close-up of a retina showing blood vessels and a damaged spot

DNA in Cell Cytoplasm Implicated in Age-Related Blindness

A new study suggests that DNA synthesized in the cell cytoplasm drives retinal cell death in an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness.

DNA in Cell Cytoplasm Implicated in Age-Related Blindness

A new study suggests that DNA synthesized in the cell cytoplasm drives retinal cell death in an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness.

Alu

silhouette of a chimpanzee swinging against a blue sky

Alu Leap May Explain Why Apes Don’t Have Tails

Annie Melchor | Sep 23, 2021 | 2 min read

A transposable element that jumped into the TBXT gene, which is linked to tail morphology, appears to be to blame for our missing appendage.

retina atrophic age-related macular degeneration amd alu line-1 l1 retrotransposon cytoplasm cdna reverse transcription replication genome dna

Human Cells Can Synthesize DNA in Their Cytoplasm

Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Feb 8, 2021 | 4 min read

While studying a degenerative eye disease, researchers find the first evidence that cells produce endogenous DNA in the cytoplasm. Drugs that block this activity are linked with reduced risk of atrophic age-related macular degeneration.