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+23 +1
Cancer-preventing protein finds its own way in our DNA
Geneticists from KU Leuven, Belgium, have shown that tumour protein TP53 knows exactly where to bind to our DNA to prevent cancer. Once bound to this specific DNA sequence, the protein can activate the right genes to repair damaged cells.
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+9 +1
Having three genetic parents makes mice age better
Different variants of mitochondrial DNA alter tumor incidence, DNA damage. By Diana Gitig.
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+39 +1
Kuwait's New DNA Collection Law Is Scarier Than We Ever Imagined
"I think that we reserve the word 'draconian' for instances such as this one," said one expert.
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+24 +1
Man fails paternity test because his unborn brother is the father of his child
It is thought cells from a miscarried sibling were absorbed by the man while he was in the womb. By Shehab Khan. (Oct. 24, 2015)
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+25 +1
Indigenous Australians most ancient civilisation on Earth, DNA study confirms
Claims that Indigenous Australians are the most ancient continuous civilisation on Earth have been backed by the first extensive study of their DNA, which dates their origins to more than 50,000 years ago. Scientists were able to trace the remarkable journey made by intrepid ancient humans by sifting through clues left in the DNA of modern populations in Australia and Papua New Guinea. The analysis shows that their ancestors were probably the first humans to cross an ocean, and reveals evidence of prehistoric liaisons with an unknown hominin cousin.
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+23 +1
DNA breakthrough finally gives ‘a face to this crime.’ But can it solve a woman’s 1992 murder?
Whoever kidnapped, raped and stabbed Lisa Ziegert before dumping her body in a wooded area in southern Massachusetts left a sliver of DNA on the middle school aide’s corpse. For a quarter-century, that DNA was a dead-end — like all the other evidence in the case — as investigators scoured New England for Ziegert’s killer. The DNA did not match convicted felons or sex offenders in federal or state databases. It did not pan out as new investigative methods made better use of blood and tissue samples found at crime scenes.
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+24 +1
Scientists Have Identified the Mechanism That Decides Between Cell Death and Genome Repair
The DNA double helix’s sequence is programmed with the genetic information of every cell. When a double DNA strand breaks, it poses a threat to the cells and, if the break is not correctly repaired, it can lead to cancer. Double strand breaks can be caused by exposure to radiation. When a cell is damaged in this way, it has to decide whether the break can be fixed, or whether it should be removed before it causes cancer. If the decision is made for removal, the cell is killed off by a cellular suicide program called “apoptosis”.
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+23 +1
Aboriginal Australians, Pacific Islanders carry DNA of unknown human species, research analysis suggests
The analysis suggests the DNA is unlikely to come from Neanderthals or Denisovans, but from a third extinct hominid, previously unknown to archaeologists. Statistical geneticist Ryan Bohlender and his team investigated the percentages of extinct hominid DNA in modern humans. They found discrepancies in previous analyses and found that interbreeding between Neanderthals and Denisovans was not the whole story to our ancestors' genetic makeup.
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+19 +1
Breakthrough as gene-editing technique restores sight to blind animals
Study first to show gene-editing tool Crispr can replace faulty genes within adult cells - and in future could be applied to range of devastating genetic diseases. By Hannah Devlin.
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+26 +1
Why Humans Develop Sex Cells as Embryos–but Corals Don’t
New insights might help unravel key secrets about safeguarding mitochondria. By Philip Ball.
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+26 +1
Genetic editing could rob world of creative geniuses like Thomas Edison or Tennessee Williams
Genetic editing to cure future generations of disease and mental disorders could rob the world of the creative geniuses who have transformed society, it has been claimed.
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+39 +1
Unexpected Risks Found In Editing Genes To Prevent Inherited Disorders
In September, reproductive endocrinologist John Zhang and his team at the New Hope Fertility Center in New York City captured the world's attention when they announced the birth of a child to a mother carrying a fatal genetic defect. Using a technique called mitochondrial replacement therapy, the researchers combined DNA from two women and one man to bypass the defect and produce a healthy baby boy — one with, quite literally, three genetic parents.
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+22 +1
DIY gene therapy is on the rise
In a dream Brian Hanley told me about, he’s riding a bus when he meets a man in dark leather clothing. Next thing he knows, he is splayed across a tilted metal bed, being electrocuted. The dream was no doubt connected to events that took place last June at a plastic surgeon’s office in Davis, California. At Hanley’s request, a doctor had injected into his thighs copies of a gene that Hanley, a PhD microbiologist, had designed and ordered from a research supply company. Then, plunging two pointed electrodes into his leg, the doctor had passed a strong current into his body, causing his muscle cells to open and absorb the new DNA.
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+27 +1
Scientists map genome of iconic beaver as gift for Canada's 150th birthday
Scientists have a gift for Canada as the country celebrates its 150th -- and as a birthday present, it's certainly unique. A team of molecular geneticists at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children has sequenced the genome of the Canadian beaver -- Castor canadensis -- to mark the country's sesquicentennial. "The Canadian beaver had not been done, and we figured if anyone's going to do the Canadian beaver, it should be Canadian scientists, so we exert our dominion over the animal that is out national...
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+19 +1
First baby born using 3-parent technique to treat infertility
This is the first baby to be born using a particular “3-parent-baby” technique to treat infertility. The girl was born on 5 January in a fertility clinic in Kiev, Ukraine. “With the help of this method, a 34-year-old woman who had suffered from infertility for more than 15 years gave birth to a healthy baby that’s genetically her own,” said a statement from the Nadiya clinic.
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+25 +1
Organisms created with synthetic DNA pave way for entirely new life forms
E coli microbes have been modified to carry an expanded genetic code which researchers say will ultimately allow them to be programmed. By Ian Sample.
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+28 +1
Scientists are pushing to genetically modify babies to avoid diseases
Scientists should be allowed to alter a person’s DNA to help prevent diseases or disabilities, a new report from two leading scientific institutions suggests. By genetically editing human embryos, sperm, or eggs, scientists hope to stop diseases from being passed on to future generations.
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+14 +1
Can food poisoning permanently damage your DNA?
Food poisoning will knock you off your feet, but a few days later you’ll hopefully be back to your old self. But new research suggests that certain types of salmonella can have longer-lasting effects. In some cases it could permanently damage your DNA, leaving you more vulnerable to future illness.
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+31 +1
DNA could be the future of data storage
A full operating system and film stored on DNA were recovered with no errors. The world is churning out so much data that hard-drives may not be able to...
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+26 +1
High concentrations of stress hormone affect DNA processes and mental health
High concentrations of the stress hormone, Cortisol, in the body affect important DNA processes and increase the risk of long-term psychological consequences. These relationships are evident in a study from the Sahlgrenska Academy on patients with Cushing's Syndrome, but the findings also open the door for new treatment strategies for other stress-related conditions such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress.
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