disease & medicine

Synonymous mutations have long been ignored in cancer studies since they don’t affect the amino acid sequences of proteins. But research increasingly reveals that they can have disease-driving effects.

The findings could help researchers understand why some individuals are more vulnerable to deadly Chagas disease.

DNA sequencing can identify mutations that predict recurrence of renal cell carcinoma and may help low-risk patients avoid unnecessary treatment, a study finds.

Researchers have long observed a connection between bone metastasis and remodeling, which might be due to a close connection between the two cell types. 

Viral remnants make up 8 percent of the human genome, and a new study finds that these sequences are still active in healthy people.

Maligned peptides such as the Alzheimer’s-associated amyloid precursor protein may have critical roles in the healthy brain.

Two independent groups suggest the suite of recent unexplained hepatitis cases may stem from coinfection with an adeno-associated virus and a helper adeno- or herpesvirus, a duo which may be especially virulent in children with a particular genetic variant.

An analysis of human data from the UK biobank also finds an association between Y chromosome loss and heart disease in men.

Thirteen people with the illness have tested negative for Ebola and Marburg. The Tanzanian government continues to investigate the source.

Multiple lines of evidence contradict the idea that the disease came to Europe via trans-Atlantic exchange.

IgA antibodies appear to bind to specific species of commensal gut bacteria in mice, according to a study.

The device can chill nerves as small as a few millimeters across, but more testing and modifications are necessary before it could relieve pain in humans.

His work was pivotal to understanding the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Hultin’s work helped identify the virus behind the 1918 flu pandemic.

He was among the first to identify lifestyle factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease.

Umbilical cord blood may be a good alternative to bone marrow transplants for treating HIV in patients with HIV and cancer.

A study identifies a gene that appears to be partially responsible for the health effects of a limited diet.

Sharing interim findings of an investigation into strange illnesses among US diplomats and intelligence officials, the CIA says it’s unlikely that they are the result of directed energy or other weapon levied by an adversary.

Researchers continue to debate whether US President Abraham Lincoln was coming down with smallpox as he delivered his famous Gettysburg Address, and if he had been immunized.