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New test identifies viruses that infect people and animals

A new test detects virtually any virus that infects people and animals, according to research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where the technology was developed.

30 Sep 2015

New gene therapy approach to treating DMD reduces symptoms, extends life span in mouse model

A gene therapy approach to treating the progressive muscle wasting disorder Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) that does not replace the mutated DMD gene but instead delivers the gene for ITGA7, a protein in skeletal muscle, led to reduced symptoms and significantly extended life span in a mouse model of severe DMD. Over-expression of ITGA7 did not elicit an immune reaction, further supporting its potential as a novel treatment for DMD, according to a new study published in Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

30 Sep 2015

Glowing protein may replace fiber optic cable as light source in optogenetics research

Optogenetics has taken neuroscience by storm in recent years because the technique allows scientists to study the brain conveniently in animals, activating or inhibiting selected groups of neurons at the flip of a switch. Most often, scientists use a fiber optic cable to deliver light into the brain.

30 Sep 2015

Intratumoral morphological diversity of breast cancer not related to chromosome aberrations

Intratumor morphological heterogeneity (diversity) of breast cancer is not related to chromosome aberrations. This conclusion was made based on the study of one case with aggressive variant of breast cancer - invasive micropapillary carcinoma by researchers from Tomsk State University, Tomsk Cancer Research Institute, and Institute of Medical Genetics.

30 Sep 2015

New software programs may help speed up drug discovery process for diabetes and other diseases

Proteins sometimes run amuck. All the good stuff (the useful genetic and biological material) they contain can get distorted. Mutations in specific amino acids can cause long strands of proteins to curl in on themselves (like a ball of wool a cat has played with) and refuse to break apart.

30 Sep 2015

New research identifies genetic variants, causal links associated with polycystic ovary syndrome

In the largest genome wide association study (GWAS) into polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to date, new research conducted by scientists at the University of Cambridge and ten other institutions, including 23andMe, has identified genetic variants and causal links associated with PCOS, some of which might be relevant to informing positive lifestyle and treatment choices for women.

30 Sep 2015

New report implicates five genetic regions that play major roles in CF disease severity

If you have two faulty copies of the CFTR gene, you will have cystic fibrosis. But the severity of your disease will depend on environmental factors and many other genes. Locating these genes and altering their function could lead to new therapies.

29 Sep 2015

Academies and DFG point out limitations and risks of new genome editing techniques

More efficient bacteria and yeasts for use in fuel and drug production, new strategies to combat antibiotic-resistant germs, and innovative plant breeding methods - new molecular biology techniques that permit targeted genetic modification are giving rise to many promising new opportunities in research and application.

29 Sep 2015

New self-contained device could provide instant results to routine lab tests, accelerate treatment and diagnosis

Researchers at Houston Methodist, along with collaborators at two major Singapore institutions, have developed a lab in a needle device that could provide instant results to routine lab tests, accelerating treatment and diagnosis by days.

29 Sep 2015

Study: Increased acetylation of histones promotes fear extinction in mice

The targeted modulation of gene activity and cellular signaling pathways could provide a new approach to the treatment of fear and anxiety states according to the recent findings of a project sponsored by the Austrian Science Fund FWF.

29 Sep 2015

Expectant mothers can modify genetic information of their future child, shows new research

A new scientific discovery confirms for the first time that mothers-to-be are capable of modifying the genetics of their future child, even when the egg has been donated.

29 Sep 2015

Real-time blood test based on DNA sequencing can rapidly diagnose Ebola and other acute infections

Using technical advances not yet developed when the 2014 Ebola outbreak began, UC San Francisco-led scientists completed a proof-of-principle study on a real-time blood test based on DNA sequencing that can be used to rapidly diagnose Ebola and other acute infections. The researchers said that the test can be used even where lab space and medical infrastructure are scarce.

From Oxford Nanopore Technologies 29 Sep 2015

Scientists develop new molecular toolkit to investigate protein assemblies in human disease

A photograph may reveal how something looks, but direct observation can divulge how the objects behave. The difference can mean life or death, especially when it comes to fighting human disease.

