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Abnormalities of blood vessels in the brain may play major role in development of schizophrenia

Scientists from Trinity College Dublin and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland have discovered that abnormalities of blood vessels in the brain may play a major role in the development of schizophrenia, a debilitating condition that affects around 1% of people in Ireland.

10 Oct 2017

Whitehead Institute scientists identify brain/body connection in genomic region linked to autism

For the first time, Whitehead Institute scientists have documented a direct link between deletions in two genes--fam57ba and doc2a--in zebrafish and certain brain and body traits, such as seizures, hyperactivity, enlarged head size, and obesity.

9 Oct 2017

Change in epigenetic gene regulation by imprinting can trigger preeclampsia, study shows

Preeclampsia is the most dangerous form of hypertension during a pregnancy and can be fatal for both mother and child. Though it is known to originate in the placenta, the root causes remain largely a mystery.

6 Oct 2017

Research findings can lead to new treatment for patients with fatal glandular cancer

A new combination of existing drugs has been shown to block the cancer gene behind a fatal form of glandular cancer, adenoid cystic carcinoma. The findings from the Sahlgrenska Academy can lead to new treatment for patients with this disease relatively soon.

28 Sep 2017

Pediatric researchers discover gene variants related to aggressive form of neuroblastoma

Pediatric researchers investigating the childhood cancer neuroblastoma have identified common gene variants that raise the risk of an aggressive form of that disease. The discovery may assist doctors in better diagnosing subtypes of neuroblastoma.

25 Sep 2017

Researchers discover ‘recycled’ genes in mammalian genome

One often hears about the multitude of genes we have in common with chimps, birds or other living creatures, but such comparisons are sometimes misleading. The shared percentage usually refers only to genes that encode instructions for making proteins -- while overlooking regulatory genes, which nonetheless make up a large part of the genome.

18 Sep 2017

Lesser-known gene appears to play greater role in Alzheimer's and dementia-related memory decline

The notorious genetic marker of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, ApoE4, may not be a lone wolf.

15 Sep 2017

Genome sequence cannot predict radiation resistance, say researchers

For the last two decades, researchers worldwide have been using whole genome sequencing to understand what makes cells radiation-resistant, hoping to solve an old biological mystery: why is it that one of the most radiation-resistant organisms, Deinococcus radiodurans, aka "Conan the bacterium," can survive hundreds of times more DNA damage caused by gamma rays than most other organisms? According to a study published recently in Standards of Genomic Sciences by researchers at the Uniformed Services University (USU), the amount of radiation a Deinococcus cell can survive in fact has little to do with the number and types of its DNA repair proteins.

11 Sep 2017

Researchers develop model to explore hard-to-study mutations in human genome

A team of researchers led by a bioinformatician at the University of California San Diego has developed a method to help determine whether certain hard-to-study mutations in the human genome, called short tandem repeats or microsatellites, are likely to be involved in harmful conditions.

11 Sep 2017

Penn researchers find abnormally shortened telomeres in young DMD patients’ muscle stem cells

Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have made a discovery about muscular dystrophy disorders that suggest new possibilities for treatment.

7 Sep 2017

Researchers find correlation between shorter telomeres and presence of heart failure

Each cell in the average human body contains 23 pairs of chromosomes, with four telomeres on each pair. Telomeres cover the end of the chromosome, protecting it from deterioration or fusion with adjacent chromosomes, much like the plastic tip at the end of a shoelace protects it from unraveling.

7 Sep 2017

Split-brain study using fruit fly provides better understanding of autism

A better understanding of the cause of autism may come from an unlikely source, neurological studies of the fruit fly.

6 Sep 2017

Japanese scientists uncover new genetic marker for schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a complicated disease that often appears in early adulthood. Although scientists have not traced the genetic causes, more than 80% of schizophrenia cases are considered to have a hereditary cause.

5 Sep 2017

UAB researchers reveal key role for RSF1 protein in silencing genes

A fertilized human egg develops into multiple tissues, organs and about 200 distinct cell types. Each cell type has the same genes, but they are expressed differently during development and in mature cells.

31 Aug 2017

Human ancestors responsible for transmitting ancient strains of herpesvirus, study finds

An international study of integrated HHV-6 has discovered that a small number of human ancestors, one from about 24,000 years ago, have been responsible for transmitting ancient strains of the virus to individuals today - affecting about a million people in the UK alone.

30 Aug 2017

Study sheds new light on gene fusion in bladder and brain cancer

A study by the University of Warwick sheds new light on gene fusion in bladder and brain cancer.

30 Aug 2017

Distinguishing biothreat look-alikes could aid biological surveillance

Biological "detectives" are tracking down biothreats such as the bacteria that causes tularemia ("rabbit fever"), but they constantly face the challenge of avoiding false positives.

26 Aug 2017

Scientists develop new system to identify and characterize regulatory DNA sequences

Scientists from the Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern have developed an innovative system to identify and characterize the molecular components that control the activities of regulatory DNA sequences in the human genome.

24 Aug 2017

New research suggests cell immortalization as more complicated process than originally thought

A mutation that helps make cells immortal is critical to the development of a tumor, but new research at the University of California, Berkeley suggests that becoming immortal is a more complicated process than originally thought.

18 Aug 2017

Researchers develop and validate new assay that detects gene fusions in solid tumors

An assay that identifies a peculiar but important abnormality in cancer cells has been developed and validated by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.

14 Aug 2017