Stem cell secretions may protect against glaucoma
Stem cell secretions, called exosomes, appear to protect retinal cells in rats, offering a potential therapy for degenerative eye diseases like glaucoma...
BioNews
microRNA (miRNA)
MicroRNAs are small, non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression by suppressing the RNA pathway that translates genes into protein. They act like 'master switches', having the ability to control the activity of multiple genes.
28 articles
Stem cells reprogrammed to resemble fertilised eggs
Researchers have successfully turned stem cells into 'totipotent' cells, with characteristics resembling those of fertilised eggs...
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
Gene therapy could prevent breast cancer from spreading
A new gene therapy technique using microRNAs has successfully prevented the spread of breast cancer in mice...
Blurred boundaries — the language of DNA
The general public have appropriated the term DNA to mean much more than just the molecule itself. This may not be a problem most of the time but, in the case of donor eggs and sperm in particular, it's important that people are clear on what genetics and epigenetics really tell us...
Image by Christoph Bock/Max Planck Institute for Informatics via Wikimedia Commons. Depicts a DNA molecule that is methylated on both strands on the centre cytosine.
Can donor egg recipients 'pass on DNA' to their children?
A recent study suggests that embryonic gene activity may be altered by factors present in the womb even before implantation. This finding triggered a somewhat misleading newspaper article entitled 'Infertile mums "pass on DNA"', which claimed the research means recipients of donor eggs are passing on their own DNA to their child. This isn't the case...
Scientists find possible cause for IVF implantation failure
Researchers have identified a biological process that may cause the failure of embryos to attach to the uterus wall during IVF, raising the possibility of future treatments...
Trauma can be passed down through sperm
Stress in early life can alter the production of small sections of the genetic material RNA in the sperm of mice, affecting behaviour not only in the mice themselves but also in their offspring, research suggests...
'Gene signature' predicts chemotherapy survival
Scientists have identified an eight-gene 'signature' that can predict patients' response to chemotherapy...
Scientists discover why regular sex prior to conception reduces pregnancy complications
A man may contribute more than just sperm to the process of conception, research suggests...
Gene variant leads to six-fold increase in risk for certain brain tumours
A single-letter change in one gene may considerably increase a person's risk of developing particular forms of brain cancer, say researchers...