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UCSF scientists explore how Dact1 mutations contribute to psychiatric disorders

Gene mutations that cause cell signaling networks to go awry during embryonic development and lead to major birth defects may also cause subtle disruptions in the brain that contribute to psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, autism, and bipolar disorder, according to new research by UC San Francisco scientists.

25 Jun 2013

Research findings could lead to new potential treatment for multiple sclerosis

Myelin, the fatty coating that protects neurons in the brain and spinal cord, is destroyed in diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Researchers have been striving to determine whether oligodendrocytes, the cells that produce myelin, can be stimulated to make new myelin. Using live imaging in zebrafish to track oligodendrocytes in real time, researchers reporting in the June 24 issue of the Cell Press journal Developmental Cell discovered that individual oligodendrocytes coat neurons with myelin for only five hours after they are born. If the findings hold true in humans, they could lead to new treatment strategies for multiple sclerosis.

25 Jun 2013

Investigators uncover connection between tumor metabolic process and progression of kidney cancer

Investigators in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network have uncovered a connection between how tumor cells use energy from metabolic processes and the aggressiveness of the most common form of kidney cancer, clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).

24 Jun 2013

Researchers identify biological roots of migraine from large-scale genome study

In the largest study of migraines, researchers have found 5 genetic regions that for the first time have been linked to the onset of migraine. This study opens new doors to understanding the cause and biological triggers that underlie migraine attacks.

24 Jun 2013

Researchers provide new revelations about intricate pathways involved in turning on T cells

A major study from researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology provides new revelations about the intricate pathways involved in turning on T cells, the body's most important disease-fighting cells, and was published today in the prestigious scientific journal Nature.

24 Jun 2013

Researchers find elevated antibodies to gluten proteins of wheat in children with autism

Researchers have found elevated antibodies to gluten proteins of wheat in children with autism in comparison to those without autism. The results also indicated an association between the elevated antibodies and the presence of gastrointestinal symptoms in the affected children.

21 Jun 2013

MIT study shows that SIRT1 gene plays key role in controlling circadian rhythms

Human sleeping and waking patterns are largely governed by an internal circadian clock that corresponds closely with the 24-hour cycle of light and darkness. This circadian clock also controls other body functions, such as metabolism and temperature regulation.

21 Jun 2013

Researchers discover key role of RAP1 gene in obesity

The discovery of an unexpected function for a gene that was associated to another process in the organism might be a solution in search of a problem, a clue to unsuspected connections. That is what has happened with RAP1, a gene that protects telomeres- the ends of chromosomes-after researchers from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre surprisingly discovered its key role in obesity.

21 Jun 2013

Genetic process that promotes cervical cancer warns about anti-viral therapies in certain cases

A new understanding of the genetic process that can lead to cervical cancer may help improve diagnosis of potentially dangerous lesions for some women, and also raises a warning flag about the use of anti-viral therapies in certain cases - suggesting they could actually trigger the cancer they are trying to cure.

20 Jun 2013

Scientists create way to see structures that store memories in living brain

Oscar Wilde called memory "the diary that we all carry about with us." Now a team of scientists has developed a way to see where and how that diary is written.

20 Jun 2013

Gene switch off may increase risk of heart and blood vessel disease: Research

Risk of heart and blood vessel disease may increase when a particular gene is switched off, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Emerging Science Series Webinar.

20 Jun 2013

Viewpoints: Urgency has slipped away for 'grand bargain'; The need to scrutinize drug competition; Restore funding to 'Meals on Wheels'

It may seem paradoxical that Congress was willing to tackle a grand bargain when the deficit problem looked big and insoluble - but quickly lost interest as soon as the problem became more manageable. … But the reason isn't really mysterious. A grand bargain would have required both sides to swallow unpalatable compromises. It would have required Democrats to agree to cuts in future spending on Medicare and Social Security. Likewise, it would have required Republicans to accept increases in tax revenue (Doyle McManus, 6/19).

20 Jun 2013

Researchers develop method to identify aggressive prostate cancers

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues at Louisiana State University have developed a method for identifying aggressive prostate cancers that require immediate therapy. It relies on understanding the genetic interaction between single nucleotide polymorphisms. The goal is to better predict a prostate cancer's aggressiveness to avoid unnecessary radical treatment.

20 Jun 2013

Study describes molecular bases of resistance to new chemotherapeutic agent in familial breast and ovarian cancers

It is estimated that between 5% and 10% of breast and ovarian cancers are familial in origin, which is to say that these tumours are attributable to inherited mutations from the parents in genes such as BRCA1 or BRCA2.

19 Jun 2013

Stress exposure may be associated with increased risk of aggressive breast cancer

Local chemical signals released by fat cells in the mammary gland appear to provide a crucial link between exposure to unrelenting social stressors early in life, and the subsequent development of breast cancer, researchers from the University of Chicago report in the July 2013 issue of the journal Cancer Prevention Research.

19 Jun 2013

NO2 exposure in infancy is strongly linked with later development of childhood asthma

A research team led by UCSF scientists has found that exposure in infancy to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a component of motor vehicle air pollution, is strongly linked with later development of childhood asthma among African Americans and Latinos.

19 Jun 2013

UCSC experts awarded $3.5M NIH grant to develop cancer genomics tools

Despite some successes, predicting cancer outcomes based on the molecular signatures in cancer cells remains a major challenge. A new effort, funded by the National Cancer Institute and led by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, aims to clear several key roadblocks that have stymied progress in this field.

18 Jun 2013

Antibiotic with clinical potential can stimulate own production, say scientists

An antibiotic has been found to stimulate its own production. The findings, to be published in PNAS, could make it easier to scale up antibiotic production for commercialisation.

18 Jun 2013

Men with haplogroup I of Y chromosome have 50% greater risk of developing heart disease

University of Leicester scientists have discovered a potential genetic contributor to the increased risk of heart disease among men.

18 Jun 2013

MCL-1 protein is vital for normal heart function, shows study

A study by researchers at Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Department of Pharmacology at the University of California, San Diego, shows that a protein called MCL-1, which promotes cell survival, is essential for normal heart function.

18 Jun 2013

Genes News and Research

UCSF scientists explore how Dact1 mutations contribute to psychiatric disorders

Research findings could lead to new potential treatment for multiple sclerosis

Investigators uncover connection between tumor metabolic process and progression of kidney cancer

Researchers identify biological roots of migraine from large-scale genome study

Researchers provide new revelations about intricate pathways involved in turning on T cells

Researchers find elevated antibodies to gluten proteins of wheat in children with autism

MIT study shows that SIRT1 gene plays key role in controlling circadian rhythms

Researchers discover key role of RAP1 gene in obesity

Genetic process that promotes cervical cancer warns about anti-viral therapies in certain cases

Scientists create way to see structures that store memories in living brain

Gene switch off may increase risk of heart and blood vessel disease: Research

Viewpoints: Urgency has slipped away for 'grand bargain'; The need to scrutinize drug competition; Restore funding to 'Meals on Wheels'

Researchers develop method to identify aggressive prostate cancers

Study describes molecular bases of resistance to new chemotherapeutic agent in familial breast and ovarian cancers

Stress exposure may be associated with increased risk of aggressive breast cancer

NO2 exposure in infancy is strongly linked with later development of childhood asthma

UCSC experts awarded $3.5M NIH grant to develop cancer genomics tools

Antibiotic with clinical potential can stimulate own production, say scientists

Men with haplogroup I of Y chromosome have 50% greater risk of developing heart disease

MCL-1 protein is vital for normal heart function, shows study

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