Beckwith Wiedemann Syndrome News and Research

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Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation names five new Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has named five new Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators.

6 Jul 2022

Scientists publish the most extensive description to date of WAGR syndrome

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have published the most comprehensive description to date of the rare genetic disorder known as WAGR syndrome. This new report identified several clinical issues not classically associated with the disease and provides guidance for proper diagnosis, management, and potential treatment options.

21 Dec 2021

A new approach for detecting and treating two rare pediatric diseases before birth

Scientists have devised a new approach for detecting and potentially heading off the effects of two rare pediatric diseases before birth.

9 Feb 2021

Research findings may help identify genes that trigger BWS in humans

Humans and cattle share a similar epigenetic fetal overgrowth disorder that occurs more commonly following assisted reproduction procedures. In humans, this disorder is called Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS), and in cattle it is called large offspring syndrome (LOS) and can result in the overgrowth of fetuses and enlarged babies.

29 Apr 2015

Study reveals epigenetic mechanisms contribute to chronic disease susceptibility prior to birth

If you think stress is killing you, you may be right, but what you don't know is that stress might have harmed your health even before you were born. In a new report appearing in the August 2013 issue of The FASEB Journal, Harvard researchers find that epigenetic disruptions, which are associated with chronic disease later in life, are already common at birth.

2 Aug 2013

Children born after assisted reproduction at no greater risk for cancer, study finds

Children born as a result of assisted reproduction are at no greater risk of cancer than children born spontaneously in the general population, according to results of one of the largest ever cohort studies of ART children.

10 Jul 2013

CDKN1C gene mutation contributes to IMAGe syndrome

A gene previously linked to too much growth in patients has now also been linked to growth restriction. Different forms of the gene can lead to very different conditions, according to research published today in the journal Nature Genetics.

28 May 2012

UCLA geneticists identify mutation responsible for IMAGe syndrome

UCLA geneticists have identified the mutation responsible for IMAGe syndrome, a rare disorder that stunts infants' growth. The twist? The mutation occurs on the same gene that causes Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, which makes cells grow too fast, leading to very large children.

28 May 2012

Professor Nygren reviews current state of IVF safety

Now a review by the Chair of the international body which collects data on IVF concludes that IVF is generally safe, although he stresses that patients need to be made aware of the slight risks, and that we need to continue to monitor the results of the technique.

14 Sep 2010

Children born after ART at increased risk of congenital malformation

Couples considering undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment should be informed about the increased risk of congenital malformation posed by the use of ART, the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics will hear today (Monday). Dr. G-raldine Viot, a clinical geneticist at the Maternit- Port Royal hospital, Paris, France, will say that she believed that most doctors working in ART clinics in France only told couples about such risks if they were asked specific questions.

14 Jun 2010

In vitro fertilization ups the risk of birth defects: study

Researchers have found from a large scale study that in vitro fertilization of IVF is associated with an increased risk of birth defects in the baby. They urge doctors treating patients with infertility to routinely warn them about these risks. The study involved 33 centers for IVF in France and covered over 15,000 births from 2003 to 2007. This study is the largest till date.

14 Jun 2010

Analysis suggests human development is set by ongoing interplay of parent and offspring genes

An analysis of rare genetic disorders in which children lack some genes from one parent suggests that maternal and paternal genes engage in a subtle tug-of-war well into childhood, and possibly as late as the onset of puberty.

28 Jul 2009

Newly discovered mechanism can explain the Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome

Researchers from Uppsala University have discovered a mechanism that silences several genes in a chromosome domain. The findings, published in today's on-line issue of Molecular Cell, have implications in understanding the human disorder Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.

26 Oct 2008

DNA of human embryonic stem cells is chemically modified in a characteristic, predictable pattern

Embryonic stem cells are derived from embryos that are undergoing a period of intense cellular activity, including the chemical addition of methyl groups to specific DNA sequences in a process known as DNA methylation.

6 Aug 2006

Disruption of chromosome loops can lead to Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome

Babraham Institute scientists have identified chromosome ‘loops’ which have implications for healthy growth of babies in the womb.

17 Aug 2004

Framework for systematically incorporating epigenetic information into traditional genetic studies

Scientists at Johns Hopkins are calling for simultaneous evaluation of both genetic and epigenetic information in the search to understand contributors to such common diseases as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

29 Jul 2004

Abnormalities observed in cloned mice help reinforce the need to continue to avoid the reproductive cloning of humans

Dr. Takumi Takeuchi, from Cornell University, New York, USA told a media briefing that he and Dr. Gianpiero Palermo's team had compared imprinting abnormalities (the process where specific genes inherited from both parents are silent) in mice embryos derived from assisted reproduction techniques and from cloning.

30 Jun 2004