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Patients with NK/T-cell lymphomas might benefit from treatment with JAK inhibitors

A substantial proportion of NK/T-cell lymphomas harbor Janus Kinase 3 gene mutations. Patients with these lymphomas might benefit from treatment with a Janus Kinase inhibitor according to a study published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

16 Jun 2012

Researchers identify three sets of genetic markers linked with CNS PNET

Researchers at The University of Nottingham have identified three sets of genetic markers that could potentially pave the way for new diagnostic tools for a deadly type of brain tumour that mainly targets children.

16 Jun 2012

Study identifies new genetic factor associated with lean diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is popularly associated with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. However, just as there are obese people without type 2 diabetes, there are lean people with the disease.

15 Jun 2012

Drug shows promise as skin cancer treatment

A new drug for a type of skin cancer caused by a rare genetic disease can not only substantially shrink the tumors, but can also prevent the growth of new cancers, US investigators have discovered.

15 Jun 2012

Emotion perception impaired in patients at risk for psychosis

Patients at ultra-high risk for psychosis, as well as those with first-episode schizophrenia, show significant impairments in facial and vocal emotion recognition, researchers report.

15 Jun 2012

Parents not totally responsible for child’s eyesight

Research from Guangzhou, China shows that a high proportion of children with myopia do not have highly myopic parents, indicating that environmental as well as genetic factors contribute to the development of the eye condition.

15 Jun 2012

Research examines link between metabolic syndrome and cognitive disorders

No effective treatments are currently available for the prevention or cure of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most frequent form of dementia in the elderly. The most recognized risk factors, advancing age and having the apolipoprotein E Ɛ4 gene, cannot be modified or treated. Increasingly, scientists are looking toward other risk factors to identify preventive and therapeutic strategies.

15 Jun 2012

New U-M hESC lines now available for federally-funded research

Six new human embryonic stem cell lines derived at the University of Michigan have just been placed on the U.S. National Institutes of Health's registry, making the cells available for federally-funded research.

15 Jun 2012

First U.S. population prevalence study of mutations in the gene that causes fragile X

The first U.S. population prevalence study of mutations in the gene that causes fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited form of intellectual disability, suggests the mutation in the gene - and its associated health risks - may be more common than previously believed.

15 Jun 2012

Study: Quirky fruit fly gene can help develop new weapons against cancer

Loyola University Chicago researchers are taking advantage of a quirk in the evolution of fruit fly genes to help develop new weapons against cancer.

15 Jun 2012

No evidence for inherited addictive behavior

Dr. Stanton Peele's extensive research concludes that there is no evidence that biological or genetic mechanisms have been identified for addictive behavior or that addictive behavior is therefore inherited. The inherited addiction gene theory is widely used by the majority of alcohol and drug rehab programs, but Peele's research reveals that addiction is just too complicated to be contained within a simple inherited gene.

15 Jun 2012

Study reveals molecular link between aging and cancer

It has long been known that cancer is a disease of aging, but a molecular link between the two has remained elusive.

15 Jun 2012

Folic acid taken during first month of pregnancy reduces risk of autism in children

A new study by researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute suggests that women who consume the recommended daily dosage of folic acid, the synthetic form of folate or vitamin B-9, during the first month of pregnancy may have a reduced risk of having a child with autism.

15 Jun 2012

Third Rock Ventures announces formation of Global Blood Therapeutics

Third Rock Ventures, LLC today announced the formation of Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc. and its $40.7 million Series A financing of the company.

15 Jun 2012

Dietitians now have access to simple genetic test kit from Nutrigenomix

The one-size-fits-all approach to nutritional counselling includes basic advice to eat more whole grains and cut back on sodium. While this guidance is certainly appropriate, it doesn't take into account that these universal nutrition recommendations are not equally useful for every person.

15 Jun 2012

Potential predictor of fast PD progression identified

The identification of genetic variants of the α-synuclein gene may help to predict which individuals with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease are likely to experience fast progression of motor symptoms, according to findings from a US-based genetic study.

14 Jun 2012

First inventory of microbial diversity in the world's oceans

The landmark publication this week of a "map" of the bacterial make-up of healthy humans has deep roots in an unexpected place: the ocean.

14 Jun 2012

Western-style diets may increase risk of inflammatory bowel disease

Certain saturated fats that are common in the modern Western diet can initiate a chain of events leading to complex immune disorders such as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in people with a genetic predisposition, according to a study to be published early online in the journal Nature.

14 Jun 2012

Cancers often recur after treatment with single drugs that “target” tumor cells’ genetic pathways

Targeted cancer cell therapies using man-made proteins dramatically shrink many tumors in the first few months of treatment, but new research from Johns Hopkins scientists finds why the cells all too often become resistant, the treatment stops working, and the disease returns.

14 Jun 2012

Exome sequencing may also improve diagnoses and guide individual patient care

In the June 13 issue of Science Translational Medicine, an international team led by researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine reports that the new technology of exome sequencing is not only a promising method for identifying disease-causing genes, but may also improve diagnoses and guide individual patient care.

14 Jun 2012