Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center report that an artificial intelligence (AI)-based liquid biopsy test using genome-wide cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragmentation patterns and repeat landscapes can detect early liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, and may also reveal signals of broader chronic disease burden. The research was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health, and … Read more
A large genetic analysis suggests that one amino acid linked to protein metabolism could influence how long we live, with potential sex-specific effects that challenge assumptions about diet and longevity. Study: The role of phenylalanine and tyrosine in longevity: a cohort and Mendelian randomization study. Image Credit: Oleg Troino / Shutterstock In a recent study … Read more
A study published today in the journal Science reveals how jumping fragments of human DNA, a type of genetic parasite, destabilise the cancer genome. Unstable genomes are a fertile playground for cancer evolution, giving malignant cells more opportunities to grow, adapt and evade treatment. The researchers analyzed genome sequences from tumors with unusually high activity of LINE-1 … Read more
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received an $80 million grant to continue research into the mysteries of exceptional longevity. The grant renews support for the Long Life Family Study, a long-running, international investigation of multiple generations of families with unusually high numbers of individuals who have lived much longer than … Read more
Antimicrobial resistance poses a growing global health crisis, with few new antibiotics in development. Researchers at Sultan Qaboos University have identified three novel antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from dromedary camels that effectively target multidrug-resistant bacteria, offering potential alternatives to conventional drugs. Published in Frontiers in Immunology (Volume 17, 21 January 2026), the study combined bioinformatics predictions with experimental … Read more
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can cause certain types of cancer or autoimmune diseases, but how the body controls this common viral infection is largely unknown. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn have now identified genetic and non-genetic factors that help the body fight EBV. To do this, they evaluated … Read more
In two new studies on 28,000 individuals, researchers are able to show that genetic variants in 11 regions of the human genome have a clear influence on which bacteria are in the gut and what they do there. Only two genetic regions were previously known. Some of the new genetic variants can be linked to … Read more
Every year, millions of newborns undergo routine screening as a preventive strategy to detect inherited disorders before symptoms emerge. Newborn screening (NBS) programs have traditionally relied on biochemical markers to identify specific groups of treatable conditions, achieving remarkable success at a population level. However, as researchers increasingly uncover genetically driven diseases that manifest early in … Read more
Bats, critical reservoirs of viruses with significant cross-species spillover risks, have long been understudied in the Indochina Peninsula. A study led by researchers from Beijing University of Chemical Technology, the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, and their partners has unveiled the region’s bat virome diversity, offering key insights into the origins of porcine epidemic diarrhea … Read more
Genetic ancestry plays a key role in determining the behavior of head and neck tumors and may help explain why African-American patients survive for half as long as their counterparts of European ancestry, according to a new review study led by researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s (UMSOM) Institute for Genome Sciences … Read more