Taking out the cellular trash: Scientists describe the role one enzyme plays in removing this waste

If waste DNA or RNA remains in cells, it can lead to diseases such as Alzheimer’s and autoimmune conditions

27-Dec-2023 - If we don’t take out the trash regularly, our homes become unpleasant and even a danger to our health. The same applies to our cells: If excess proteins and strands of genetic material aren’t removed, the cell and ultimately the entire organism can fall ill. For instance, scientists suspect there ...

ECHA’s investigation finds toxic chemicals present in childcare products

13-Nov-2023 - The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has found that substances causing cancer, genetic mutations or harming reproduction are present in childcare products, such as car seats, bibs and baby changing mats. Its investigation will help the European Commission to prepare an EU-wide restriction to ...

Does the human brain have an Achilles heel that ultimately leads to Autism?

CHOOSEn fate: one brain organoid’s tale on Autism

15-Sep-2023 - With a revolutionizing novel system that combines brain organoid technology and intricate genetics, researchers can now comprehensively test the effect of multiple mutations in parallel and at a single-cell level within human brain organoids. This technology, developed by researchers from the ...

New tool facilitates clinical interpretation of genetic information

25-Apr-2023 - Max Planck and Harvard research teams develop DeMAG, a new method shared as an open-source web server (demag.org) to help interpret mutations in disease genes and improve clinical decision-making. Despite the increasing use of genomic sequencing in clinical practice, interpreting rare genetic ...

New insights into the genetic basis of leukemia

Research team discovers links between certain gene mutation and the spatial structure of DNA in blood cancer at an advanced age

26-Jan-2023 - Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignant disease of the haematopoietic system that originates from immature precursors of red blood cells, platelets and part of the white blood cells. While in healthy people the multiplication and renewal of blood cells is strictly regulated this process gets ...

Keeping aggressive cancer cells in check

An astonishing observation

23-Sep-2022 - BRCA1/2-mutated tumor cells often survive treatment, whether it’s chemo- or radiotherapy, because they can repair therapy-induced DNA damage. A team led by Claus Scheidereit of the Max Delbrück Center has now reported in The EMBO Journal how blocking the TSG101 protein hinders these tumor cells ...

Longer life due to faulty RNA processing

If introns remain in certain RNAs, worms live longer

22-Sep-2022 - The control of RNA metabolism is crucial to the regulation of animal longevity, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Cologne have now discovered. They found that worms live longer when certain RNAs are processed differently during RNA maturation. This could be an ...

Iron buildup in brain linked to higher risk for movement disorders

Hereditary hemochromatosis is caused by a gene mutation, and can lead to liver and heart ailments; new findings suggest it is also a risk factor for conditions like Parkinson’s disease

03-Aug-2022 - A disorder called hereditary hemochromatosis, caused by a gene mutation, results in the body absorbing too much iron, leading to tissue damage and conditions like liver disease, heart problems and diabetes. Scant and conflicting research had suggested, however, that the brain was spared from iron ...

New genes with mutations for developmental disorders identified

Tracking down the causes of rare diseases in children

29-Jun-2022 - The causes of intelligence impairment or epilepsy remain unexplained in more than 50 per cent of cases. Together with international colleagues, researchers at Leipzig University Hospital have discovered two genes with mutations that cause neurodevelopmental disorders in children. Their findings ...

Rare discovery: How a gene mutation causes higher intelligence

“It’s very rare for a mutation to lead to improvement rather than loss of function”

11-May-2022 - When genes mutate, this can lead to severe diseases of the human nervous system. Researchers at Leipzig University and the University of Würzburg have now used fruit flies to demonstrate how, apart from the negative effect, the mutation of a neuronal gene can have a positive effect – namely ...