A baby can inherit one healthy copy of TBX5 and still develop serious heart defects if the other copy does not work. That genetic imbalance is one cause of congenital heart disease, the most common ...

Every time a cell divides, it must accurately copy and distribute its DNA between two new cells. However, in some cases, chromosomes do not fully separate, leaving behind thin strands of DNA known as ...

Our DNA is under constant threat. Chemicals, radiation and the everyday errors of cell division all damage it, and if left ...

Scientists have long dreamed of discovering the alchemy by which chemicals can be turned into life. On Wednesday, a team at the University of Minnesota announced that it had taken a major step toward ...

Healthy brains may be built through a process of controlled damage and rapid repair. The most dangerous type of DNA damage is a regular feature of healthy early brain development, experiments in mice ...

Damaged DNA can escape from one human cell and infiltrate another. Like prisoners tunneling out of jail, this DNA travels via tubelike structures between neighboring cells, scientists report May 19 in ...

Researchers at Genentech Inc. and UC Davis have worked out the structure of the RAD51 complex, which repairs breaks in DNA. When DNA experiences a double-strand break, enzymes trim back one of the two ...

If severe DNA damage is not repaired, the consequences for the health of cells and tissues are dramatic. A study led by researchers at Goethe University Frankfurt, part of the Rhine-Main University ...

As people age, their immune systems deteriorate. This makes them more susceptible to infections and can mean that vaccines are less effective. New research carried out by Dr. Loren Kell at NDORMS ...

A new study shows that cancer damages its own DNA by pushing key genes to work too hard. Researchers found that the most powerful genetic "on switches" in cancer cells, called super-enhancers, drive ...

Researchers have discovered how cells activate a last-resort DNA repair system when severe damage strikes. When genetic tangles overwhelm normal repair pathways, cells flip on a fast but error-prone ...