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Scientists from New Zealand and Australia have observed DNA moving between animal cells, in a breakthrough discovery that can lead to better understanding of a range of human diseases and new gene therapies.

The research team has claimed the finding to be the first in the world to demonstrate DNA movement between cells in an animal tumor.

The study laid important groundwork for understanding human diseases other than cancer, since defective DNA was known to account for around 200 diseases and was implicated in many more.

It can also usher in a new field where synthetic DNA is custom-designed to replace defective genes.

breakthrough n. 突破，突破性进展 breakthrough虽然是名词，但经常被形容词化，直接用来形容其他名词，如这里的a breakthrough discovery（一项突破性发现），再比如a breakthrough performance（一次突破性表演），breakthrough ideas（突破性想法）等等。

gene therapy n. 基因治疗，即应用基因工程技术将正常基因引入患者细胞内，以纠正致病基因的缺陷而根治遗传病的治疗方法。

claim something to be … 声称某事（物）… 大家往往比较熟悉claim后面跟从句或者直接跟to be/do的用法，如：He claims that he is 100 percent innocent. （他声称他百分之百无辜。） She claims to have visited more than 100 countries and regions. （她声称去过一百多个国家和地区。）但其实claim后面可以先跟宾语，再接to be/do，如这篇新闻稿里的claimed the finding to be the first in the world…（声称这是全世界关于…的首例发现）。

lay groundwork for… 为…打下基础 lay的过去式和过去分词均为laid。很容易搞混的另一个不规则动词是lie，过去式和过去分词分别为laid、lain。lay和lie的最明显区别在于前者是及物动词，指放置（某物）；后者是不及物动词，指（自己）躺下。
例句：
The conference has laid the groundwork for far-reaching environmental regulations in the future. （这次会议为将来那些重要的环境保护条例的制定打下了基础。）
You look awful. You’d better lie down immediately. （你脸色很糟糕。赶紧躺下来休息吧。）

defective adj. 有缺陷的，有错误的

implicate vt. 牵涉，牵连 类似involve，区别在于implicate指不好的事，involve则相对中性。
例句：
The politician was obliged to resign when his assistant was implicated in a financial scandal. （那位政客因其助手牵涉一则金融丑闻，不得不辞职。）
It’s not that I don’t trust you. I don’t want to involve you in this, simply because you have bigger problems to deal with. （不是我不信任你。这件事不想把你牵扯进来，纯粹因为你有更重要的问题要处理。）

usher in vt. 开启，引入，迎来
例句：
We hope to usher in a more secure, stable, peaceful and equitable world order.（我们希望迎来一个更为安全、稳定、和平与平等的国际秩序。）

synthetic adj. 合成的，人造的

custom-designed adj. 专门设计的，定制的，和custom-made同义