Genes News and Research

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Gene network disrupted by obesity

According to new research an entire network of genes in the body is disrupted by overeating and this not only causes obesity, but also diabetes and heart disease.

17 Mar 2008

Researchers discover signaling system that halts the growth of a childhood brain cancer

A discovery by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists suggests a safer way to treat medulloblastoma, a rare but often fatal childhood brain tumor.

17 Mar 2008

Compound found in soybeans may halt spread of prostate cancer

A compound found in soybeans almost completely prevented the spread of human prostate cancer in mice, according to a study published in the March 15 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

17 Mar 2008

Discovery of new mechanism involved in inflammatory diseases

Investigators at Hospital for Special Surgery have identified a new mechanism involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

17 Mar 2008

Penn researchers identify first sex chromosome gene involved in meiosis and male infertility

A team of scientists led by University of Pennsylvania veterinary researchers have identified a gene, TEX11, located on the X chromosome, which when disrupted in mice renders the males sterile and reduces female fecundity.

17 Mar 2008

MicroRNAs help zebrafish regenerate fins

Biologists have discovered a molecular circuit breaker that controls a zebrafish's remarkable ability to regrow missing fins, according to a new study from Duke University Medical Center.

17 Mar 2008

Human Proteinpedia, a portal to share human protein data among the scientific community

Today, scientists have access to a large amount of biological information through the Internet.

17 Mar 2008

Genes that protect against atherosclerosis identified

One way of combating atherosclerosis is to reduce levels of “bad cholesterol” in the blood. Scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have now identified the genes that bring about this beneficial effect.

17 Mar 2008

Gene variant increases breast cancer risk

In roughly five to ten percent of breast cancer cases there is a family history of breast cancer– i.e., hereditary and, thus, genetic factors play a role here.

17 Mar 2008

deCODE obesity study sheds light on how genetic factors contribute to major public health problems

In a paper published online in the journal Nature, a team of deCODE scientists detail a major mechanism through which genetic factors contribute to major public health problems.

17 Mar 2008

How diabetes drives atherosclerosis

Researchers have discovered how diabetes, by driving inflammation and slowing blood flow, dramatically accelerates atherosclerosis, according to research to be published in the March 14 edition of the journal Circulation Research. Experts once believed that atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, developed when too much cholesterol clogged arteries with fatty deposits called plaques.

14 Mar 2008

Finding in mice could help prevent common complications of kidney damage

Kidney damage often sets off a slew of complications in patients, spreading organ failure like wildfire throughout their bodies.

14 Mar 2008

Study confirms link between colds and ear infections

A new five-year study at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston confirms the suspected close link between the two most common diseases of young children: colds and ear infections.

14 Mar 2008

Heavier alcohol consumption increases the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Heavier alcohol consumption increases the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). There are synergetic interactions among alcohol drinking and ALDH2, ADH1B, CYP2E1 genotypes.

14 Mar 2008

The yin and yang of genes for mood disorders

Individual genes do not cause depression, but they are thought to increase the probability of an individual having a depression in the face of other accumulating risk factors, such as other genes and environmental stressors.

13 Mar 2008

Scientists identify 25 genes that regulate lifespan

Scientists at the University of Washington and other institutions have identified 25 genes regulating lifespan in two organisms separated by about 1.5 billion years in evolutionary change.

13 Mar 2008

Genomic tool helps select best eggs for IVF

A research team supervised by Universite Laval scientist Marc-Andre Sirard has identified genetic markers that allow the selection of eggs with the best chance of leading to successful pregnancy after in vitro fertilization (IVF).

13 Mar 2008

Protein deficiency leads to faster fat burning in mice, study shows

Researchers have developed a new, lean mouse with characteristics suggesting that someday, using medication to manipulate a specific protein in humans could emerge as a strategy to treat obesity and disorders associated with excess weight, such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

13 Mar 2008

Obesity bottlenecks cellular power plant

The machinery responsible for energy production in fat cells is working poorly as a result of obesity.

13 Mar 2008

Good news for people with glycogen storage disease type Ia

A gene therapy treatment that restores a missing liver enzyme in test animals could provide a cure for a rare metabolic disorder in humans, according to Duke University Medical Center researchers.

13 Mar 2008