A multidisciplinary team has uncovered a key mechanism that allows the human bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae-responsible for atypical pneumonia and other respiratory infections-to obtain cholesterol and other essential lipids directly from the human body. The discovery, published in Nature Communications, was co-led by Dr. Noemí Rotllan, from the Sant Pau Research Institute (IR Sant Pau) and … Read more
A new research paper was published in Volume 17, Issue 12 of Aging-US on December 29, 2025, titled “Age-specific DNA methylation alterations in sperm at imprint control regions may contribute to the risk of autism spectrum disorder in offspring.” The study – selected as our Editors’ Choice for January, 2026 – was led by first authors Eugenia Casella and Jana … Read more
Efforts to reduce child mortality in Africa via mass treatment with the antibiotic azithromycin (AZM) may lead to increased drug resistance in bacteria that frequently cause pneumonia and meningitis, highlighting the need for careful monitoring, finds a new study led by UCL. The study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, is a collaboration with researchers … Read more
In a comprehensive Genomic Press research article, scientists have uncovered remarkable insights into how the earliest brain connections shape infant emotional development, potentially offering new ways to identify children at risk for future behavioral and emotional challenges. The groundbreaking study, led by Dr. Yicheng Zhang and Dr. Mary L. Phillips at the University of Pittsburgh … Read more
New research uncovers how cannabis addiction, not casual use, is genetically tied to severe mental health conditions, raising red flags for policy, treatment, and prevention. Study: The genetic relationship between cannabis use disorder, cannabis use and psychiatric disorders. Image credit: PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock.com In a recent study published in the journal Nature Mental Health, researchers in … Read more
When cancer spreads from a primary tumor to new sites throughout the body, it undergoes changes that increase its genetic complexity. A new study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) provides fresh insights about how cancers evolve when they metastasize – insights that could aid in developing strategies … Read more
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
Researchers have uncovered that some childhood cancers have a substantially higher number of DNA changes than previously thought, changing the way we view children’s tumors and possibly opening up new or repurposed treatment options. Concentrating on a type of childhood kidney cancer, known as Wilms tumor, an international team genetically sequenced multiple tumors at a … Read more
Genetic factors contribute to some 30% of breast cancer cases in SA, necessitating investment in genomic research in African contexts. A seminal genetic study published in Nature Communication has discovered two genetic variants linked to breast cancer in black South African women, deepening knowledge about the genetic basis for this disease in African populations. The genome-wide association … Read more
More than a decade ago, researchers launched the BabySeq Project, a pilot program to return newborn genomic sequencing results to parents and measure the effects on newborn care. Today, over 30 international initiatives are exploring the expansion of newborn screening using genomic sequencing (NBSeq), but a new study by researchers from Mass General Brigham highlights … Read more