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BRCA gene mutations and ovarian cancer: an interview with Dr Matulonis, Harvard Medical School

The BRCA gene encodes for the BRCA proteins, BRCA1 and BRCA2. These proteins are very important in repairing DNA, which they do by correcting double-stranded breaks.

2 Aug 2015

New synthetic gene drives could one day improve human health and the environment

Gene drives are genetic elements - found naturally in the genomes of most of the world's organisms - that increase the chance of the gene they carry being passed on to all offspring, and thus, they can quickly spread through populations. Looking to these natural systems, researchers around the world, including some Wyss Institute scientists, are developing synthetic gene drives that could one day be leveraged by humans to purposefully alter the traits of wild populations of organisms to prevent disease transmission and eradicate invasive species.

31 Jul 2015

Researchers reconstruct ancient virus to improve gene therapy

Researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Schepens Eye Research Institute have reconstructed an ancient virus that is highly effective at delivering gene therapies to the liver, muscle, and retina. This discovery, published July 30 in Cell Reports, could potentially be used to design gene therapies that are not only safer and more potent than therapies currently available, but may also help a greater number of patients.

31 Jul 2015

Scientists produce functional liver cells from human embryonic and genetic engineered stem cells

The liver plays a critical role in human metabolism. As the gatekeeper of the digestive track, this massive organ is responsible for drug breakdown and is therefore the first to be injured due to overdose or misuse. Evaluating this drug-induced liver injury is a critical part of pharmaceutical drug discovery and must be carried out on human liver cells. Regretfully, human liver cells, called hepatocytes, are in scarce supply as they can only be isolated from donated organs.

31 Jul 2015

DNA study reveals potential treatments to delay or prevent onset of Huntington's disease

Scientists from Cardiff University believe that a treatment to prevent or delay the symptoms of Huntington’s disease could now be much closer, following a major breakthrough.

31 Jul 2015

Researchers uncover master regulators that govern the fate of TFH cells

Follicular helper Tcells (TFH cells), a rare type of immune cell that is essential for inducing a strong and lasting antibody response to viruses and other microbes, have garnered intense interest in recent years but the molecular signals that drive their differentiation had remained unclear.

31 Jul 2015

IU scientists find evidence that invisible war between microorganisms may affect human health

Health experts have warned for years that the overuse of antibiotics is creating "superbugs" able to resist drugs treating infection.

31 Jul 2015

Prostate cancer discovery may improve treatment strategies

Scientists from Cancer Research UK have discovered that there are five different types of prostate cancer and have found a way of distinguishing between them. These findings could change how the condition is treated, providing more effective therapies where they are needed the most.

30 Jul 2015

Roche submits cobas EGFR v2 test PMA to FDA as companion diagnostic test for AZD9291

Roche today announced it has submitted the cobas EGFR Mutation Test v2 for Premarket Approval (PMA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as a companion diagnostic test for AZD9291, an AstraZeneca investigational therapy for non-small cell lung cancer patients with an acquired resistant mutation.

30 Jul 2015

Novel 3D human skin tissue model could help detect presence of known skin sensitizers in medical device extracts

New research shows that exposing a 3D human skin tissue model to extracts of medical device materials can detect the presence of sensitizers known to cause an allergic response on contact in some individuals. Conventional skin sensitization testing of medical devices relies on animal testing, whereas human skin models could replace animal methods, according to an article in the new journal Applied In Vitro Toxicology, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

30 Jul 2015

Detailed molecular analyses reveal new treatment options for aggressive childhood leukemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) leukemia is the most common type of cancer in children. It can occur in various forms, differing not only by specific changes in the genetic material of the leukemia cells but also by their response to therapies. Now, an international team of scientists from Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hannover, Heidelberg, Kiel, and Zurich have succeeded in decoding the molecular characteristics of an as yet incurable subtype of leukemia, paving the way for new therapeutic approaches.

