Genetic News and Research

RSS

Scientists mimic dyskeratosis congenita through study of undifferentiated iPS cells

A rare genetic disease called dyskeratosis congenita, caused by the rapid shortening of telomeres, can be mimicked through the study of undifferentiated induced pluripotent stem cells, according to new findings from the Stanford University School of Medicine.

24 May 2011

Loss of elasticity and protein breakdown cause pelvic organ prolapse

A gynecologist and a molecular biologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center have collaborated to show for the first time that pelvic organ prolapse - a condition in which the uterus, bladder or vagina protrude from the body - is caused by a combination of a loss of elasticity and a breakdown of proteins in the vaginal wall.

24 May 2011

Some African descent men may have higher genetic risk of developing prostate cancer

Some men of African descent may have a higher genetic risk of developing prostate cancer, according to research conducted at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

24 May 2011

Novel hepatitis C-like virus discovered in dogs

In a study to be published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers report the discovery of a novel hepatitis C-like virus in dogs. The identification and characterization of this virus gives scientists new insights into how hepatitis C in humans may have evolved and provides scientists renewed hope to develop a model system to study how it causes disease.

24 May 2011

Variant of obesity gene may increase breast cancer risk

New research aimed to better identify the genetic factors that lead to breast cancer has uncovered a link between the fat mass and obesity associated gene and a higher incidence of breast cancer.

24 May 2011

Scientists discover genetic regions that affect severity of cystic fibrosis

A team of international researchers, including Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, have discovered regions of the genome that affect the severity of the genetic disease cystic fibrosis, the most common lethal genetic disease affecting children in North America.

24 May 2011

African-Americans with multiple sclerosis have lower vitamin D levels

African-Americans who have multiple sclerosis have lower vitamin D levels than African-Americans who don't have the disease, according to a study published in the May 24, 2011, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

24 May 2011

Infertility centers under scrutiny

Private infertility treatment centers in Britain are set to come under increased scrutiny. These centers have come under scrutiny for exploiting vulnerable couples with their high fees and exaggerated success story claims.

23 May 2011

New genetic testing technology for IVG embryos

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have devised a new technique, which helps couples that are affected by or are carriers of genetic diseases have in vitro fertilized babies free of both the disease in question and other chromosomal abnormalities. The results were reported in the April issue of Fertility and Sterility.

23 May 2011

Scientists find new drug target in breast cancer

Researchers have identified a new protein involved in the development of drug resistance in breast cancer which could be a target for new treatments, they report today in the journal Nature Medicine.

23 May 2011

Sangamo announces presentations of ZFP Therapeutics data at ASGCT 2011

Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. announced today that data from clinical, preclinical and research-stage programs focused on the development of zinc finger DNA-binding protein Therapeutics were described in twenty presentations given by Sangamo scientists and collaborators at the 14th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy.

23 May 2011

New technique can detect minute traces of tumoral DNA in biological fluids

It will perhaps be possible, in the near future, to detect cancer by a simple blood or urine test. In fact, biologists from CNRS, Inserm, Paris Descartes and Strasbourg universities have developed a technique capable of detecting minute traces of tumoral DNA present in the biological fluids of patients suffering from cancer.

23 May 2011

Researchers discover new genes that influence severity of cystic fibrosis

Johns Hopkins Institute for Genetic Medicine researchers working as part of the North American Cystic Fibrosis Consortium have discovered two regions of the genome that affect the severity of cystic fibrosis, a genetic condition that causes scarring throughout the body, affecting most notably the pancreas and lungs.

23 May 2011

New insights into bone diseases

A study by researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and collaborators at other institutions has provided new insights into the means by which bone cells produce new bone in response to mechanical stresses, such as exercise.

23 May 2011

Researchers identify new drug resistant protein in breast cancer

Researchers have identified a new protein involved in the development of drug resistance in breast cancer which could be a target for new treatments, they report today in the journal Nature Medicine.

23 May 2011

NIH allocated $400 million funding for pain research in 2010

An unprecedented level of federal funding for pain research, some $400 million, was allocated in 2010 by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through provisions of the American Recovery and Investment Act and the Affordable Care Act to help accelerate advances in pain research, prevention and treatment.

21 May 2011

Salk researchers successfully edit diseased gene in patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells

In principle, genetic engineering is simple, but in practice, replacing a faulty gene with a healthy copy is anything but. Using mutated versions of the lamin A gene as an example to demonstrate the versatility of their virus-based approach, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies successfully edited a diseased gene in patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells as well as adult stem cells.

21 May 2011

Golden Helix integrates CMC and KBAC methods of analyzing rare DNA sequence variants in SVS product

Though two of the best-known methods for analyzing rare variants in sequencing data were published in 2008 and 2010, they have never been available to the public as a supported package.

21 May 2011

Roundup: Kan. exchange blueprint coming soon; 'Most favored nation' ban passes in Conn.; Anti-fraud repeal in Calif.

In a few months, the Kansas Insurance Department is expected to release a blueprint for how a health insurance exchange might work. "We still have a lot of work to do but, so far, the process has been going really, really well," said Linda Sheppard, head of the insurance department's accident and health accident and health division.

21 May 2011

Editorial boards, columnists have lots to say about Gingrich and Medicare

Newt Gingrich was right — the first time. The former House speaker and current presidential candidate has retreated under a barrage of criticism, but he had two things to say on NBC's "Meet The Press" that were correct even if politically ill-advised.

21 May 2011