Study finds protein p53 regulates learning, memory and sociability in mice

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology led by Professor Nien-Pei Tsai (right) and Kwan Young Lee have established the protein p53 as…

Researchers uncover ‘circular logic’ of RNAs in Parkinson’s disease

Scherzer and colleagues laser-captured neurons from 190 frozen postmortem human brain samples, including some non-neuronal cells for comparison. Then, they used ultra-deep, total RNA sequencing to study the exact sequences…

Syphilis transmission networks and antimicrobial resistance in England uncovered using genomics

Photomicrograph of skin biopsy showing secondary syphilis. Spirochete organisms are stained bright red by the Treponema pallidum immunohistochemical stain. 400x magnification. Credit: Jerad M. Gardner, MD, CC BY-SA 4.0 ,…

Alzheimer’s disease is partly genetic − studying the genes that delay decline in some may lead to treatments for all

Diseases that run in families usually have genetic causes. Some are genetic mutations that directly cause the disease if inherited. Others are risk genes that affect the body in a…

Can at-home DNA tests predict how you’ll respond to your medications? Pharmacists explain the risks and benefits of pharmacogenetic testing

Have you ever wondered why certain medications don’t seem to work as well for you as they do for others? This variability in drug response is what pharmacogenomic testing hopes…

Study links epigenetic changes to historic trauma in Alaska Native communities

The study team included, from left, Alida de Flamingh, Rosita Worl, Alyssa Bader, Ripan Malhi, Chuck Smythe, Mary LaVanne and Mason Auger. Credit: Sealaska Heritage Institute Researchers investigated the relationship…

Gene-tweaked stem cells offer hope against sickle cell disease

A type of gene therapy that precisely “edits” a key bit of DNA might offer a new way to treat sickle cell disease—a painful inherited condition that largely strikes Black…

Study findings provide new insight into how breast cancer evolves

The der(1;16) translocation-positive breast cancer originated from a single cell around puberty. This cell repeatedly underwent cell division and expanded until it developed into breast cancer several decades later. Then,…

Gene Mutation Sheds Light on Schizophrenia Mysteries

Summary: Scientists developed a mouse model that carries a genetic mutation linked to an increased risk of schizophrenia. By studying the Grin2a gene, they found significant changes in gene expression,…

Schizophrenia gene mutation causes many changes in the mouse brain, new study shows

Researchers studied the effects of a schizophrenia gene mutation in different regions of the mouse brain. Credit: Susanna Hamilton, Broad Communications Researchers have identified common and rare gene mutations that…