Cellular instructions for activating genes have remained nearly unchanged across two billion years of evolution, while the mechanisms used to switch genes off vary widely across branches of life, according to a study published in Nature Genetics by the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona. Researchers used a new profiling method called iChIP2 to … Read more
According to new research published July 30, 2026, in the journal Science, modern human genomes contain genetic traces from two previously unknown archaic hominin lineages: a “ghost” lineage in Africa that mixed with Homo sapiens more than 50,000 years ago, and a “super-archaic” lineage dating back over 1.7 million years that left its footprint via … Read more
According to researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, modern human genomes contain stretches of DNA inherited from previously unknown extinct populations, dubbed “ghost ancestors.” While Homo sapiens is currently the only surviving human species, genetic analysis shows our ancestors repeatedly interbred with multiple hominin groups, rewriting our understanding of human evolution as a complex … Read more
Cellular reprogramming to repair damaged heart tissue faces a major hurdle as scientists uncover how carbohydrate sulfotransferase 7 (CHST7) and CD44 receptors lock cellular identities in place, according to research published July 17, 2026, in Nature Communications by teams at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. … Read more
Inherited genetics directly shape how our DNA interacts with acquired mutations to drive tumor evolution, according to research published in Nature. Scientists at the University of Cambridge and the University of Edinburgh found that an individual’s genetic background dictates both cancer risk and the specific evolutionary paths tumors take, offering new direction for precision medicine … Read more
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Washington have mapped how 3D genome architecture differs in brain cells affected by Alzheimer’s disease. According to a study published in Science, the research team linked genome folding to gene activity and brain tissue organization using single-cell technology, spatial mapping, and a … Read more
Rapidly developing antibiotic resistance during severe lung infections can occur when patients acquire circular pieces of DNA called plasmids from transient environmental bacteria, according to researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Publishing their findings in Nature Microbiology, the team reported that this gene transfer can cause pathogen resistance to jump more than … Read more
Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC have identified a 3D hierarchy of DNA “enhancers” that function as master switches for prostate cancer development. According to a study published in Genome Biology, these interconnected networks control gene expression, revealing potential new targets for precision cancer therapies that could move beyond current gene-specific treatments. … Read more
Epigenetic clocks—tools designed to measure biological age through DNA methylation—capture distinct, non-overlapping biological processes rather than a single universal aging mechanism. According to a study published in npj Aging, researchers have developed Transcriptomic Aging Gene Scores (TAGS) to better interpret these clocks, showing that gene expression patterns often predict health outcomes like mortality and frailty … Read more
Researchers at the University of California San Diego and the Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine have successfully treated two children with SCN2A-related developmental epileptic encephalopathy (DEE) using personalized, allele-selective antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs). According to a study published July 21, 2026, in Nature Medicine, the therapy reduced seizure frequency by up to 90%, improved developmental … Read more