Genetic News and Research

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Scientists decode entire genome of lyre-leaved rock cress

It would appear reasonable to assume that two closely related plant species would have similar genetic blueprints. However, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in T-bingen, working in cooperation with an international research team have now decoded, for the first time, the entire genome of the lyre-leaved rock cress (Arabidopsis lyrata), a close relative of the thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), the model plant used by geneticists.

22 Apr 2011

March of Dimes honors Whitehead Institute Director for Developmental Biology work

Whitehead Institute Director David Page has been named a recipient of the 2011 March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology. The prize honors Page's groundbreaking body of research on the human Y chromosome.

22 Apr 2011

GM-SCF therapy can reduce flu symptoms and prevent death

New research on mice has shown that pulmonary administration of granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor significantly reduces flu symptoms and prevents death after a lethal dose influenza virus.

22 Apr 2011

Two Canadian health researchers earn UBC recognition

Two of Canada's most eminent health researchers - Dr. Jacques Genest at McGill University and Dr. Michael Hayden at the University of British Columbia - have been awarded the inaugural Margolese National Brain and Heart Disorders Prizes, the most lucrative prizes bestowed by UBC.

22 Apr 2011

Genetic variation associated with MUC5B gene may increase risk of developing Pulmonary Fibrosis

A new discovery in a deadly lung disease may change the direction of research while uncovering increased risk for many patients and families. The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) and the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) applaud the efforts of scientists that led to the discovery of a genetic variation associated with the MUC5B gene which may increase the risk of developing Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF).

21 Apr 2011

Nutlin-3a molecules stimulate signal to induce cell death and senescence in brain cancer

Researchers of Apoptosis and Cancer Group of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) have found that a small molecule, Nutlin-3a, an antagonist of MDM2 protein, stimulates the signalling pathway of another protein, p53.

21 Apr 2011

Scientists explore the role of microRNA that influences obesity-related traits

Eating more n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, commonly known as omega-3 fatty acids, may help carriers of a genetic variant on the perilipin 4 (PLIN4) gene locus lose weight more efficiently.

21 Apr 2011

Penn researchers explore the role of telomere caps in human aging

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine are delving into the details of the complex structure at the ends of chromosomes.

21 Apr 2011

KellBenx secures $2.5 million from initial funding round

KellBenx, a biotechnology company focused on the development of non-invasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD) of genetic and inherited disorders, announced today that it has secured an initial funding round of $2.5 million from four investors – three biotechnology venture capital groups and one angel investor. The round will finance a clinical trial and laboratory testing of a new, minimally invasive blood test designed to identify risks to pregnancy ranging from pre-term birth to genetic conditions.

21 Apr 2011

Humans have three different gut types, finds study

In the future, when you walk into a doctor's surgery or hospital, you could be asked not just about your allergies and blood group, but also about your gut type. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, and collaborators in the international MetaHIT consortium, have found that humans have 3 different gut types.

21 Apr 2011

Scientists discover critical pathway in the brain linked to stress response

A team of neuroscientists at the University of Leicester, UK, in collaboration with researchers from Poland and Japan, has announced a breakthrough in the understanding of the 'brain chemistry' that triggers our response to highly stressful and traumatic events.

21 Apr 2011

Exposure to air pollution may alter women's DNA and cause premenopausal breast cancer

Exposure to air pollution early in life and when a woman gives birth to her first child may alter her DNA and may be associated with premenopausal breast cancer later in life, researchers at the University at Buffalo have shown.

21 Apr 2011

Genes linked to obesity may also cause poor weight loss outcomes after gastric bypass surgery

Researchers at Geisinger Health System are studying how genes may affect a patient's ability to lose weight following bariatric surgery. Highlighted in the journal Obesity, the study found that several genes that promote obesity may also result in inferior weight loss outcomes after gastric bypass surgery.

21 Apr 2011

Genetically modified mosquitoes tested to prevent spread of malaria: Study

According to the latest study in the journal Nature, researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Washington, Seattle found that after making specific genetic changes to a few mosquitoes and then allowing them to breed could eventually dramatically reduce the spread of the deadly disease malaria.

20 Apr 2011

bluebird bio announces receipt of additional $30 million in financing

bluebird bio, an emerging leader in the development of innovative gene therapies for severe genetic disorders, today announced that the company has secured an additional $30 million in financing.

20 Apr 2011

Sequencing the genomes of cancer patients help doctors decide the best course of treatment

Two new studies highlight the power of sequencing cancer patients' genomes as a diagnostic tool, helping doctors decide the best course of treatment and researchers identify new cancer susceptibility mutations that can be passed from parent to child.

20 Apr 2011

Consumers decide to use mail-in genetic tests based on rational and emotional reasons

Consumers decide whether to use mail-in genetic tests based on both rational and emotional reasons, a finding that adds to a growing body of health-care behavior research on information seeking and avoidance, according to researchers at the University of California, Riverside.

20 Apr 2011

Whole-genome sequencing could soon improve cancer survival rates

Cancer survival rates could improve soon with whole-genome sequencing, according to two studies published in the April 20, 2011, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association that describe the first clinical applications of the high-tech process in patients with cancer.

20 Apr 2011

New method allows single microchip to screen tens of thousands of genes simultaneously

RNA interference technology, which is used in cell biology, has revolutionised functional research of the gene products in the last ten years. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed a method which allows a single microchip to be used to screen the functions of tens of thousands of genes simultaneously by means of RNA interference.

20 Apr 2011

Squamous cell cancers can originate from hair follicle stem cells, finds study

Squamous cell cancers, which can occur in multiple organs in the body, can originate from hair follicle stem cells, a finding that could result in new strategies to treat and potentially prevent the disease, according to a study by researchers with UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA.

20 Apr 2011

Genetic News and Research

Scientists decode entire genome of lyre-leaved rock cress

March of Dimes honors Whitehead Institute Director for Developmental Biology work

GM-SCF therapy can reduce flu symptoms and prevent death

Two Canadian health researchers earn UBC recognition

Genetic variation associated with MUC5B gene may increase risk of developing Pulmonary Fibrosis

Nutlin-3a molecules stimulate signal to induce cell death and senescence in brain cancer

Scientists explore the role of microRNA that influences obesity-related traits

Penn researchers explore the role of telomere caps in human aging

KellBenx secures $2.5 million from initial funding round

Humans have three different gut types, finds study

Scientists discover critical pathway in the brain linked to stress response

Exposure to air pollution may alter women's DNA and cause premenopausal breast cancer

Genes linked to obesity may also cause poor weight loss outcomes after gastric bypass surgery

Genetically modified mosquitoes tested to prevent spread of malaria: Study

bluebird bio announces receipt of additional $30 million in financing

Sequencing the genomes of cancer patients help doctors decide the best course of treatment

Consumers decide to use mail-in genetic tests based on rational and emotional reasons

Whole-genome sequencing could soon improve cancer survival rates

New method allows single microchip to screen tens of thousands of genes simultaneously

Squamous cell cancers can originate from hair follicle stem cells, finds study

eBook: Using iPSCs models for human disease research and drug discovery eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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