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Genetics news

Genetics

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 ...

Genetics

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.

Oncology & Cancer

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. ...

Genetics

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 ...

Genetics

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 ...

Genetics

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.

Genetics

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 ...

Genetics

Study maps how Down syndrome biology changes with age

In a new study published in Nature Communications, researchers from the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome (Crnic Institute) at the University of Colorado Anschutz discovered important differences in the physiological ...

Genetics

How a 'speech gene' could help treat Huntington's

In fatal genetic diseases like Huntington's and spinocerebellar ataxia, proteins develop long stretches of repeating letters that are prone to sticking together like Velcro.

Genetics

Enhanced CAR T cells emerge from genetic screening

CAR T cells are patient-derived, genetically engineered immune cells. They are "living drugs" and constitute a milestone in modern medicine. Equipping T cells, a key cell type of the immune system, with a "chimeric antigen ...

Oncology & Cancer

Diagnostic tool enables rapid leukemia subtype classification

Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have developed a diagnostic tool that could transform the way acute leukemia is identified and treated. The tool, called MARLIN (Methylation- and AI-guided Rapid Leukemia Subtype ...

Genetics

Gut bacteria are linked to how our genes switch on and off

The trillions of microbes that live in the human gut may play a bigger role in health than previously thought, according to new research by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. The article, published in the International ...

Oncology & Cancer

Metabolic markers may predict breast cancer in high-risk women

Breast cancer remains the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death among women worldwide, with incidence rates continuing to rise. However, known risk factors, including genetics and lifestyle, do ...

Genetics

CRISPR approach offers hope for severe childhood brain disorder

When brain development gets off to a bad start, the consequences are lifelong. One example is a condition called SCN2A haploinsufficiency, in which children are born with just one functioning copy of the SCN2A gene—instead ...