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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).

DNA drugs help restore the normal processing of protein-encoding RNA

A protein named TDP-43 has been lost from its normal location in the nucleus of the cell in virtually all persons having amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and in up to half of all cases of frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

From UC San Diego 20 Mar 2023

Perspectives on nucleolar DNA damage response in the fight against cancer

Cancer, which affects so many people each year, relies on proteins to proliferate throughout the body. Scientists are damaging the disease’s protein factories as part of a new tactic to combat the widespread disease.

20 Mar 2023

Genomic study helps to better understand the origins, history of Tibetan and Sherpa ethnic groups

The Tibetan Plateau, the highest and largest plateau above sea level, is one of the harshest environments settled by humans.

20 Mar 2023

Study may help identify new sex-specific treatments for depression

Depression is widely reported to be more common in women than in men, with women twice as likely to receive a diagnosis than men.

20 Mar 2023

Cancer cells use new DNA repair mechanism to recover from next-generation cancer radiation therapy

A team of scientists led by Dr. Kei-ichi TAKATA from the Center for Genomic Integrity within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), has discovered a new type of DNA repair mechanism that cancer cells use to recover from next-generation cancer radiation therapy.

20 Mar 2023

Delaying paralysis in ALS by using designer DNA drug

In virtually all persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and in up to half of all cases of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia, a protein called TDP-43 is lost from its normal location in the nucleus of the cell.

20 Mar 2023

Using a programmable control switch to deliver therapeutic RNA molecules to target cells

Using an RNA sensor, MIT engineers have designed a new way to trigger cells to turn on a synthetic gene.

17 Mar 2023

Novel genetics tool for mining impact assessment and biomonitoring of endangered chimpanzees

The western chimpanzees of Guinea are threatened by mining activities. Using a novel genetic approach, UZH researchers and an international team have collected information on population size and community structure of the endangered species.

17 Mar 2023

Genomic analysis shows Ashaninka people are not as homogeneous as previously reported

The Ashaninka are the most numerous Indigenous people living in the rainforests of Peru and Brazil where they inhabit a crucial area between the Andes and sources of the Amazon River. And yet, despite the size of the population and their importance in the past and present, their genetic history has remained understudied.

17 Mar 2023

The impact of genome doubling on the development of cancer

Since a single cell has 2–3 m of DNA, the only method to store it is in tight coils. The answer is chromatin, a DNA-protein complex that is wrapped around histone proteins.

17 Mar 2023

Highly sensitive bioluminescent platform for nucleic acid detection

Despite significant advances, numerous highly sensitive viral disease diagnostic tests even now require complex techniques to prepare a sample or decipher a result, making them inconvenient for point-of-care settings or areas with limited resources.

17 Mar 2023

Study evaluates the use of DNA metabarcoding to identify fish eggs

A new study published in PeerJ Life & Environment and featured in the International Association for Biological Oceanography Hub evaluates the use of DNA metabarcoding to identify fish eggs.

14 Mar 2023

High correlation between the product of a gene in the majority of cancers

The product of a gene expressed in most cancers, including the most prevalent type of head and neck cancer, has been linked to elevated levels of white blood cells that produce antibodies inside tumors, according to researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center.

14 Mar 2023

Rice biologists embark on a three-year project to create genetically encoded antibiotics

Synthetic biologists at Rice University are embarking on a three-year project to create "genetically encoded antibiotics," strands of RNA that bacteria will readily copy and share that will selectively kill only disease-causing, pathogenic bacteria.

14 Mar 2023

New perspective on how immune cells perceive viruses and other threats

A textbook chapter on the immune system may need to be revised as a result of a new study from Aarhus University.

14 Mar 2023

Bacteriophages might hold the key to fighting antibiotic resistance

As conventional antibiotics continue to lose effectiveness against evolving pathogens, scientists are keen to employ the bacteria-killing techniques perfected by bacteriophages, the viruses that infect bacteria.

14 Mar 2023

Neural-network-based image recognition models for examining SCC defects

Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have used machine learning to automate the identification of defects in sister chromatid cohesion. They trained a convolutional neural network (CNN) with microscopy images of individual stained chromosomes, identified by researchers as having or not having cohesion defects. After training, it was able to successfully classify 73.1% of new images. Automation promises better statistics, and more insight into the wide range of disorders which cause cohesion defects.

14 Mar 2023

Novel protein complex plays a significant role in RNA protection

Two proteins help in protecting and stabilizing RNA as it travels through the cell carrying muscle-forming code. Studying this RNA-stabilizing complex further may have ramifications for muscle recovery and disease treatment.

10 Mar 2023

Gaining deep insights into mezcal worms

Mezcal is a distilled alcohol made from the boiled and fermented sap of agave plants. Most mezcal beverages -; including all brands of tequila -; are sold as pure distillates, but a few have an added stowaway bottled inside: worms.

10 Mar 2023

Study identifies a novel rare mutation in gene linked to Harlequin Ichthyosis

Harlequin ichthyosis (HI) is a severe genetic skin disorder characterized by thick white, brown, or dark brown patches on the skin covering a newborn's entire body. HI has a low incidence of 1 per 300,000 live births but comes with the highest mortality rate among skin conditions. It is caused by a mutation in the ABCA12 gene, which codes for a protein involved in transporting lipids necessary for the formation of the skin barrier. Such protein shortage leads to a weaker epidermal barrier.

9 Mar 2023

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

DNA drugs help restore the normal processing of protein-encoding RNA

Perspectives on nucleolar DNA damage response in the fight against cancer

Genomic study helps to better understand the origins, history of Tibetan and Sherpa ethnic groups

Study may help identify new sex-specific treatments for depression

Cancer cells use new DNA repair mechanism to recover from next-generation cancer radiation therapy

Delaying paralysis in ALS by using designer DNA drug

Using a programmable control switch to deliver therapeutic RNA molecules to target cells

Novel genetics tool for mining impact assessment and biomonitoring of endangered chimpanzees

Genomic analysis shows Ashaninka people are not as homogeneous as previously reported

The impact of genome doubling on the development of cancer

Highly sensitive bioluminescent platform for nucleic acid detection

Study evaluates the use of DNA metabarcoding to identify fish eggs

High correlation between the product of a gene in the majority of cancers

Rice biologists embark on a three-year project to create genetically encoded antibiotics

New perspective on how immune cells perceive viruses and other threats

Bacteriophages might hold the key to fighting antibiotic resistance

Neural-network-based image recognition models for examining SCC defects

Novel protein complex plays a significant role in RNA protection

Gaining deep insights into mezcal worms

Study identifies a novel rare mutation in gene linked to Harlequin Ichthyosis

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