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Genetics news

Genetics

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, ...

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 ...

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

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 ...

Genetics

AI-powered CRISPR could lead to faster gene therapies

Stanford Medicine researchers have developed an artificial intelligence tool to help scientists better plan gene-editing experiments. The technology, CRISPR-GPT, acts as a gene-editing "copilot" supported by AI to help researchers—even ...

Oncology & Cancer

Research links DNA replication failure to cancer therapy

A new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Nature Communications, reveals that cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) promote DNA replication licensing in human cells by relieving inhibitory signals from RB tumor suppressor ...

Genetics

Gene therapy safeguards hearing, balance in preclinical test

Scientists from the Gray Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences at Tel Aviv University introduced an innovative gene therapy method to treat impairments in hearing and balance caused by inner ear dysfunction. According to the ...

Genetics

Cell defect in exosomes linked to development of Alzheimer's

They're tiny particles—with potentially huge human consequences. Researchers from Aarhus University have identified a defect in the production of so-called exosomes in cells, associated with a mutation seen in dementia ...

Oncology & Cancer

Surprising new roles discovered for known blood cancer gene DNMT3A

A gene called DNMT3A is important for guiding blood stem cells into forming all the cell types present in blood, including red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. When this gene accumulates mutations—which might ...

Oncology & Cancer

New treatments found for tough blood cancers

Researchers from King's have identified a new way to treat certain blood cancers using existing drugs, by turning a once-dismissed part of our DNA into a therapeutic target.

Medical research

Missing Y gene linked to male infertility

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa scientists have uncovered a direct link between a missing Y chromosome gene and male infertility. Their new research reveals that deleting this single gene in mice not only caused infertility ...