Genetic

Troops who had genes that help metabolize sarin nerve gas were less likely to develop symptoms.For three decades, scientists have debated the underlying cause of Gulf War illness (GWI), a collection of unexplained and chronic symptoms affecting veterans of the Persian Gulf War. Now researchers led by Robert Haley, M.D., Professor of Internal Medicine and Director of the Division of Epidemiology at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UT Southwestern), have solved the mystery, showing through a detailed…

Researchers have linked increased numbers of mutations in children to a higher rate of random mutations in sperm cells of the biological father, associated with chemotherapy or rare genetic defects in DNA repair.Scientists have traced the cause of increased numbers of mutations in children to a higher rate of random mutations in sperm cells of the biological father, associated with rare genetic defects in <span class="glossaryLink" aria-describedby="tt" data-cmtooltip="<div…

This illustration represents the core theory in a new modeling study led by the University of Washington: The circles represent the immune system’s aging, in which its ability to make new immunity cells remains constant until a person (represented by the human figures) reaches middle-age or older and then falls off significantly. The central blue figure represents an immune system T cell that attacks the virus. Credit: Michele Kellett and James Anderson/University of WashingtonYour immune system’s ability to fight…

Mistakes happen. Especially when it comes to the replication of vast sequences of DNA inside our cells. It's a good thing too. If not for the errors in our genes we refer to as mutations, natural selection would be a no-go, and life would be dead in the water.  As crucial as mutations are to everything from disease to biodiversity, we know shockingly little about the physics of the process.Findings from the University of Surrey in the UK have revived speculations that a primary trigger behind the chemical sleight-of-hand…