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Clinical genetics news

DNA sequencing reveals how rare cancer spread between twins before birth

Two identical sisters came into the world carrying the same rare cancer. They lost their lives to an undifferentiated sarcoma, a soft-tissue cancer driven by a unique gene fusion (MN1::ZNF341). The story began before they ...

Genomic cancer driver study reveals new clues to why some prostate cancers become aggressive

Why do some prostate cancers grow slowly for years, while others progress quickly to life-threatening metastatic disease? An international team of researchers co-led by the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) and ...

AI tool helps identify harmful epilepsy genetic variants

A new artificial intelligence tool developed by Northwestern Medicine scientists and collaborating institutions can help determine whether genetic variants associated with a severe form of childhood epilepsy will cause disease, ...

Reversing age by reprogramming gene expression networks

Every organ and tissue progressively loses function and integrity as it ages. In fact, researchers have identified "hallmarks of aging" that not only present specific processes impacted by age, but are also thought of as ...

Aspirin rarely used for colorectal cancer prevention

People with Lynch syndrome have a significantly increased risk of developing colorectal cancer and other types of cancer due to a hereditary predisposition. The CAPP2 study had already shown in this high-risk group that acetylsalicylic ...

3D genome architecture pre-wires early developmental decisions

New research tracks how cells prepare gene regulatory decisions that will define their fate during the earliest stages of human development. The study reconstructs a timeline of chromosome folding that brings remote DNA regulatory ...

A heritable 'brake' for stopping cocaine use in rats

Cocaine produces strong euphoric effects, but many users experience unpleasant effects after the rewarding aspects of the drug wear off, which serve as a "brake" for continued use. Research suggests that those who go on to ...

Heart elasticity may hinge on a hidden genetic switch

The human heart must constantly adapt to changing demands—a task that requires tightly coordinated molecular shuffling in heart cells. One of the key regulators of this process is RBM20, a protein that controls an editing ...

Genetic trade-off between youth and longevity uncovered

A new study identifies vgll3 as a key gene that promotes rapid growth and early reproduction while increasing the risk of aging and cancer later in life. The findings provide rare experimental evidence for the theory that ...