extrachromosomal DNA tagged posts

Surprising giant DNA discovery may be linked to gum disease and cancer

A diagram showing the components of an inocle
Functional characterization of Inocle. A schematic describing what Inocles do and where they’re found. It shows the kinds of roles its genes might have, and how those jobs could be connected to things happening in the human body. ©2025 Kiguchi et al. CC-BY-ND

Three-quarters of all people may host newly identified genetic material called Inocles, which could impact research on oral health, immunity, and even cancer risk. Researchers including those at the University of Tokyo have made a surprising discovery hiding in people’s mouths: Inocles, giant DNA elements that had previously escaped detection. These appear to play a central role in helping bacteria adapt to the constantly changing environment of the mouth...

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