29 Sep 2015

Low birth weight associated with low levels of social trust in adulthood

How much does your baby weigh? All new parents are familiar with that question. Perhaps their reply is more important than we realize. Birth weight affects how much trust an individual will have in other people in his adult life. Trust, in turn, is the glue that prevents society from falling apart. This phenomenon is at the center of new research from Aarhus School of Business and Social Sciences (Aarhus BSS) at Aarhus University, Denmark.

29 Sep 2015

Bariatric surgery results in substantial weight loss in overweight children with Prader-Willi syndrome

Obesity is a leading cause of complications and death in children suffering from Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), yet there are few effective treatment options for these patients. In a new study published in Surgery for Obesity and Related Disease researchers found that bariatric surgery, specifically laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), resulted in substantial weight loss with no apparent adverse effect on growth in a small group of severely overweight patients with PWS.

29 Sep 2015

UT Southwestern Medical Center geneticist named 2015 recipient of Pearl Meister Greengard Prize

UT Southwestern Medical Center geneticist Dr. Helen Hobbs is the 2015 recipient of the prestigious Pearl Meister Greengard Prize. The prize recognizes Dr. Hobbs' research, which advances understanding of heart disease and other complex disorders.

29 Sep 2015

Roche launches the cobas EGFR Mutation Test v2 for use with either plasma or tumour tissue samples

Roche has announced the commercial availability in countries that accept the CE mark1 of the cobas® EGFR Mutation Test v2, the first oncology assay from Roche that utilises either plasma or tumour tissue as a sample. The test identifies 42 mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene, the most of any In-vitro Diagnostic (IVD) on the market, and can also be used as an aid in selecting eligible patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for therapy with an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI).

From Roche Sequencing and Life Science 28 Sep 2015

Genetic test identifies breast cancer patients that can avoid chemotherapy and remain relapse-free following five years of hormone therapy

Genomic Health has announced the presentation of the first results1 from the Trial Assigning IndividuaLised Options for Treatment (Rx), or TAILORx, a large, prospectively conducted trial designed and conducted by the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group under the sponsorship of the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI).

28 Sep 2015

Increasing availability of genetic tests for at-risk cancer patients

Mutations in the BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes are very likely to lead to a form of cancer in people who have them. These mutations can be detected using a genetic test. The introduction of a new drug has improved treatment options and this, coupled with increased awareness and improved access, increased the number of genetic tests carried out at the MedUni Vienna last year by a factor of five.

28 Sep 2015

Study may lead to new insights on use of aspirin in GI cancer

Aspirin improves survival in patients with tumours situated throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, results from a large study in The Netherlands show. This is the first time that survival data from patients with tumours in different GI locations have been analysed at the same time; previously, only one type of cancer, usually colorectal, was studied.

28 Sep 2015

Genetic News and Research

New test identifies viruses that infect people and animals

New gene therapy approach to treating DMD reduces symptoms, extends life span in mouse model

Glowing protein may replace fiber optic cable as light source in optogenetics research

Intratumoral morphological diversity of breast cancer not related to chromosome aberrations

New software programs may help speed up drug discovery process for diabetes and other diseases

New research identifies genetic variants, causal links associated with polycystic ovary syndrome

New report implicates five genetic regions that play major roles in CF disease severity

Academies and DFG point out limitations and risks of new genome editing techniques

New self-contained device could provide instant results to routine lab tests, accelerate treatment and diagnosis

Study: Increased acetylation of histones promotes fear extinction in mice

Expectant mothers can modify genetic information of their future child, shows new research

Real-time blood test based on DNA sequencing can rapidly diagnose Ebola and other acute infections

Scientists develop new molecular toolkit to investigate protein assemblies in human disease

Low birth weight associated with low levels of social trust in adulthood

Bariatric surgery results in substantial weight loss in overweight children with Prader-Willi syndrome

UT Southwestern Medical Center geneticist named 2015 recipient of Pearl Meister Greengard Prize

Roche launches the cobas EGFR Mutation Test v2 for use with either plasma or tumour tissue samples

Genetic test identifies breast cancer patients that can avoid chemotherapy and remain relapse-free following five years of hormone therapy

Increasing availability of genetic tests for at-risk cancer patients

Study may lead to new insights on use of aspirin in GI cancer

Sequencing & Genomics: Elevating Science and Healthcare 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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