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Gene mutations
Gene mutations describe a change in the DNA sequence that makes up a gene. There are many kinds of gene mutations which have been characterized by scientists. The main categories of mutations are germline mutations, which occur in the gametes (haploid male or female reproductive cells), and somatic mutations, occur in all other cell types. Chromosomal alterations are mutations that change the structure of chromosomes in a variety of ways such as deletion, duplication, insertion, translocation, or inversion of a section of the chromosome. Point mutations include a single nucleotide change within the DNA and these mutations can be classified as silent (the mutation codes for the same amino acid so the change has no effect), missense (the mutation codes for an alternative amino acid), and nonsense (the mutation codes for a premature stop codon). Frameshift mutations occur when the addition or deletion of nucleotide(s) alter the reading frame of the sequence altering all subsequent amino acid coding.
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APR 09, 2015Cancer
In a study involving more than 31,000 women with cancer-causing mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, researchers at th ...Written By: Ilene SchneiderAPR 09, 2015Microbiology
Researchers from the University of Exeter, UK, have shown that the use of ‘sequential treatments' - using alternating do ...Written By: Judy O'RourkeAPR 08, 2015Neuroscience
Indiana University researchers have found that broken communication in a specific part of the brain plays a role in the ...Written By: Ilene SchneiderAPR 08, 2015Cancer
Cancer Research UK scientists have discovered that a vital self-destruct switch in cells is hijacked - making some pancr ...Written By: Ilene SchneiderAPR 06, 2015Genetics & Genomics
Growing up near Springfield, Mass., Laurie Boyer was always interested in science but didn't have many opportunities to ...Written By: Ilene SchneiderAPR 06, 2015Cancer
Personalized melanoma vaccines can be used to marshal a powerful immune response against unique mutations in patients' t ...Written By: Ilene SchneiderAPR 06, 2015Genetics & Genomics
Some muscles get all the glory. Bodybuilders show off their swollen triceps; sprinters flash their sharp-edged calves. B ...Written By: Will HectorAPR 03, 2015Cancer
Cancer treatments that harness the body's immune system to wipe out tumors have begun paying off for some patients for w ...Written By: Will HectorAPR 02, 2015Genetics & Genomics
A collaborative study between researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Techno ...Written By: Ilene SchneiderAPR 02, 2015Genetics & Genomics
As a patient prepares to become the first in history to receive his own genetically engineered stem cells for sickle cel ...Written By: Ilene SchneiderAPR 02, 2015Cancer
In the 1970s, epidemiologists found that workers in factories using vinyl chloride, the key ingredient for PVC plastics, ...Written By: Ilene SchneiderMAR 27, 2015Genetics & Genomics
Traditionally, to understand how a gene functions, a scientist would breed an organism that lacks that gene - "knocking ...Written By: Ilene SchneiderMAR 27, 2015Immunology
It was a puzzling case. The 2.5-year-old French girl had been healthy, but in 2011 she had to be hospitalized because sh ...Written By: Will HectorMAR 26, 2015Genetics & Genomics
Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania describe the first set of genes importa ...Written By: Ilene SchneiderMAR 26, 2015Neuroscience
By examining more than 3,600 postmortem brains, researchers at Mayo Clinic's campuses in Jacksonville, Florida, and Roch ...Written By: Ilene SchneiderMAR 26, 2015Genetics & Genomics
deCODE genetics, Reykjavik, Iceland, a global leader in analyzing and understanding the human genome and wholly-owned su ...Written By: Judy O'RourkeMAR 25, 2015Genetics & Genomics
In the four decades since Stanford's Gerald Reaven, MD, helped demonstrate that insulin resistance can lead to type 2 di ...Written By: Ilene SchneiderMAR 25, 2015Cancer
Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In spite of research into the genetic muta ...Written By: Ilene SchneiderMAR 24, 2015Earth & The Environment
Many strange creatures live in the deep sea, but few are odder than archaea, primitive single-celled bacteria-like micro ...Written By: Judy O'RourkeMAR 23, 2015Cancer
Deadly familial stomach and lobular breast cancers could be successfully treated at their earliest stages, or even preve ...Written By: Ilene SchneiderMAR 20, 2015Cancer
A pioneering class of drugs that target cancers with mutations in the BRCA breast cancer genes could also work against t ...Written By: Ilene SchneiderMAR 19, 2015Genetics & Genomics
A clinical trial of the most common sickle cell anemia drug, hydroxyurea, was halted a year early this winter because of ...Written By: Ilene SchneiderMAR 17, 2015Chemistry & Physics
To pack two meters of DNA into a microscopic cell, the string of genetic information must be wound extremely carefully i ...Written By: Judy O'RourkeMAR 16, 2015Health & Medicine
Study to sequence genes of 100,000 people from Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities to identify genes resilient to hear ...Written By: Robert Woodard
APR 09, 2015
Cancer
In a study involving more than 31,000 women with cancer-causing mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, researchers at th
...
