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Cannabis use and schizophrenia ‘share genetic risk’

Variants of genes that predispose people to developing schizophrenia also predispose them to using cannabis, a study of more than 2000 people has found.

3 Jul 2014

Researchers break new ground in understanding what causes autism

In a collaboration involving 13 institutions around the world, researchers have broken new ground in understanding what causes autism. The results are being published in Cell magazine July 3, 2014: "Disruptive CHD8 Mutations Define a Subtype of Autism in Early Development."

3 Jul 2014

Screening genetically susceptible infants can help detect celiac disease at a very early age

Physicians from the University of Colorado School of Medicine in collaboration with an international team of researchers have demonstrated that screening of genetically susceptible infants can lead to the diagnosis of celiac disease at a very early age.

3 Jul 2014

Researchers discover how metal beryllium triggers deadly immune response in the lungs

Using exquisitely detailed maps of molecular shapes and the electrical charges surrounding them, researchers at National Jewish Health have discovered how the metal beryllium triggers a deadly immune response in the lungs.

3 Jul 2014

Persons with reduced levels of TREM2 protein at greater risk for neurodegenerative diseases

Persons with reduced levels of the TREM2 protein could be at greater risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease or frontotemporal dementia, according to an international study which included the participation of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute.

3 Jul 2014

FDA grants Fast Track designation to Akashi Therapeutics' HT-100 for treatment of DMD

Akashi Therapeutics, Inc., announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Fast Track designation to the company's most advanced product candidate, HT-100 (delayed-release halofuginone), an orally available, small molecule drug candidate intended to reduce fibrosis and inflammation and promote healthy muscle regeneration in boys with DMD.

3 Jul 2014

Researchers identify genetic mutation that may cause parkinsonism in young people

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen and the Copenhagen University Hospital have identified a particular genetic mutation that may cause parkinsonism in young people. The mutation interferes with the brain's transport of the important signal substance dopamine and may also plays a role in mental diseases, e.g. ADHD.

3 Jul 2014

Group that once supported healthier school lunches has about-face

The School Nutrition Association now says the new rules are too costly. Meanwhile, NPR looks at the difficulties for employers to deal with workers' weight problems and the increasing number of obese seniors.

3 Jul 2014

Cyclin D protein activates key tumor suppressor

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say a protein essential to regulating cell cycle progression - the process of cell division and replication - activates a key tumor suppressor, rather than inactivating it as previously thought.

3 Jul 2014

Findings provide new insights into the basic biology of stem cells

A team of researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University and Salk Institute for Biological Studies has shown for the first time that stem cells created using different methods produce differing cells.

3 Jul 2014

Study reveals mechanism underlying abnormal fat accumulation in HIV patients

Building upon their earlier research on the biology of fat metabolism, Joslin scientists discovered that microRNAs -small RNA molecules that play important roles in regulation in many types of tissue - play a major role in the distribution and determination of fat cells and whole body metabolism.

3 Jul 2014

Lung cancer patients could benefit from new 'QTA' technique

Lung cancer patients could receive more precise treatment, and their progress could be better tracked, using a new high-tech method of non-invasive medical imaging analysis, according to a study published today by the journal PLOS ONE.

3 Jul 2014

Studies show increased risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension in egg donation patients

With an ever-ageing female patient population, egg donation is an increasingly common treatment in infertility. ESHRE's own annual reports on fertility treatments in Europe show a rise in egg donation cycles from 15,028 in 2007 to 24,517 in 2010 (to 4.05% of all treatments). This proportion is still some way behind the USA, where egg donation now accounts for around 12% of all treatments.

2 Jul 2014

Scientists discover 23 new genes linked to heart rhythm

The QT interval is part of the heart's electrical cycle as measured by ECG, and represents the electrical depolarization and repolarization of the ventricles. Lengthened intervals indicate dysfunction in the heart beat and are liable to lead to a five-fold increase in the risk of sudden death from heart failure.

2 Jul 2014

New gene therapy for Acute Intermittent Porphyria

Angeles suffers from a severe and rare genetic disease called Acute Intermittent Porphyria (AIP). This means, one of her genes restrains her liver to produce a specific protein needed for the metabolism of the blood. During an AIP attack Angeles usually feels intense abdominal pain, and her mental status changes. Women live at an increased risk to trigger the symptoms, because porphyria is related to the menstrual cycle.

2 Jul 2014

Research on inflammasomes lays foundations for developing new RA treatments

Patients with more or less severe forms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may have the same painful symptoms, but does this mean that the cause of their illness is the same? And therefore that they should all receive the same treatment? Scientists at VIB and Ghent University have demonstrated with their research into inflammasomes that RA should be considered as a syndrome rather than a single disease.

2 Jul 2014

Exome sequencing improves diagnosis of mitochondrial disease

Use of exome sequencing improved the ability to identify the underlying gene mutations in patients with biochemically defined defects affecting multiple mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes (enzymes that are involved in basic energy production), according to a study in the July 2 issue of JAMA.

2 Jul 2014

CHOP study: Children with specific gene variants may require higher doses of pain-control drugs

In the first genome-wide analysis of postsurgical pain in children, pediatric researchers identified variations in genes that affect a child's need for pain-control drugs. The findings suggest that at some point physicians may calibrate pain-medication dosages according to a child's individual genetic makeup.

2 Jul 2014

Mayo Clinic researchers uncover 31 genes key to clear cell renal cell carcinoma

A genomic analysis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), the most common form of kidney cancer, from 72 patients has uncovered 31 genes that are key to development, growth and spread of the cancer, say researchers from Mayo Clinic in Florida.

2 Jul 2014

NEI researchers describe functions of gene responsible for anchoring cilia

Researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI) have described the functions of a gene responsible for anchoring cilia - sensory hair-like extensions present on almost every cell of the body.

2 Jul 2014