Epigenetics News and Research

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Epigenetics is the study of chemical reactions that influence gene expression, through activation or deactivation of genes at specific times and locations.

Researchers separate low and high-PSA prostate cancer cells

Prostate cancer cells that defy treatment and display heightened tumor-generating capacity can be identified by levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) expressed in the tumor cells, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reports in the May 3 edition of Cell Stem Cell.

7 May 2012

A test to predict breast cancer many years before the disease is diagnosed

Ultimately the findings, in the journal Cancer Research, could lead to a simple blood test to screen women, they say. The test looks for how genes are altered by environmental factors like alcohol and hormones - a process known as epigenetics. One in five women is thought to have such a genetic “switch” that doubles breast cancer risk say researchers.

3 May 2012

CHR-3996 pill shows promise against advanced cancers

Scientists have shown that a brand new type of cancer pill that exploits the emerging field of epigenetics is safe for human use, according to a Phase I trial reported today in Clinical Cancer Research.

2 May 2012

JCO publishes Syndax erlotinib-entinostat Phase 2 study for advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a late-stage oncology company focused on the clinical development of epigenetic therapies in solid tumors, announced that previously reported results from ENCORE 401, a randomized, placebo controlled Phase 2 study of erlotinib with or without entinostat in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO).

30 Apr 2012

Detrimental effect of tetracycline on male reproductive function, sperm viability of pseudoscorpions

In a paper published today in Nature's open access journal Scientific Reports, researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno report that male pseudoscorpions treated with the antibiotic tetracycline suffer significantly reduced sperm viability and pass this toxic effect on to their untreated sons. They suggest that a similar effect could occur in humans and other species.

30 Apr 2012

PLUS Diagnostics, MDxHealth partner to co-promote ConfirmMDx for Prostate Cancer

MDxHealth SA, a leading molecular diagnostic company that develops and commercializes epigenetic tests to support cancer treatment, and PLUS Diagnostics today announced that they have entered into an agreement to co-promote MDxHealth's ConfirmMDx for Prostate Cancer test in the United States.

26 Apr 2012

RVX-208 molecule increases apolipoprotein A-I production

Resverlogix Corp. today announces the "Mechanism of Action" (MoA) by which RVX-208 increases apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) production.

23 Apr 2012

HDAC9 gene can lead to obesity-induced body fat dysfunction

Cardiac researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have found that a certain cellular pathway is linked to obesity-related disorders, like diabetes, heart disease and fatty liver disease.

20 Apr 2012

New studies on personalized lung cancer treatment presented at 3rd ELCC

Several new studies that may help doctors tailor lung cancer treatment to the characteristics of individual patients and of their tumors are being presented at the 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference in Geneva.

19 Apr 2012

New techniques show promise in detecting early-stage lung cancer

New techniques for identifying lung cancer earlier -including a new type of chest screening, a nanotech 'nose' and a method to examine the cells of the cheek-- are showing substantial promise, according to presentations at the 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC) in Geneva.

19 Apr 2012

GSK, Epizyme and Constellation to develop next generation of epigenetic drugs for cancer

Scientific insights that expand on the teachings of Mendel, Watson and Crick, and underpinnings of the Human Genome Project are moving drug companies along the path to development of new medicines based on deeper insights into how factors other than the genetic code influence health and disease. That's the topic of the cover story in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society.

19 Apr 2012

Tumor microenvironment contributes critically to drug response

It should be possible to significantly improve the response of common cancers to existing "classical" chemotherapy drugs, say scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), by introducing agents that alter the interaction of cancer cells with their immediate surroundings, called the tumor microenvironment.

17 Apr 2012

Changes in thromboxane synthase may lead to hypertension in women with preeclampsia

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine researchers have discovered that changes in the gene expression of a key enzyme may contribute to high blood pressure and increase susceptibility to forming blood clots in pregnant women with preeclampsia.

16 Apr 2012

Researchers identify new mechanism by which colon cancer develops

A team of researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have identified a new mechanism by which colon cancer develops. By focusing on segments of DNA located between genes, or so-called "junk DNA," the team has discovered a set of master switches, i.e., gene enhancer elements, that turn "on and off" key genes whose altered expression is defining for colon cancers.

16 Apr 2012

First study to demonstrate link between social status and genetic regulation in primates

The ranking of a monkey within her social environment and the stress accompanying that status dramatically alters the expression of nearly 1,000 genes, a new scientific study reports. The research is the first to demonstrate a link between social status and genetic regulation in primates on a genome-wide scale, revealing a strong, plastic link between social environment and biology.

10 Apr 2012

MD Anderson initiates Phase 1/2 entinostat-lapatinib ditosylate combination study in metastatic breast cancer

Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage epigenetics oncology company, announced that investigators at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Department of Breast Medical Oncology have initiated a phase 1/2 study combining Syndax's lead product entinostat with lapatinib ditosylate (Tykerb) in patients with locally recurrent or distant relapsed metastatic breast cancer previously treated with trastuzumab (Herceptin).

9 Apr 2012

Innate patient factors, overall morbidity affect neurodevelopment in infants with single-ventricle disease

In the largest multicenter clinical trial of children undergoing early-stage surgery for single-ventricle heart defects, differences in intraoperative management did not significantly affect neurodevelopmental outcomes at 14 months of age. Instead, the strongest influences were innate patient characteristics and general medical morbidity during the child's first year of life.

6 Apr 2012

Getting pregnant while on a diet may lead to an obese baby: Study

Researchers found in a study on sheep that giving ewes less food at the time of conception caused DNA changes in the brains of their young. The University of Manchester scientists suspect the findings may hold true for humans as well and could explain why twins are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes in adulthood.

4 Apr 2012

Researchers figure out how rapamycin causes diabetes

The drug known as rapamycin is widely used by cancer and transplant patients, and there are hints that it might even help us put off old age and live longer. But, it also comes with a downside: rapamycin leads to diabetes in as many as 15 percent of the people who take it.

4 Apr 2012

Blocking PRC2 protein may help protect against AML

Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have identified a candidate drug target for treating acute myeloid leukemia, a white blood cell cancer that proliferates out of control in the bone marrow.

2 Apr 2012

Epigenetics News and Research

Further Reading

Researchers separate low and high-PSA prostate cancer cells

A test to predict breast cancer many years before the disease is diagnosed

CHR-3996 pill shows promise against advanced cancers

JCO publishes Syndax erlotinib-entinostat Phase 2 study for advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Detrimental effect of tetracycline on male reproductive function, sperm viability of pseudoscorpions

PLUS Diagnostics, MDxHealth partner to co-promote ConfirmMDx for Prostate Cancer

RVX-208 molecule increases apolipoprotein A-I production

HDAC9 gene can lead to obesity-induced body fat dysfunction

New studies on personalized lung cancer treatment presented at 3rd ELCC

New techniques show promise in detecting early-stage lung cancer

GSK, Epizyme and Constellation to develop next generation of epigenetic drugs for cancer

Tumor microenvironment contributes critically to drug response

Changes in thromboxane synthase may lead to hypertension in women with preeclampsia

Researchers identify new mechanism by which colon cancer develops

First study to demonstrate link between social status and genetic regulation in primates

MD Anderson initiates Phase 1/2 entinostat-lapatinib ditosylate combination study in metastatic breast cancer

Innate patient factors, overall morbidity affect neurodevelopment in infants with single-ventricle disease

Getting pregnant while on a diet may lead to an obese baby: Study

Researchers figure out how rapamycin causes diabetes

Blocking PRC2 protein may help protect against AML

Genetics & Genomics - Second Edition eBook

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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