Genes News and Research

RSS

Discovery of gene variant for cleft lip

About 20 percent of isolated cleft lip, one of the world's most common birth defects, may be due to a one-letter difference in the DNA sequence of a gene involved in facial development, researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health report.

6 Oct 2008

A little alcohol goes a longer way in women than in men

Alcohol can be a boon or a bane for health. The difference lies in the dose - a little is good, a lot is bad. But the dividing line between a little and a lot differs from person to person. It depends on many things, including sex.

6 Oct 2008

Researchers discover genes linked to increased gout risk

A team of researchers from the United States and the Netherlands has identified mutations in three genes that are associated with high levels of uric acid in the blood, which is a risk factor for gout.

5 Oct 2008

Statin-induced muscle disorders are focus of $2.5 million in grants from NIH

Approximately 200,000 of the 38 million people in the U.S. who take statins to treat high cholesterol may develop life-threatening muscle disease.

2 Oct 2008

Cholesterol research, begun in the 'Little Skate,' Garners Award

New research on the way the body processes cholesterol has earned a scientist at the University of Rochester Medical Center one of the highest honors in the field.

2 Oct 2008

Discovery of genetic link between obesity and colon cancer risk

A new study reveals the first-ever genetic link between obesity and colon cancer risk, a finding that could lead to greater accuracy in testing for the disease, said a researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

30 Sep 2008

New gout gene discovery

Researchers have identified two new genes - and confirmed the role of a third gene - associated with increased risk of higher levels of uric acid in the blood, which can lead to gout, a common, painful form of arthritis.

30 Sep 2008

Genetic link found to sleep disorder narcolepsy

New genetic research may help explain the unusual and distressing sleep disorder narcolepsy.

29 Sep 2008

Deadly virus scrumpox a threat to rugby players wrestlers

Rugby players and wrestlers may be at risk of a potentially serious skin disease called "scrumpox".

29 Sep 2008

Breast, ovarian cancer prediction models more accurate for white women than Asian-American women

Two widely used prediction models for identifying a woman's risk for breast and ovarian cancer appear to be less reliable for Asian-American women compared with white women, according to a study in the October issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Reuters Health reports.

29 Sep 2008

Scrumpox - deadly rugby virus spreads in sumo wrestlers

Rugby players may get more than just the ball out of a scrum - herpes virus can cause a skin disease called "scrumpox" and it spreads through physical contact. Researchers have studied the spread of the disease among sumo wrestlers in Japan and have discovered that a new strain of the virus could be even more pathogenic, according to an article published in the October issue of the Journal of General Virology.

28 Sep 2008

New technology to analyse human cells

A new technology which enables scientists to identify proteins by making a map of the energy flow inside the protein is revealed in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal.

23 Sep 2008

Family history of brain tumours increases the risk

New research has found that people with a family history of cancerous brain tumours appear to have higher risk of developing the same kind of tumours.

23 Sep 2008

Genetic fishing expedition yields surprising catch important to mammals

Johns Hopkins investigators report the discovery of master controllers of a gene critical to human and all mammalian development by trawling, implausibly enough, through anonymous genetic sequences using tiny zebrafish embryos.

21 Sep 2008

Discovery of promising new chemotherapy target for a deadly form of leukemia

Cancer researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered a promising new chemotherapy target for a deadly form of leukemia. Their discovery hinges on a novel "double agent" role for a molecular signal that regulates cell growth.

17 Sep 2008

Prostate cancer genes behave like those in embryo

Gene activity in prostate cancer is reminiscent of that in the developing fetal prostate, providing further evidence that all cancers are not equal, Johns Hopkins researchers report. The finding could help scientists investigate how to manipulate the genetic program to fight a disease whose biology remains poorly understood despite more than half a century of investigation.

16 Sep 2008