Genetic News and Research

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New nationwide effort seeks to find novel approaches to treat ASD, intellectual disability

Some of the genetic diseases that can cause autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID) are so rare that even physicians who specialize in treating them can't be certain they have seen every possible symptom.

19 Dec 2014

Gene variations predispose mestizo Mexican population to develop severe form of COPD

A study by Ramcés Falfán-Valencia, researcher at the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, found that the mestizo Mexican population has a number of variations in certain genes that predispose them to develop the most severe form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

19 Dec 2014

Study reveals why older people are at increased risk for developing cancer

Why are older people at higher risk for developing cancer? Prevailing opinion holds that, over time, your body's cells accumulate DNA damage and that eventually this damage catches up with the body in a way that causes cancer.

19 Dec 2014

Single biopsy site may reveal all lung adenocarcinoma genetic mutations

Genetic sequencing of a single tumour site sample may be adequate for identifying cancer gene mutations in patients with lung andenocarcinoma, research published in Science suggests.

18 Dec 2014

Researchers treat myocardial infarction with new telomerase-based gene therapy

The enzyme telomerase repairs cell damage produced by ageing, and has been used successfully in therapies to lengthen the life of mice. Now it has been observed that it could also be used to cure illnesses related to the ageing process.

18 Dec 2014

CF patients require close monitoring for resistance to ganciclovir after lung transplantation

A drug called ganciclovir is given to lung transplant patients to protect against a life-threatening virus that is common after transplantation.

18 Dec 2014

Brandeis University researchers capture highest resolution images of cilia ever

Cilia, the cell's tails and antennas, are among the most important biological structures. They line our windpipe and sweep away all the junk we inhale; they help us see, smell and reproduce. When a mutation disrupts the function or structure of cilia, the effects on the human body are devastating and sometimes lethal.

18 Dec 2014

U-M researchers devise reliable way to grow tumor cells

In a development that could lead to a deeper understanding of cancer and better early-stage treatment of the disease, University of Michigan researchers have devised a reliable way to grow a certain type of cancer cells from patients outside the body for study.

18 Dec 2014

New study highlights importance of generating awareness about HCV testing, support and care

A new study shows that many patients infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) are lost during different stages of health care to manage the disease. This real-life' view of the HCV patient care continuum in a major U.S. urban area is published in Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, and highlights the importance of generating awareness among clinicians and at-risk groups about appropriate HCV testing, referral, support and care.

18 Dec 2014

Researchers reveal common features responsible for antibiotic resistance

Treating bacterial infections with antibiotics is becoming increasingly difficult as bacteria develop resistance not only to the antibiotics being used against them, but also to ones they have never encountered before. By analyzing genetic and phenotypic changes in antibiotic-resistant strains of E. coli, researchers at the RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center in Japan have revealed a common set of features that appear to be responsible for the development of resistance to several types of antibiotics.

18 Dec 2014

Researchers examine why Mexican-Americans at increased risk for Type 2 diabetes

While people of Mexican ancestry are nearly twice as likely to develop Type 2 diabetes as people of European heritage, the majority of research in this area has focused on those of European origin.

18 Dec 2014

Eight researchers to receive 2015 Leibniz Prize

The new recipients of Germany's most prestigious research funding prize have been announced. In Bonn today, the Joint Committee of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) decided to award the 2015 Leibniz Prize to eight researchers.

18 Dec 2014

Research findings may lead to new treatment strategies for Ewing sarcoma

The genetic abnormality that drives the bone cancer Ewing sarcoma operates through two distinct processes - both activating genes that stimulate tumor growth and suppressing those that should keep cancer from developing. These findings by Massachusetts General Hospital investigators, published in the November issue of Cancer Cell, may lead to new therapies targeting these aberrant mechanisms.

18 Dec 2014

Secrets of success for pioneering research revealed

The British Pharmacological Society has announced the secrets of success for pioneering research along with the outcome of its annual 'Putting UK Pharmacology on the Map' vote. The vote selects sites of special scientific interest linked to achievements in pharmacology based on a ballot of MPs, peers and senior members of the scientific community.

18 Dec 2014

Tel Aviv University study throws spotlight on gene mutation responsible for premature ovarian failure

Premature ovarian failure, also known as primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), affects 1% of all women worldwide. In most cases, the exact cause of the condition, which is often associated with infertility, is difficult to determine.

18 Dec 2014

New study finds high suicide rates among transgender veterans

Veterans of the U.S. armed forces who have received a diagnosis consistent with transgender status are more likely to have serious suicidal thoughts and plans and to attempt suicide.

18 Dec 2014

UK doctors to test cannabis-based medicine for children with severe epilepsy

Children with severe epilepsy could be helped by a new treatment derived from the cannabis plant.

18 Dec 2014

Bacterial biofilms may increase colon cancer risk

Researchers from Johns Hopkins have found that dense mats of interacting bacteria, called biofilms, were present in the majority of cancers and polyps, particularly those on the right side of the colon. The presence of these bacterial bunches, they say, may represent an increased risk for colon cancer and could form the basis of new diagnostic tests.

17 Dec 2014

Researchers use novel technique to identify microlesions in brain tissue from epileptic patients

Using an innovative technique combining genetic analysis and mathematical modeling with some basic sleuthing, researchers have identified previously undescribed microlesions in brain tissue from epileptic patients. The millimeter-sized abnormalities may explain why areas of the brain that appear normal can produce severe seizures in many children and adults with epilepsy.

17 Dec 2014

Novel technique to identify biological markers in brain development

With a unique, multi-faceted approach, researchers at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development have quantified the effect of previously unidentified anomalies in genetic expression that determine how the human brain develops from its earliest stages.

17 Dec 2014