Ricki Lewis

Drug addiction is prevalent and deadly. In the US in 2021, more than 46 million people aged 12 or older had addiction to at least one substance, yet only 6.3% received treatment, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

A complex mix of gene variants and environmental factors lies behind the compulsion to repeatedly take a drug and increase the dose, despite knowing the dangers. Environmental influences are well known. Now a report in Nature Mental Health from an international team led by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis fills in the genetics side of the picture. They have identified shared points of variability among more than a million human genomes that track with substance use disorders.

To continue reading, go to DNA Science, where this post first appeared.

A urine test for DNA pieces bearing 10 key mutations can indicate early inklings of bladder cancer, according to a report at the European Association of Urology meeting in Milan last month. Urothelial carcinoma is the most common type of bladder cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.

The technique is called urinary comprehensive genomic profiling (uCGP). It copies telltale DNA sequences in urine, using a tool called "UroAmp," developed at Convergent Genomics. Like other cancers tests, it is being pioneered on people who already have the cancer to detect recurrence or response to treatment. If validated on many patients, the test might then be used for screening – that is, as part of the initial diagnostic process.

To continue reading, go to DNA Science, where this post first appeared.

In "The Last of Us," a video game and recently-wrapped HBO series, giant mutant fungi turn much of humanity into zombies. In real life, another fungus, the yeast Candida auris, is spreading, just as COVID finally fades.

Candida auris is the first multi-drug resistant fungus identified. It is deadlier than familiar relative Candida albicans, which lies behind common vaginal and throat infections. Candida yeasts are normal inhabitants of our skin and other superficial body parts, but are dangerous when they enter the bloodstream or reach solid organs, like the heart or kidneys.

"What is different and particularly scary about Candida auris is that it can survive on skin and healthcare surfaces up to two weeks, allowing the spread from person-to-person in healthcare settings and nursing homes. This fungus is not usually killed by clinically used antifungal drugs, which makes infection difficult to treat and can often result in death. It is also difficult to identify with standard laboratory methods," summed up Mahmoud Ghannoum, director of the Center for Medical Mycology at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center.

To continue reading, go to DNA Science, where this post first appeared.