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Experimental drug improves survival rate of majority of lung cancer patients compared to standard chemotherapy

In global clinical trials, patients with advanced metastatic lung cancer who were treated with a targeted immunotherapy drug lived significantly longer and with fewer side effects than those who received standard second-line chemotherapy, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study published today in the journal The Lancet.

15 Mar 2016

Ibrutinib and idelalisib drugs for chronic lymphatic leukaemia can prolong survival time of high-risk patients

Studies conducted at the Comprehensive Cancer Center at MedUni Vienna and Vienna General Hospital show that the drugs ibrutinib and idelalisib used in the targeted treatment of chronic lymphatic leukaemia can significantly prolong the survival time of high-risk patients.

15 Mar 2016

St. Jude scientists develop insights to guide development of powerful novel anti-influenza drugs

By analyzing the molecular details of how artificially created drug-resistant flu strains manage to survive treatment, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have developed insights to guide development of powerful new anti-influenza drugs. These compounds will target a viral enzyme critical to the virus' proliferation in the body.

15 Mar 2016

UCSF study marks important step toward finding cure for Ebola

In experiments carried out partly at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, scientists have determined in atomic detail how a potential drug molecule fits into and blocks a channel in cell membranes that Ebola and related "filoviruses" need to infect victims' cells.

15 Mar 2016

HIV drug could delay drug resistance, making skin cancer treatment effective for longer time

An HIV drug could stop one of the early changes in skin cancer cells that leads to them becoming resistant to treatment, according to a Cancer Research UK-funded study published in Cancer Cell today

15 Mar 2016

Researchers identify new mutation responsible for spinocerebellar ataxia

Using the genetic information of two different families with three generations of disease, researchers have identified a new mutation responsible for a degenerative and ultimately fatal movement disorder. Through induced pluripotent stem cell techniques, researchers also grew neurons from one patient in the laboratory to be used in future experiments.

15 Mar 2016

Scientists find surprising link between iPS cell reprogramming, blood cell formation and cancer

The ability to reprogram cells has revolutionized stem cell research with major implications for almost all fields of modern biology. A decade ago Shinya Yamanaka described a procedure that revolutionized stem cell biology. Using a genetic trick that introduces a cocktail of four genes into cultured cells from human biopsies, he was able to generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) from mature skin or blood cells

15 Mar 2016

Researchers discover potentially-pathogenic bacteria in water supply pipes

The human microbiome, a diverse collection of microorganisms living inside us and on our skin, has attracted considerable attention for its role in a broad range of human health issues. Now, researchers are discovering that the built environment also has a microbiome, which includes a community of potentially-pathogenic bacteria living inside water supply pipes.

15 Mar 2016

Newly identified RNA biomarkers open door for simple, accurate non-invasive test for prostate cancer

A study on non-coding RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) from prostate cancer patients has identified a series of new prostate cancer markers which can be found in urine. Combining these RNA markers into a single test potentially opens the door for simple, accurate non-invasive testing for prostate cancer.

14 Mar 2016

Use of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy tripled from 2002 to 2012 despite no survival benefit

The use of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM), the surgical removal of a breast unaffected by cancer as part of the course of treatment for breast cancer, has more than tripled from 2002 to 2012 despite evidence suggesting no survival benefit over breast conservation, according to a new study from Brigham and Women's Hospital published in Annals of Surgery on March 11, 2016.

14 Mar 2016

Biological change in mosquito mating could be used to fight mosquito-borne diseases

Genetic cues from male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes passed on during sex affect which genes are turned on or off in a females' reproductive tract post-mating, including genes related to blood feeding, egg development and immune defense, according to new Cornell research.

14 Mar 2016

Lots of 'good' cholesterol may be bad

Recent research has identified a genetic mutation that prevents high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol from being taken up by cells.

11 Mar 2016

Simple method to determine prevalence of celiac disease in children aged 2-4

Researchers from the University of Granada have developed a new, simple and non invasive method which allows to determine whether a child aged 2-4 suffers from celiac disease or not without the necessity of a blood extraction.

11 Mar 2016

Delivering microRNAs in cancer treatment: an interview with Dr Conde and Prof Artzi

microRNAs (miRs) are small endogenous noncoding RNA molecules (20–23 nucleotides) derived from imperfectly paired hairpin RNA structures naturally encoded in the genome that act specifically as triggering molecules to control translational repression or mRNA degradation.

11 Mar 2016

Russian scientists propose new technique to analyze intestinal metagenomes

A group of Russian scientists, among them staff at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, have proposed a new method for the comparison of metagenome-coupled DNA sequences from all of the organisms in a sample of biological material being investigated.

11 Mar 2016

Enhanced diet helps slow progression of hereditary deafness

An enhanced diet helped reduce hearing loss in mice with the genetic mutation most commonly responsible for childhood deafness, new research suggests.

11 Mar 2016

Scientists map biological networks of genes to gain new insights on disease mechanisms

Innovative software tools allowed the scientists to construct accurate "maps" of gene networks for about 400 different human cell and tissue types, ranging from immune cells to brain tissues, whereas previous studies were limited to just one or few tissues.

11 Mar 2016

Studies raise hope for new treatments, preventive approaches for schizophrenia

Emerging evidence on the development, "prodromal" characteristics, and long-term course of schizophrenia provide reasons for optimism for developing new treatments and preventive approaches for this devastating disorder, according to the special March/April issue of Harvard Review of Psychiatry.

11 Mar 2016

Southampton researchers explore ADAM33 gene's association with asthma, airway 'twitchiness'

Researchers at the University of Southampton are to study why some people are more likely to develop asthma.

11 Mar 2016

Scientists optimize imaging and behavior techniques to monitor activity of neurons

The cerebellum is a region of the brain that plays an important role in motor control. The Purkinje cells, a class of neurons located in this region, are a major site of information integration that regulate changes in neural connections caused by varying factors such as behavior, environment, and emotions. Thus Purkinje cells provide an ideal location for studying the mechanisms necessary for cerebellum dependent motor learning.

11 Mar 2016

Genetic News and Research

Experimental drug improves survival rate of majority of lung cancer patients compared to standard chemotherapy

Ibrutinib and idelalisib drugs for chronic lymphatic leukaemia can prolong survival time of high-risk patients

St. Jude scientists develop insights to guide development of powerful novel anti-influenza drugs

UCSF study marks important step toward finding cure for Ebola

HIV drug could delay drug resistance, making skin cancer treatment effective for longer time

Researchers identify new mutation responsible for spinocerebellar ataxia

Scientists find surprising link between iPS cell reprogramming, blood cell formation and cancer

Researchers discover potentially-pathogenic bacteria in water supply pipes

Newly identified RNA biomarkers open door for simple, accurate non-invasive test for prostate cancer

Use of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy tripled from 2002 to 2012 despite no survival benefit

Biological change in mosquito mating could be used to fight mosquito-borne diseases

Lots of 'good' cholesterol may be bad

Simple method to determine prevalence of celiac disease in children aged 2-4

Delivering microRNAs in cancer treatment: an interview with Dr Conde and Prof Artzi

Russian scientists propose new technique to analyze intestinal metagenomes

Enhanced diet helps slow progression of hereditary deafness

Scientists map biological networks of genes to gain new insights on disease mechanisms

Studies raise hope for new treatments, preventive approaches for schizophrenia

Southampton researchers explore ADAM33 gene's association with asthma, airway 'twitchiness'

Scientists optimize imaging and behavior techniques to monitor activity of neurons

Genetics & Genomics - Second Edition eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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