Genome editing in recent years has become synonymous to CRISPR toolset. However, we are still not certain about the accuracy and efficiency of procedures involving…
Organisms compensate mutations by changes in gene regulation
Not all mutations are equal – this sentence sounds obvious, but biological reality offers surprisingly complex mechanisms behind it. Two independent groups have recently described…
The first trial to edit genes in patients with Danon Disease
Rare genetic disorder caused by mutations in LAMB2 gene will receive the first gene therapy attempt. The trial started recruitment and is available at ClinicalTrials.gov.…
Fertility doctor used his own sperm cells instead of donor’s
DNA tests revealed that at least 48 individuals conceived in a U.S. fertility clinic are biologically related to Donald Cline, fertility doctor. Indianapolis physician has…
Controversial DNA testing practice in Israeli marriage institution
What happens if people need to confirm ancestry with DNA tests in order to… get married? That procedure is used by the Chief Rabbinate and…
Adding genes to human brain cells – will it work for Alzheimer’s disease?
Gene therapy is rarely straightforward mutation correction. The prevalent approach relies on a much simpler procedure of adding just more genes using viral vectors. That…
The first successful gene drive in mammals – mice with Tyr gene
More: Super-Mendelian inheritance mediated by CRISPR–Cas9 in the female mouse germline, H. A. Grunwald et al., published 23rd January 2019, doi:10.1038/s41586-019-0875-2
Plant genome: new insights into methylation mechanisms
More: DNA methylation and histone H1 cooperatively repress transposable elements and aberrant intragenic transcripts, J. Choi et al., posted 27th January 2019 at bioRxiv, doi:10.1101/527523…
UBE3A plays an important role in anti-viral immunity in the brain
More: UBE3A regulates the transcription of IRF, an anti-viral immunity, R. Furumai et al., posted 26th January 2019 at oup.com as accepted manuscript, doi:10.1093/hmg/ddz019 –…
Details of novel rare USP7-associated neurodevelopmental disorder
More: Pathogenic variants in USP7 cause a neurodevelopmental disorder with speech delays, altered behavior, and neurologic anomalies, M. D. Fountain et al., published 25th January…