Genetic News and Research

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Scientists grow hair on bald mice

Japanese researchers have successfully regrown hair on a bald mouse. This could mean hair related solutions for many men and women with baldness in future.

22 Apr 2012

23andMe, Khan Academy partner to celebrate DNA Day

To celebrate DNA Day, Khan Academy, the world's online classroom, and 23andMe, a leading personal genetics company, are working together to promote the importance of genetics education. 23andMe's Genetics 101 and Human Prehistory 101 video series are now available on KhanAcademy.org.

21 Apr 2012

Study pinpoints mechanism by which spindle checkpoint proteins bind chromosomes

The development of more effective cancer drugs could be a step nearer thanks to the discovery, by scientists at Warwick Medical School, of how an inbuilt 'security check' operates to guarantee cells divide with the correct number of chromosomes.

21 Apr 2012

Researchers uncover 22 new genes linked with autism, other neurodevelopmental disorders

When chromosomes replicate, sometimes there is an exchange of genetic material within a chromosome or between two or more chromosomes without a significant loss of genetic material. This exchange, known as a balanced chromosomal abnormality (BCA), can cause rearrangements in the genetic code.

21 Apr 2012

Researchers discover novel genetic mechanism of idiopathic CD4 lymphopenia

Researchers at National Jewish Health have discovered a novel genetic mechanism of immune deficiency. Magdalena M. Gorska, MD, PhD, and Rafeul Alam, MD, PhD, identified a mutation in Unc119 that causes immunodeficiency known as idiopathic CD4 lymphopenia.

21 Apr 2012

LifeMap Sciences, BioTime to acquire XenneX

BioTime, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary LifeMap Sciences today announced that they have signed a definitive agreement to acquire XenneX, Inc. through a merger of XenneX into LifeMap Sciences. The acquisition is expected to close within thirty days.

21 Apr 2012

Possibility to render cancer tumours harmless without affecting other cells

New research findings show how it may be possible to render cancer tumours harmless without affecting the other cells and tissues in the body. The findings apply to cancers including breast, lung and bowel cancer. The study was carried out at Lund University in Sweden.

20 Apr 2012

Chinese scientists make significant breakthrough in animal cloning

Chinese scientists from BGI, the world's largest genomics organization, together with the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and Shihezi University, Xinjiang province, made a significant breakthrough in animal cloning.

20 Apr 2012

Rare CARD14 gene mutations can lead to plaque psoriasis

Scientists led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified the first gene directly linked to the most common form of psoriasis, a chronic skin condition.

20 Apr 2012

Cholesterol may slow or stop cancer cell growth

A Simon Fraser University researcher is among four scientists who argue that cholesterol may slow or stop cancer cell growth. They describe how cholesterol-binding proteins called ORPs may control cell growth in A Detour for Yeast Oxysterol Binding Proteins, a paper published in the latest issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

20 Apr 2012

Clinical study to evaluate high-dose vitamin D supplements for MS

Doctors at several centers across the U.S. are recruiting people who have multiple sclerosis (MS) to determine the effectiveness of high-dose vitamin D supplements for reducing MS disease activity.

20 Apr 2012

Breast cancer treatment and classification revolutionized in landmark study

Breast cancer treatment could be revolutionized with patients offered more accurate diagnoses and better-targeted treatments after a study in which scientists genetically charted the disease. The research found that rather than being a single disease, breast cancer can be classified into 10 distinct types. It also identified several new genes that determine the aggressiveness of the cancer.

19 Apr 2012

Merkin Family Foundation pledges new commitment to the Broad Institute

The Merkin Family Foundation today announced a commitment to the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT to establish the Merkin Institute Fellows, a program that will support some of the most promising and ambitious scientists pursuing bold research at the Broad Institute.

19 Apr 2012

New studies on personalized lung cancer treatment presented at 3rd ELCC

Several new studies that may help doctors tailor lung cancer treatment to the characteristics of individual patients and of their tumors are being presented at the 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference in Geneva.

19 Apr 2012

New techniques show promise in detecting early-stage lung cancer

New techniques for identifying lung cancer earlier -including a new type of chest screening, a nanotech 'nose' and a method to examine the cells of the cheek-- are showing substantial promise, according to presentations at the 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC) in Geneva.

19 Apr 2012

GSK, Epizyme and Constellation to develop next generation of epigenetic drugs for cancer

Scientific insights that expand on the teachings of Mendel, Watson and Crick, and underpinnings of the Human Genome Project are moving drug companies along the path to development of new medicines based on deeper insights into how factors other than the genetic code influence health and disease. That's the topic of the cover story in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society.

19 Apr 2012

North American scientists to explore genetic markers for autism

A medical researcher at the University of Alberta is working with scientists from across North America to find out if there are genetic markers for autism. More than 15 scientists will examine DNA samples from children with autism and their infant siblings to see if the siblings are at high risk.

19 Apr 2012

First neurobiological model for third-party punishment

In a paper published online on April 15 by the journal Nature Neuroscience, a pair of neuroscientists from Vanderbilt and Harvard universities has proposed the first neurobiological model for third-party punishment. It outlines a collection of potential cognitive and brain processes that evolutionary pressures could have re-purposed to make this behavior possible.

19 Apr 2012

Fluorescent fish shows oestrogenic chemicals’ impact on human body

Understanding the damage that pollution causes to both wildlife and human health is set to become much easier thanks to a new green-glowing zebrafish. Created by a team from the University of Exeter, the fish makes it easier than ever before to see where in the body environmental chemicals act and how they affect health.

19 Apr 2012

Myomatrix 2012 conference to take place from April 22-24

The nation's leading scientists and clinicians exploring treatment breakthroughs for congenital muscular dystrophy will convene April 22-24 on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno, where research by Dean Burkin has led to a potential therapy.

19 Apr 2012