Tag Archives: mutation

Somatic mutation and selection at population scale

Somatic mutation and selection at population scale

Cohort selection The TwinsUK study contains around 16,000 participants. From a preselection of 4,800 donors, we invited 1,796 to participate based on several criteria, receiving buccal swabs from 1,236 donors (Extended Data Fig. 2a). The use of these samples was approved initially by the North West Research Ethics Committee (REC 19/NW/0187 and REC 24/NW/0106), and informed consent was provided by …

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Hotspots of human mutation point to clonal expansions in spermatogonia

Hotspots of human mutation point to clonal expansions in spermatogonia

Lawson, A. R. J. et al. Somatic mutation and selection at population scale. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09584-w (2025). Maeda, H. & Kakiuchi, N. Clonal expansion in normal tissues. Cancer Sci. 115, 2117–2124 (2024). Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar  Bernstein, N. et al. Analysis of somatic mutations in whole blood from 200,618 individuals identifies pervasive positive selection and novel drivers of …

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The Rare Mutation That Makes People Immune to Viruses

The Rare Mutation That Makes People Immune to Viruses

A rare genetic condition that once looked like a weakness has revealed a hidden strength: immunity against nearly all viruses. Credit: Shutterstock Some people carry a rare mutation that makes them resistant to viruses. Now scientists have copied that effect with an experimental mRNA therapy that stopped both flu and COVID in animal trials — raising hopes for a universal …

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Recreating a Rare Mutation Could Grant Almost Universal Virus Immunity For Days : ScienceAlert

Recreating a Rare Mutation Could Grant Almost Universal Virus Immunity For Days : ScienceAlert

A rare genetic mutation appears to make people basically invulnerable to viruses – and it could potentially be harnessed as a therapy. Researchers have now shown this surprising viral protection can be replicated in mice and hamsters. “We have yet to find a virus that can break through the therapy’s defenses [in cell culture tests],” explains Columbia University immunologist Dusan …

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Common genetic mutation increases the risk of dementia in men

Common genetic mutation increases the risk of dementia in men

About one man in 36 carries two copies of a tiny change in the HFE gene and that detail can more than double his odds of developing dementia, according to a new analysis of nearly 12,200 Australians and Americans. Dementia already affects about 433,000 Australians, and while women still outnumber men, this fresh genetic signal shows that older males with …

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