“Biologic” age, a DNA-based estimate of a person’s age, is linked to future development of breast cancer, according to scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Biologic age was determined by measuring DNA methylation, a chemical modification to DNA that is part of the normal aging process. The scientists’ study, published online Feb. 22,… Continue reading Older “Biologic” Age Linked to Elevated Breast Cancer Risk
Tag: DNA
Protecting Ribosome Genes to Prevent Aging
Aging, the process of gradual deterioration from exposure to time and the elements, begins with deterioration deep inside every cell. Researchers from Stanford University and the VA Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS) have identified a protein that guards cells against senescence – aging-related problems – by protecting a particularly vulnerable set of genes. The… Continue reading Protecting Ribosome Genes to Prevent Aging
The Mystery of the “Cancer Enzyme”
Cancer, aging-related diseases and other illnesses are closely tied to an important enzyme called “telomerase.” UCLA researchers report in the journal Cell the deepest scientific understanding yet of this once-mysterious enzyme, whose catalytic core — where most of its activity occurs — can now be seen in near atomic resolution. “We’re now seeing not just… Continue reading The Mystery of the “Cancer Enzyme”
What Is Gene Therapy? How Does It Work?
The genes in your body’s cells play an important role in your health — indeed, a defective gene or genes can make you sick. Recognizing this, scientists have been working for decades on ways to modify genes or replace faulty genes with healthy ones to treat, cure or prevent a disease or medical condition. Now… Continue reading What Is Gene Therapy? How Does It Work?
Making Magic Happen: How Scientists are Editing DNA to Remove Potentially Fatal Genes
Scientists have achieved a landmark breakthrough by editing DNA in human embryos to rid them of a potentially fatal gene As reported in the journal Nature, the researchers from Oregon and Health Sciences University focused on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a common genetic heart disease. By editing the DNA of embryos carrying that gene, the scientists said… Continue reading Making Magic Happen: How Scientists are Editing DNA to Remove Potentially Fatal Genes
Your Genes Are Not Your Health Destiny!
Insight into my DNA has been made possible by personal genomics. Now, I am able to know whether I have cancer-causing or other alterations in my genes. However, you might be someone who adamantly refuses to learn about your genes and whether you are at risk for certain diseases. Avoiding information that threatens happiness or health… Continue reading Your Genes Are Not Your Health Destiny!
How to Tell if Your Teen Is Using Drugs
Prescription drugs, especially opioids, are a growing threat to the health of young people, with 6 percent of teens 12 to 17 saying they use the drugs for non-medical reasons. And in 2014, prescription drugs caused the overdose death of 1,741 young people ages 18 to 25, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.… Continue reading How to Tell if Your Teen Is Using Drugs
A New Drug Could Fight Both Breast and Prostate Cancers
Scientists have designed two new drug candidates to target prostate and triple negative breast cancers. The new research, from experts at the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) was published recently as two separate studies in ACS Central Science and the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The studies show that a new… Continue reading A New Drug Could Fight Both Breast and Prostate Cancers
Will Exploring Your Family History Unearth The Unexpected?
Actress Katey Sagal discovered a surprising fact about her family history when she appeared on the “Who Do You Think You Are?” TV show, which features celebrities tracing their roots. Some of her distant ancestors were Amish – a bit of information that somehow failed to work its way down through the ages to her… Continue reading Will Exploring Your Family History Unearth The Unexpected?
How Viruses Reproduce: A Better Understanding
Researchers are drawing closer to discovering exactly what drives DNA into a virus during replication – and a better understanding of that viral reproduction could help fight infectious pathogens. Researchers the the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Columbia University, reported their finding in The Journal… Continue reading How Viruses Reproduce: A Better Understanding
More Targeted Treatment for Advanced Prostate Cancer
Scientists at the UCLA Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research have pinpointed five specific enzymes (protein kinases) that play a role when prostate cancer spreads to bone. The discovery could point the way toward new drugs that slow or stop prostate cancer from spreading. The findings, which were published… Continue reading More Targeted Treatment for Advanced Prostate Cancer
A New Way to Help Skin Heal Faster
Many products that are used to treat skin problems may cause inflammation, which can prolong healing and result in scarring. However, LSU Assistant Professor Wei Xu and collaborators at Northwestern University discovered a new way to prevent inflammation and to speed up the skin’s healing process. After five years of research, they identified the gene… Continue reading A New Way to Help Skin Heal Faster
Researchers Lengthen Lifespan of Aging Cells
Researchers, working with yeast and worms, have found that they can extend the lifespan of aging cells. The study was published in the journal Genes & Development. The investigators were led by senior author Shelley Berger, PhD, a Daniel S. Och University Professor in the departments of Cell & Developmental Biology, Biology & Genetics at… Continue reading Researchers Lengthen Lifespan of Aging Cells
Your Health History in A Drop of Blood
Thanks to new technology, scientists can use a single drop of human blood to test for current and past viral infections. The method, called VirScan, was developed by researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It is an efficient alternative to existing tests for specific viruses one at a time.… Continue reading Your Health History in A Drop of Blood
Quick to Laugh or Smile? The Reason May Be in Your Genes
Why do some people immediately burst into laughter after a humorous moment, while others can barely crack a smile? New research examined emotional reactivity and suggested that one of the answers may lie in a person’s DNA. Claudia M. Haase of Northwestern University and Ursula Beermann of the University of Geneva co-authored the study, which… Continue reading Quick to Laugh or Smile? The Reason May Be in Your Genes
Most People Eager to Know the Secrets of Their Genetics
A survey done by Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in the UK of nearly 7,000 people has revealed that 98 per cent want to be informed if researchers using their genetic data stumble upon indicators of a serious preventable or treatable disease. The study, which comes after the government’s announcement that Genomics England will sequence 100,000… Continue reading Most People Eager to Know the Secrets of Their Genetics
Bundles of DNA Could Lead to Treatment for Age-Related Diseases
A study tying the aging process to the deterioration of tightly packaged bundles of cellular DNA could lead to methods of preventing and treating age-related diseases such as cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, as detailed April 30, 2015, in Science. In the study, scientists at the Salk Institute and the Chinese Academy of Science found… Continue reading Bundles of DNA Could Lead to Treatment for Age-Related Diseases
Can Natural Aging Ever Be Reversed?
Researchers have discovered a link between DNA damage, cellular “senescence” and premature aging. The finding could lead to treatments that counteract some of the effects of progeria, conditions that cause premature aging. Eventually, even the effects of natural aging could be forestalled. The study, from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, was published in the… Continue reading Can Natural Aging Ever Be Reversed?