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Composition of DNA with a glitch effect
“Silent” Mutations Make Noise In Cancer
Synonymous mutations have long been ignored in cancer studies since they don’t affect the amino acid sequences of proteins. But research increasingly reveals that they can have disease-driving effects.
“Silent” Mutations Make Noise In Cancer
“Silent” Mutations Make Noise In Cancer

Synonymous mutations have long been ignored in cancer studies since they don’t affect the amino acid sequences of proteins. But research increasingly reveals that they can have disease-driving effects.

Synonymous mutations have long been ignored in cancer studies since they don’t affect the amino acid sequences of proteins. But research increasingly reveals that they can have disease-driving effects.

disease & medicine, genetics

Fluorescent images of red cells showing high and low levels of infection in green
Parasite Drove Natural Selection in Amazonian Indigenous Groups
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Mar 13, 2023 | 4 min read
The findings could help researchers understand why some individuals are more vulnerable to deadly Chagas disease.
Histological image of ccRCC
Mutational Signature Indicates Risk of Kidney Cancer Recurrence
Holly Barker, PhD | Mar 1, 2023 | 2 min read
DNA sequencing can identify mutations that predict recurrence of renal cell carcinoma and may help low-risk patients avoid unnecessary treatment, a study finds.
illustration of virus particles and DNA strands
Ancient Viral DNA Plays a Role in Human Disease and Development
Aidan Burn, The Conversation | Oct 19, 2022 | 4 min read
Viral remnants make up 8 percent of the human genome, and a new study finds that these sequences are still active in healthy people.
A single neutrophil white blood cell in the artery with red blood cells floating around it
Missing Y Chromosome in Mouse Blood Causes Heart Dysfunction
Patience Asanga | Jul 16, 2022 | 3 min read
An analysis of human data from the UK biobank also finds an association between Y chromosome loss and heart disease in men.
Red blood vessels that decrease in diameter as they radiate outward are pictured on a pink and white surface
Antisense Oligonucleotides Cross Rodents’ Blood-Brain Barrier
Abby Olena, PhD | Aug 18, 2021 | 3 min read
RNA-DNA complexes that were modified with cholesterol made it into the brains of rats and mice, where they knocked down target genes.
ribbon model of phenylalanine hydroxylase enzyme
Noncoding RNA Improves Symptoms in Mice with Metabolic Disorder
Abby Olena, PhD | Aug 6, 2021 | 4 min read
A long noncoding RNA from humans appeared to help the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase work better in a mouse model of phenylketonuria, the disorder characterized by reduced activity of that enzyme.
FDA Clears Genetic Modification in Pigs for Biomedicine and Food
Catherine Offord | Dec 15, 2020 | 2 min read
The decision, which concerns the removal of a sugar molecule on the surface of cells in a line of domestic pigs, marks the first time an approval has been granted for both purposes simultaneously.
New Map Charts Genetic Expression Across Tissue Types, Sexes
Ashley Yeager | Sep 10, 2020 | 3 min read
A decade-long effort to probe gene regulation reveals differences between males and females, points to essential regulatory elements, and offers insight into past work on telomeres.
Long-Lasting Wound Infections Linked to Microbes and Genetics
Lisa Winter | Sep 1, 2020 | 2 min read
Two gene variations might help explain why some people experience chronic wounds.
breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, heart attack, chemotherapy, cancer, cancer risk, women's health, oncology
Heart Attack Elevates Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence: Study
Amanda Heidt | Jul 13, 2020 | 4 min read
Mice that experienced heart attacks underwent a large-scale shift in their immune systems that allowed cancer to flourish, perhaps explaining the observation in patients.
gene, CRISPR, CRISPR-Cas9, gene editing, human embryo, chromosome, mutation, deletion
CRISPR Gene Editing Prompts Chaos in DNA of Human Embryos
Amanda Heidt | Jun 26, 2020 | 3 min read
Three studies identify unintended consequences of gene editing in human embryos, including large deletions and reshuffling of DNA.
Alzheimer’s Gene Linked to Higher Risk of Severe COVID-19
Jef Akst | May 26, 2020 | 2 min read
Two copies of the APOE4 variant, which confers a higher risk of dementia, doubles the risk of severe symptoms as a result of infection with SARS-CoV-2, according to a study.
Symptoms in ALS Mouse Model Improve with CRISPR Base Editing
Abby Olena, PhD | Apr 10, 2020 | 4 min read
Researchers slowed disease progression in the mice by injecting two different viral vectors, each containing one part of the DNA encoding the Cas9 protein, to edit the causative gene.
Updated Nov 17
First Patient Receives In Vivo CRISPR Editing
Jef Akst | Mar 4, 2020 | 3 min read
Doctors in Oregon delivered the gene editing machinery behind the retina in hopes of treating an inherited form of blindness, according to the companies that developed the therapy.
Infographic: How Does Cell Senescence Drive Aging and Disease?
Katarina Zimmer | Mar 1, 2020 | 4 min read
The accumulation of zombie-like cells seems to accelerate aging and promote aging-related disease. Researchers are trying to figure out how.
Australian Lab Cultures New Coronavirus as Infections Climb
Jef Akst | Jan 29, 2020 | 2 min read
With more than 6,000 cases of the 2019-nCoV virus confirmed, researchers are hoping that studying the pathogen in the lab will help stop the outbreak.
China Sentences Gene-Editing Scientist to Three Years in Jail
Emily Makowski | Dec 30, 2019 | 2 min read
The modification of three babies’ genes by He Jiankui drew widespread criticism from scientists.
Circulating Fetal Cells Sequenced for Prenatal Testing Study
Emily Makowski | Dec 10, 2019 | 3 min read
Trophoblasts, collected from the mother during a blood draw, can determine fetal genetic abnormalities currently diagnosed through amniocentesis or chorionic villi sampling.
Error in Study Linking HIV Resistance Gene to Increased Mortality
Emily Makowski | Sep 30, 2019 | 2 min read
The authors have requested a retraction of a paper that found people with the CCR5 Δ32 variant are more likely to die sooner.
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