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Genetics news
Genetics
Scientists find the genetic clues that let humans walk on two legs
Two small changes in human DNA may have played a big role in helping our ancestors walk upright, researchers say.
26 minutes ago
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Genetics
Common gene variant linked to higher heart disease risk in people with African ancestry
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a leading cause of heart failure, is twice as common in Black individuals as in white individuals. This excess risk is not fully explained by known risk factors such as high blood pressure or ...
7 hours ago
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New clue to ALS and FTD: Faulty protein disrupts brain's 'brake' system
A new Northwestern University study using patient nervous tissue and lab-grown human neurons has uncovered how a key disease protein, TDP-43, drives overactive nerve cells in the neurodegenerative diseases amyotrophic lateral ...
Oct 31, 2025
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Genes, personality, and family may predict alcohol drinking in teens
Examining genetic, family, and personality characteristics may help identify those who are at high risk for drinking and drinking problems as teenagers. A study, published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, found ...
Oct 31, 2025
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BRCA2 research reveals a novel mechanism behind chemoresistance
One of the biggest challenges in cancer treatment is chemoresistance: Tumors that initially respond well to chemotherapy become resistant over time. When that happens, treatment options are often limited.
Oct 30, 2025
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Study links genetic variants to higher 'bad' cholesterol and heart attack risk
An international team led by a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientist has created a first-of-its-kind resource to identify those with a genetic risk for elevated "bad" cholesterol—a major contributor to heart ...
Oct 30, 2025
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Genes associated with obesity shared across ancestries, researchers find
Obesity is a global epidemic affecting millions of people every day and is associated with comorbidities ranging from heart disease and type 2 diabetes to osteoarthritis and social stigma. While lifestyle factors, like diet ...
Oct 30, 2025
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Tying protein to fraying DNA solves mystery of illness for patients around the world
New research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison reveals that dysfunction in a protein essential to maintaining stability in our chromosomes may be responsible for serious—and sometimes deadly—diseases.
Oct 30, 2025
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Genetic mechanisms reveal how toxic substances damage balance cells in the inner ear
The vestibular system is responsible for the sense of balance in the inner ear. Prolonged use of toxic substances, such as certain antibiotics or anticancer drugs, can damage the hair cells that form part of this system, ...
Oct 30, 2025
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Transcription factor drives chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer
Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered how a specific transcription factor promotes genetic reprogramming and chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer cells, findings that may inform new targeted treatment approaches ...
Oct 30, 2025
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Mutation yields hot new clues for treating immune 'cold' tumors
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) emerged in the US about 15 years ago as an exciting class of cancer treatments that have achieved complete and durable remissions for thousands of people with end-stage metastatic cancers. ...
Oct 29, 2025
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Common genetic causes across motor neuron diseases identified
Motor neuron diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), share physical similarities but have been largely viewed as genetically distinct. However, an analysis led by investigators ...
Oct 29, 2025
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Changing the 'packaging' of DNA in neurons can turn memories on or off in mice
Our experiences leave traces in the brain, stored in small groups of cells called engrams. Engrams are thought to hold the information of a memory and are reactivated when we remember, which makes them very interesting for ...
Oct 29, 2025
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MAGIC: AI-assisted 'laser tag' illuminates cancer origins
The human body relies on precise genetic instructions to function, and cancer begins when these instructions get scrambled. When cells accumulate genetic errors over time, they can break free of the normal controls on their ...
Oct 29, 2025
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Fruit flies offer new insights into how Alzheimer's disease risk genes affect the brain
Scientists have identified hundreds of genes that may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease but the roles these genes play in the brain are poorly understood. This lack of understanding poses a barrier to developing ...
Oct 29, 2025
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Heart 'blueprint' reveals origins of defects and insights into fetal development
New research in Sweden has produced a "blueprint" revealing how the human heart is built during prenatal development. It offers insights that could lead to improved prenatal care and new treatments for heart defects, such ...
Oct 29, 2025
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3D genome mapping tool reveals hidden complexity in DNA
Standard laboratory tests can fail to detect many disease-causing DNA changes. Now, a novel 3D chromosome mapping method can reliably reveal these hidden structural variants and lead to new discoveries.
Oct 29, 2025
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New genetic marker could improve prediction of severe gout drug reactions in US patients
A newly identified genetic marker may significantly improve the ability to predict life-threatening reactions to the gout medication allopurinol in U.S. patients.
Oct 29, 2025
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Challenging conventional wisdom on a common cause of melanoma
University of Queensland researchers have found that a genetic mutation that causes melanoma can lie dormant in healthy skin, a finding that could improve screening of areas more prone to the disease.
Oct 29, 2025
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Additional testing of FISH-negative tests for renal cell carcinoma can improve kidney cancer diagnosis
A study from the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center and Department of Pathology shows that further testing in renal cell carcinoma with an overexpression of gene TRIM63 could uncover a mutation otherwise undetected, ...
Oct 29, 2025
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Oxygen deprivation heightens risk of illness by changing genes, researchers discover
Low oxygen levels in the blood can alter the genetic makeup of key immune cells, weakening the body's ability to fight infection, new research shows.
Oct 28, 2025
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Previously unknown genetic cause of microcephaly identified
Microcephaly is a congenital malformation that leads to a significantly reduced brain size and is often accompanied by developmental delay. An international research team led by Dr. Tran Tuoc from the Department of Human ...
Oct 28, 2025
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Genetic variants can simultaneously increase BMI and lower cholesterol risk
Individuals with a genetic profile that puts them at risk of obesity may not necessarily be at risk of having high cholesterol, UTHealth Houston researchers discovered.
Oct 28, 2025
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Rebalancing the gut: How AI solved a 25-year Crohn's disease mystery
UC San Diego researchers have settled a decades-long debate surrounding the role of the first Crohn's disease gene to be associated with a heightened risk for developing the auto-immune condition.
Oct 27, 2025
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Up to 5% of Americans carry genetic mutations associated with cancer risk
New Cleveland Clinic research reveals that up to 5% of Americans—approximately 17 million people—carry genetic mutations or "variants" linked to increased cancer susceptibility, regardless of risk factors like personal ...
Oct 27, 2025
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