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Genetics news

Genetics

Distant relatedness in biobanks harnessed to identify undiagnosed genetic disease

An innovative analysis of shared segments within the genome—an indication of distant "relatedness"—has identified undiagnosed cases of Long QT syndrome, a rare disorder that can lead to abnormal heart rhythms, fainting ...

Genetics

Researchers discover what hinders DNA repair in patients with Huntington disease

Researchers with McMaster University have discovered that the protein mutated in patients with Huntington disease doesn't repair DNA as intended, impacting the ability of brain cells to heal themselves.

Oncology & Cancer

Genetic mutations in HRAS, KRAS genes linked to childhood cancers

Hereditary changes in genes are often the cause of rare diseases. For example, disease-causing gene variants (PVs) in the HRAS gene cause Costello syndrome and PVs in the KRAS gene cause Noonan syndrome and cardio-facio-cutaneous ...

Medical research

Key molecular targets for wound healing identified

Novel research, presented today at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress 2024, has identified key molecular targets that could significantly enhance the healing of both acute and chronic wounds.

Oncology & Cancer

Analytical tool quantifies cancer's ability to shape-shift

A powerful new analytical tool offers a closer look at how tumor cells "shape-shift" to become more aggressive and untreatable, as shown in a study by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and the New York Genome Center.

Genetics

Human and other primate hearts differ genetically, says study

A team at the Hübner and Diecke Labs at the Max Delbrück Center has shown how human and non-human primate hearts differ genetically. The study, published in Nature Cardiovascular Research, reveals evolutionary adaptations ...

Oncology & Cancer

Study: Protein helps prevent breast cancer metastasis

While better screening and improved treatments are leading to better outcomes for patients with breast cancer, 90% of breast cancer deaths are a result of metastasis, or the cancer growing and spreading to other parts of ...

Medications

Why some RNA drugs work better than others

Spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA, is the leading genetic cause of infant death. Less than a decade ago, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Professor Adrian Krainer showed this brutal disease can be treated by tweaking a ...

Genetics

Decoding the language of epigenetic modifications

Epigenetic changes play important roles in cancer, metabolic and aging-related diseases, but also during loss of resilience as they cause the genetic material to be incorrectly interpreted in affected cells. A major study ...

Genetics

Gene discovered that can protect against severe muscle disease

A specific gene may play a key role in new treatments that prevent muscle in the body from breaking down in serious muscle diseases, or muscular dystrophies. This is shown in a new study carried out at Umeå University, Sweden, ...

Genetics

Transfer learning paves the way for new disease treatments

Technological advances in gene sequencing and computing have led to an explosion in the availability of bioinformatic data and processing power, respectively, creating a ripe nexus for artificial intelligence (AI) to design ...

Oncology & Cancer

Deciphering the male breast cancer genome

Male breast cancer has distinct alterations in the tumor genome that may suggest potential treatment targets, according to a study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. They have conducted the first whole genome sequencing ...

Genetics

Making sense of Mendelian randomization

Mendelian randomization, a powerful tool in medical research, helps us understand whether certain factors truly cause disease. This technique uses genetic variations as "natural experiments" to reveal cause-and-effect relationships. ...

Oncology & Cancer

AI reveals prostate cancer is not just one disease

Artificial Intelligence has helped scientists reveal a new form of aggressive prostate cancer that could revolutionize how the disease is diagnosed and treated in the future.