Written By:
Ilene Schneider
APR 09, 2015
Microbiology
Researchers from the University of Exeter, UK, have shown that the use of ‘sequential treatments' - using alternating do
...
Written By:
Judy O'Rourke
APR 08, 2015
Neuroscience
Indiana University researchers have found that broken communication in a specific part of the brain plays a role in the
...
Written By:
Ilene Schneider
APR 08, 2015
Cancer
Cancer Research UK scientists have discovered that a vital self-destruct switch in cells is hijacked - making some pancr
...
Written By:
Ilene Schneider
APR 06, 2015
Genetics & Genomics
Growing up near Springfield, Mass., Laurie Boyer was always interested in science but didn't have many opportunities to
...
Written By:
Ilene Schneider
APR 06, 2015
Cancer
Personalized melanoma vaccines can be used to marshal a powerful immune response against unique mutations in patients' t
...
Written By:
Ilene Schneider
APR 06, 2015
Genetics & Genomics
Some muscles get all the glory. Bodybuilders show off their swollen triceps; sprinters flash their sharp-edged calves. B
...
Written By:
Will Hector
APR 03, 2015
Cancer
Cancer treatments that harness the body's immune system to wipe out tumors have begun paying off for some patients for w
...
Written By:
Will Hector
APR 02, 2015
Genetics & Genomics
A collaborative study between researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Techno
...
Written By:
Ilene Schneider
APR 02, 2015
Genetics & Genomics
As a patient prepares to become the first in history to receive his own genetically engineered stem cells for sickle cel
...
Written By:
Ilene Schneider
APR 02, 2015
Cancer
In the 1970s, epidemiologists found that workers in factories using vinyl chloride, the key ingredient for PVC plastics,
...
Written By:
Ilene Schneider
MAR 27, 2015
Genetics & Genomics
Traditionally, to understand how a gene functions, a scientist would breed an organism that lacks that gene - "knocking
...
Written By:
Ilene Schneider
MAR 27, 2015
Immunology
It was a puzzling case. The 2.5-year-old French girl had been healthy, but in 2011 she had to be hospitalized because sh
...
Written By:
Will Hector
MAR 26, 2015
Genetics & Genomics
Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania describe the first set of genes importa
...
Written By:
Ilene Schneider
MAR 26, 2015
Neuroscience
By examining more than 3,600 postmortem brains, researchers at Mayo Clinic's campuses in Jacksonville, Florida, and Roch
...
Written By:
Ilene Schneider
MAR 26, 2015
Genetics & Genomics
deCODE genetics, Reykjavik, Iceland, a global leader in analyzing and understanding the human genome and wholly-owned su
...
Written By:
Judy O'Rourke
MAR 25, 2015
Genetics & Genomics
In the four decades since Stanford's Gerald Reaven, MD, helped demonstrate that insulin resistance can lead to type 2 di
...
Written By:
Ilene Schneider
MAR 25, 2015
Cancer
Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In spite of research into the genetic muta
...
Written By:
Ilene Schneider
MAR 24, 2015
Earth & The Environment
Many strange creatures live in the deep sea, but few are odder than archaea, primitive single-celled bacteria-like micro
...
Written By:
Judy O'Rourke
MAR 23, 2015
Cancer
Deadly familial stomach and lobular breast cancers could be successfully treated at their earliest stages, or even preve
...
Written By:
Ilene Schneider
MAR 20, 2015
Cancer
A pioneering class of drugs that target cancers with mutations in the BRCA breast cancer genes could also work against t
...
Written By:
Ilene Schneider
MAR 19, 2015
Genetics & Genomics
A clinical trial of the most common sickle cell anemia drug, hydroxyurea, was halted a year early this winter because of
...
Written By:
Ilene Schneider
MAR 17, 2015
Chemistry & Physics
To pack two meters of DNA into a microscopic cell, the string of genetic information must be wound extremely carefully i
...
Written By:
Judy O'Rourke
MAR 16, 2015
Health & Medicine
Study to sequence genes of 100,000 people from Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities to identify genes resilient to hear
...
Written By:
Robert Woodard