The “catastrophic” freeze on US funding for malaria has halted prevention programmes across Africa and also threatens to stall advances in genomic research, says Jane Carlton, director of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute. The US President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) is one of numerous USAID-supported programmes to see its funding terminated under US President Donald Trump’s sweeping reforms this … Read more
Gene expression leading to alterations in the DNA caused by asbestos exposure may explain the development of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM), a rare and aggressive cancer. By analyzing public RNA-seq data through a comprehensive bioinformatics pipeline, scientists working with the Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO) have developed an in-depth view of the molecular mechanisms involved … Read more
In a first-of-its-kind genome-wide association study (GWAS) researchers have discovered two genes, RNF144B and ENPP1, that cause calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD) disease in Americans of European and African descent. This crystalline arthritis is caused by calcium pyrophosphate (CPP) crystal deposition in joints. The findings of this novel study in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, … Read more
A new, rapid testing method will greatly help the diagnosis of rare diseases in babies and children, according to research to be presented to the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics today (Monday). While rare genetic diseases are uncommon, as their name suggests, there are more than 7,000 types of disease caused … Read more
Drinking more alcohol, especially beer or liquor, modestly raises your risk of pancreatic cancer, according to one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive studies. Study: Alcohol intake and pancreatic cancer risk: An analysis from 30 prospective studies across Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. Image Credit: crystal light / Shutterstock The analysis of a large-scale dataset … Read more
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a condition affecting the brain’s development and often affects the ability of a person to perceive sensory information and social cues and socialize with others. Recent studies have revealed that environmental factors and epigenetic processes, such as DNA methylation, are crucial to the development of ASD. Notably, immune activation and … Read more
Identifying and classifying gene mutations – which are the permanent changes in a person’s DNA genetic code – are critical in better understanding, and with research, eventually treating or preventing, the diseases with which they are linked. In a paper first posted online on April 3, 2025, in the journal European Urology Focus, a Johns Hopkins … Read more
A new scientific review uncovers how gut microbes passed from mother to child may hold the key to obesity’s genetic puzzle, offering fresh hope for more effective prevention strategies. Impact of the gut microbiota on BMI via hypothalamic control of appetite and metabolism, and mechanisms that underlie the transgenerational effects of the gut microbiota on … Read more
Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital found that, in neural development, the same set of proteins involved in cellular self-renewal can also facilitate differentiation with the right binding partner. The fundamental processes that govern neural development are complex and, as findings by scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital demonstrate, the underlying driving forces can even … Read more
New research shows an unintended and unfortunate side effect of common drugs. They can simply help viruses spread. Drugs are supposed to help us get rid of disease, or at least alleviate the symptoms of them. It is therefore particularly unfortunate when, on the contrary, the drugs can contribute to making us sicker. Many … Read more