30 Jul 2015

NEJM publishes positive clinical results from Phase 2 clinical study of volanesorsen

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the leader in RNA-targeted therapeutics, and Akcea Therapeutics, its wholly owned subsidiary, announced today that The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) has published positive clinical results from a Phase 2 clinical study evaluating volanesorsen (formerly ISIS-APOCIII Rx) in patients with very high to severely high triglycerides.

30 Jul 2015

Cancer Research UK scientists identify five distinct types of prostate cancer

Cancer Research UK scientists have for the first time identified that there are five distinct types of prostate cancer and found a way to distinguish between them, according to a landmark study published today in EBioMedicine.

30 Jul 2015

Smaller doses of resveratrol more effective at preventing bowel cancer

Resveratrol, a chemical found in red grapes, is more effective in smaller doses at preventing bowel cancer in mice than high doses, according to new research published today (Wednesday) in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

30 Jul 2015

New study reports creation of genetic porcine model of cancer

With many types of cancers, early detection offers the best hope for survival. However, research into new early-detection screenings, as well as possible interventional radiology and surgical treatments, has been hindered by the lack of a large animal model that would accurately reflect the types of cancers seen in human cells.

30 Jul 2015

Study shows how genetic changes lead to differences in form and function of species

Ten thousand years ago, a golden grain got naked, brought people together and grew to become one of the top agricultural commodities on the planet.

30 Jul 2015

Study: GMO labeling would not scare consumers from buying food products with GMO ingredients

A new study released just days after the U.S. House passed a bill that would prevent states from requiring labels on genetically modified foods reveals that GMO labeling would not act as warning labels and scare consumers away from buying products with GMO ingredients.

30 Jul 2015

Blocking the expression of certain gene reduces excessive fat in patients

By blocking the expression of a certain gene in patients, University of Montreal researchers have contributed to the demonstration of great decreases in the concentration of triglycerides in their blood, even in various severe forms of hypertriglyceridemia and regardless of the base values or the treatment the patient usually receives.

30 Jul 2015

UIC, Northwestern University researchers create first artificial ribosome

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Northwestern University have engineered a tethered ribosome that works nearly as well as the authentic cellular component, or organelle, that produces all the proteins and enzymes within the cell. The engineered ribosome may enable the production of new drugs and next-generation biomaterials and lead to a better understanding of how ribosomes function.

30 Jul 2015

Discovery could put individuals with relapsing UTIs on fast track for new therapeutic regimen

It's one thing to grow bacteria in a test tube, perform a screen in the lab, and find a mutation in the pathogen's genes. It's a whole other thing, and much rarer, to find the exact same mutation in nature--in this case, in E. coli in urine samples from some 500 patients suffering from relapsing urinary tract infections.

30 Jul 2015

Genetic News and Research

BRCA gene mutations and ovarian cancer: an interview with Dr Matulonis, Harvard Medical School

New synthetic gene drives could one day improve human health and the environment

Researchers reconstruct ancient virus to improve gene therapy

Scientists produce functional liver cells from human embryonic and genetic engineered stem cells

DNA study reveals potential treatments to delay or prevent onset of Huntington's disease

Researchers uncover master regulators that govern the fate of TFH cells

IU scientists find evidence that invisible war between microorganisms may affect human health

Prostate cancer discovery may improve treatment strategies

Roche submits cobas EGFR v2 test PMA to FDA as companion diagnostic test for AZD9291

Novel 3D human skin tissue model could help detect presence of known skin sensitizers in medical device extracts

Detailed molecular analyses reveal new treatment options for aggressive childhood leukemia

NEJM publishes positive clinical results from Phase 2 clinical study of volanesorsen

Cancer Research UK scientists identify five distinct types of prostate cancer

Smaller doses of resveratrol more effective at preventing bowel cancer

New study reports creation of genetic porcine model of cancer

Study shows how genetic changes lead to differences in form and function of species

Study: GMO labeling would not scare consumers from buying food products with GMO ingredients

Blocking the expression of certain gene reduces excessive fat in patients

UIC, Northwestern University researchers create first artificial ribosome

Discovery could put individuals with relapsing UTIs on fast track for new therapeutic regimen

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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