Cell free DNA MeDIP-seq is a Molecular Methylation Magnet for Machine Learning Cancer DetectionAugust 7, 2020Finding the cell free DNA (cfDNA) that most cell-types release into blood plasma is always a challenging task, but certain cancers release so little that it takes looking for a needle in a haystack to the next level. Methods for sorting the “hay” have often come up short, but two new studies successfully developed a […]
Cutting Through the Smog of Mitochondrial DNA Methylation after Prenatal Pollution ExposureAugust 7, 2020While everyone loves hearing about a scientific controversy, clearing the air can also provide a sense of satisfaction. So, sit back and take a breath of the fresh air that an environmentally conscious team brings to the controversy surrounding mitochondrial (mt)DNA methylation through their examination of prenatal exposure to environmental stressors such as air pollution […]
Expand Your Epigenetic Editing Portfolio With Targeted RNA m6A Methyltransferases!August 4, 2020For the last few years, DNA has cornered the methylation market as the Apple of epigenome editing tools, but a newly developed CRISPR-Cas13 system has epigenetic investors buying stock in RNA editing! 6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant RNA modification, and even though we know it’s involved in chromatin accessibility, RNA splicing and repairing damaged […]
Exon Skipping via Intergenerational Epigenetic Silencing Rescues Duchenne Muscular DystrophyJuly 29, 2020While missing a gym class can happen from time to time without leaving you feeling too guilty (!), you really shouldn’t “skip” a fascinating new study that now describes how a maternally-transmitted epigenetic “exon skipping” effect may act as the foundation for new therapeutic approaches for a devastating genetic muscle-weakening disease. A majority of Duchenne […]
Common DNA Methylation Aging Profiles Convert Dog to Human Years Better Than EverJuly 20, 2020They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but it turns out you can use new epigenomic tricks to tell you how old a dog is. The heuristic that to get a dogs age in human years, you multiply by seven is a little simplistic, and due for an update using epigenomic insights. […]
