological variants can also evolve within thoroughly mixed populations.

15 Jan 2021

Researchers determine atomic structure of coronavirus protein linked to disease severity

A team of HIV researchers, cellular biologists, and biophysicists who banded together to support COVID-19 science determined the atomic structure of a coronavirus protein thought to help the pathogen evade and dampen response from human immune cells.

13 Jan 2021

DNA-editing technique used to extend lifespan of mice with progeria

Researchers have successfully used a DNA-editing technique to extend the lifespan of mice with the genetic variation associated with progeria, a rare genetic disease that causes extreme premature aging in children and can significantly shorten their life expectancy.

From National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) 7 Jan 2021

Triple drug combination keeps people with metastatic colon cancer disease free for longer time

Researchers from SWOG Cancer Research Network, a cancer clinical trials group funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, have shown that a triple drug combination - of irinotecan, cetuximab, and vemurafenib - is a more powerful tumor fighter and keeps people with metastatic colon cancer disease free for a significantly longer period of time compared with patients treated with irinotecan and cetuximab.

24 Dec 2020

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

New version of phototoxic protein helps control intracellular processes

Researchers have designed an improved version of a genetically encoded phototoxic synthesizer that helps regulate intracellular processes through light.

18 Dec 2020

New genomic tool can accurately assess the risk of breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed disease in women and is the main cause of cancer-related mortalities in this group of population.

15 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

Researchers provide a list of genes implicated in congenital heart disease

Over two million babies, children, and adults in the United States are living with congenital heart disease--a range of birth defects affecting the heart's structure or function.

15 Dec 2020

A genetic shortcut to help visualize proteins at work

A group at Gladstone Institutes and UC San Francisco (UCSF) has demonstrated that a large-scale and systematic genetic approach can indeed yield reliable and detailed information on the structure of protein complexes.

11 Dec 2020

Appendiceal cancer among young patients harbors a distinct biology, shows study

The first study to compare molecular landscapes of early-onset and late-onset appendiceal cancer has revealed distinct non-silent mutations in the tumors of younger patients, setting the stage for the development of potential therapeutic advances for this rare disease.

From Vanderbilt University 10 Dec 2020

Researchers identify key molecular processes used by coronaviruses to survive

When a coronavirus--including SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19--infects someone, it hijacks the person's cells, co-opting their molecular machinery for its own survival and spread.

9 Dec 2020