Genetics

The bacteria that cause the plague evolved to become less deadly over time, allowing it to continue infecting people in three separate pandemics over more than a thousand years, new research said Thursday.

Researchers at the University of Oklahoma are advancing the fight against inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) with new genetic research that aims to improve diagnoses and lay the groundwork for future therapies.

Parkinson’s disease is best known for its effects on the central nervous system. In addition, recent scientific advances generally emphasize the role of the immune system in the presence and development of the disease.

Scientists from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Washington University in St. Louis report mechanistic insights into the role of biomolecular condensation in the development of neurodegenerative disease.

Scientists in the U.K., Australia and China have identified a brain molecule called NEAT1 that appears to play a central role in triggering light sensitivity (photophobia), a common and debilitating symptom of migraines. Their findings, published in The Journal of Headache and Pain, highlight how this molecule affects the brain’s pain response, contributing to the uncomfortable reaction to light that’s common during migraines.

A new study led by Profs. Xu Tao and He Shunmin from the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has revealed how human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes, central to the immune system, influence both pathogen resistance and susceptibility to autoimmune diseases.

An international team of researchers has found a genetic link to long-term symptoms after COVID-19. The identified gene variant is located close to the FOXP4 gene, which is known to affect lung function. The study, published in Nature Genetics, was led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the Institute for Molecular Medicine in Finland.

For the first time, an international study has deciphered the genome of the population of Brazil. Published in the journal Science, the research includes the African, Native American, and European ancestries making up this population, which has the world’s highest level of recent genetic admixture.

To help neurologists, clinicians and families understand the current evidence for a new gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy called delandistrogene moxeparvovec, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) has issued an Evidence in Focus article in Neurology.

A new study suggests that people who are at risk for rare genetic forms of frontotemporal dementia should consider being tested for a common gene variant that can protect them against the group of disorders.