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USC-led study finds link between anxiety and dementia

People who experienced high anxiety any time in their lives had a 48 percent higher risk of developing dementia compared to those who had not, according to a new study led by USC researchers.

20 Dec 2015

Case Western scientist to lead a pair of studies to develop more effective treatment for CF

A scientist at Case Western Reserve University Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing will lead a pair of studies to develop more effective treatment for symptoms of cystic fibrosis (CF), a life-threatening genetic disease that causes persistent lung infections and progressively limits the ability to breathe.

18 Dec 2015

Research opens door to validation studies in multiple tumor types of liquid biopsy

Pancreatic cancer tumors spill their molecular secrets into the blood stream, shedding their complete DNA and RNA wrapped inside protective lipid particles that make them ripe for analysis with a liquid biopsy, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report online at the Annals of Oncology.

18 Dec 2015

Scientists identify overlooked consequence of spatial separation of cells into nucleus, cytoplasm

Genetically identical cells do not always behave the same way. According to the accepted theory, the reason are random molecular processes - known as random noise. For decades this view has been underpinned by numerous experiments and theoretical models.

18 Dec 2015

Family members of CUP patients at higher risk of developing CUP themselves

Cancer usually begins in one location and then spreads, but in 3 percent to 5 percent of cancer patients, the tissue where a cancer begins is unknown. In these individuals a cancer diagnosis is made because it has metastasized to other sites. Patients with these so-called "cancers of unknown primary," or CUP, have a very poor prognosis, with a median survival of three months.

18 Dec 2015

Study examines links between genetic background, physical activity level and lifespan

Animal studies have already shown that a strong link exists between genetic background and physical activity level. The purpose of our study was to investigate the associations between genetic background, physical activity level, and lifespan.

17 Dec 2015

New study suggests that musclin may promote muscle health

A new study in mice shows that exercise causes muscle to release a peptide that builds the muscle's capacity for energy production and increases physical endurance, allowing for longer and more intense exercise.

17 Dec 2015

Salk researchers move one step closer to unlocking how the brain functions

How the brain functions is still a black box: scientists aren't even sure how many kinds of nerve cells exist in the brain. To know how the brain works, they need to know not only what types of nerve cells exist, but also how they work together. Researchers at the Salk Institute have gotten one step closer to unlocking this black box.

17 Dec 2015

Converting white fat cells into beige fat cells could help fight obesity

The body's ability to harness heat production by converting white fat cells, which store calories, into beige fat cells, which burn energy, could help fight obesity, according to researchers at Georgia State University.

17 Dec 2015

Mitochondrial variation and viable pregnancy: an interview with Dr Elpida Fragouli

Embryos require adequate amounts of energy so that they can successfully progress through each of their cell divisions.

16 Dec 2015

Many gene variants affect person's response to medication

In recent decades much hope was based on the development of personalised drug treatments, in which genetic tests determine the choice and optimal dose of medication for each individual patient. However, the real breakthrough is still to be seen, and now researchers at Karolinska Institutet show in two separate scientific papers that many more gene variants affect how a person responds to medication than previously thought - and thus that today's analytical tools are too coarse.

16 Dec 2015

Study highlights strong need for weight management before menopause

At midlife, overweight and obesity, lack of exercise, less education, and low income put women at much higher risk of having metabolic syndrome, the cluster of conditions predisposes people to diabetes and heart disease, shows a large study published today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society.

16 Dec 2015

New study finds a reason for ethnic disparity in CF diagnoses

Cystic fibrosis (CF) occurs less frequently in nonwhites than in whites, and nonwhites tend to be diagnosed at a later age. This late diagnosis often comes only once they have become symptomatic, rather than through newborn screening programs or molecular diagnostic testing.

16 Dec 2015

CTE can be diagnosed by neuropathological examination of brain tissue

For the first time, CTE has been confirmed as a unique disease that can be definitively diagnosed by neuropathological examination of brain tissue. A consensus panel of expert neuropathologists concluded that CTE has a pathognomonic signature in the brain, an advance that represents a milestone for CTE research and lays the foundation for future studies defining the clinical symptoms, genetic risk factors and therapeutic strategies for CTE.

16 Dec 2015

Bile acid may help treat fatty liver disease and obesity

A bile acid that can turn off a receptor in the gut has prevented and reversed fatty liver disease in mice, according to an international team of researchers. The compound may help treat certain metabolic disorders, such as Type 2 diabetes and obesity, as well.

16 Dec 2015

Discovery could pave way for targeted therapies to treat penile cancer

Researchers have identified potential genetic alterations in penile cancer that could pave the way for targeted treatments.

15 Dec 2015

VCU Massey Cancer Center scientists reveal signaling process that leads to excessive growth of cancer

The gene p53 has been described as the "guardian of the genome" due to its prominent role in preventing genetic mutations. More than half of all cancers are thought to originate from p53 mutations or loss of function, and now a recent study by VCU Massey Cancer Center scientist Richard Moran, Ph.D., explains why.

15 Dec 2015

Gene variant linked to psychotic symptoms, cognitive impairment in people with bipolar disorder identified

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, and the Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University in Sweden have identified a gene variant linked to psychotic symptoms and cognitive impairment in people with bipolar disorder. The study, which is published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, describes a possible mechanism for how the gene variant produces clinical symptoms by affecting levels of specific proteins in the brain.

15 Dec 2015

New study describes a way to identify complex type of mutation in cancer genomes

New research shows that current approaches to genome analysis systematically miss detecting a certain type of complex mutation in cancer patients' tumors. Further, a significant percentage of these complex mutations are found in well-known cancer genes that could be targeted by existing drugs, potentially expanding the number of cancer patients who may benefit.

15 Dec 2015

Researchers discover first broad spectrum drug that can potently kill aging cells in culture

Researchers from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and other institutions are reporting the discovery of the first broad spectrum drug that can potently kill senescent (or aging) cells in culture and effectively clear the cells in animals by specifically targeting a pathway that is critical for the survival of senescent cells.

15 Dec 2015

Genetic News and Research

USC-led study finds link between anxiety and dementia

Case Western scientist to lead a pair of studies to develop more effective treatment for CF

Research opens door to validation studies in multiple tumor types of liquid biopsy

Scientists identify overlooked consequence of spatial separation of cells into nucleus, cytoplasm

Family members of CUP patients at higher risk of developing CUP themselves

Study examines links between genetic background, physical activity level and lifespan

New study suggests that musclin may promote muscle health

Salk researchers move one step closer to unlocking how the brain functions

Converting white fat cells into beige fat cells could help fight obesity

Mitochondrial variation and viable pregnancy: an interview with Dr Elpida Fragouli

Many gene variants affect person's response to medication

Study highlights strong need for weight management before menopause

New study finds a reason for ethnic disparity in CF diagnoses

CTE can be diagnosed by neuropathological examination of brain tissue

Bile acid may help treat fatty liver disease and obesity

Discovery could pave way for targeted therapies to treat penile cancer

VCU Massey Cancer Center scientists reveal signaling process that leads to excessive growth of cancer

Gene variant linked to psychotic symptoms, cognitive impairment in people with bipolar disorder identified

New study describes a way to identify complex type of mutation in cancer genomes

Researchers discover first broad spectrum drug that can potently kill aging cells in culture

eBook: Using iPSCs models for human disease research and drug discovery 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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