Genetic News and Research

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Pretreatment with FDA-approved drug allows successful pregnancies in radiation-exposed rhesus monkeys

A strategy developed by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers to shield the ovaries of female mammals from the damaging effects of radiation and chemotherapy has passed an important milestone. A collaborative study with investigators from Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU), published online in the journal Fertility and Sterility, reports that brief preexposure of the ovaries to an FDA-approved agent called FTY720 preserved the fertility of female rhesus monkeys exposed to potentially lethal doses of radiation.

23 Feb 2011

The King's Speech earns praise for calling attention to stuttering

A movie about a British monarch who ruled his country more than a half-century ago is finding an unusual resonance for millions of Americans who stutter.

23 Feb 2011

UT Southwestern Medical Center launches new multidisciplinary abdominal wall surgery program

A 2002 auto accident started Rex Smith down a dark and difficult road. The collision perforated his colon, requiring multiple surgeries that subsequently weakened his abdominal muscles until they could no longer hold in internal organs.

23 Feb 2011

New DNA technology to study cystic fibrosis 'superbug' during infection

The bacterium, called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is the most common cause of persistent and fatal lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients. Scientists at Liverpool identified a particularly virulent strain of the bacteria that is transmissible between patients. The Liverpool Epidemic Strain (LES), referred to as a cystic fibrosis 'superbug', can cause aggressive infection and results in progressive lung decline.

23 Feb 2011

Mechanism of cancer treatment related to infertility in women

Chemotherapeutic agents, used in cancer treatment, destroy not only cancer cells but also healthy cells, thus affecting germ cells as well. Consequently, after surviving cancer many female patients are confronted with the diagnosis: infertility. For a long time a relationship between infertility and chemotherapeutic agents has been assumed, but until now, the exact mechanism was not known.

23 Feb 2011

Researchers discover biological pathway that alters normal cells into aggressive tumors

A biological pathway that transforms normal cells into aggressive tumors has been discovered by researchers at Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute.

23 Feb 2011

Researchers to explore genomes of childhood cancers

In a project supported by Genome BC, a Vancouver pediatric pathologist at the BC Cancer Agency/University of British Columbia is leading the team that will explore the genomes of four of the most challenging childhood cancers known.

23 Feb 2011

New DNA microarray detects genetic changes differentiating cancer patients from healthy individuals

A group of researchers led by scientists from the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech have developed a new technology that detects distinct genetic changes differentiating cancer patients from healthy individuals and could serve as a future cancer predisposition test.

23 Feb 2011

Study: Antibody-directed chemotherapy may be effective for majority of younger AML sufferers

Antibody-directed chemotherapy offers improved survival to particular sub-groups of leukaemia sufferers, a Cardiff University-led study has found.

23 Feb 2011

CAMH introduces mobile research lab to study mental health, addictions in communities across Ontario

Today, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health launched Canada's first mobile research laboratory to study mental health and addictions in communities across Ontario.

23 Feb 2011

Gilead Sciences signs definitive agreement to acquire Calistoga for $375 million

Gilead Sciences, Inc. and Calistoga Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately-held biotechnology company focused on the development of medicines to treat cancer and inflammatory diseases, today announced the signing of a definitive agreement pursuant to which Gilead will acquire Calistoga for $375 million.

22 Feb 2011

Why are Chlamydia and HPV major public health problems?

Chlamydia trachomatis is a bacterium that is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in Europe. Rates in sexually active young people are commonly between 5% and 10%. The number of diagnosed cases is increasing in many European countries, in part due to increased testing and the use of more sensitive tests.

22 Feb 2011

Noninvasive test to evaluate risk of ASD in infants

A computational physicist and a cognitive neuroscientist at Children's Hospital Boston have come up with the beginnings of a noninvasive test to evaluate an infant's autism risk.

22 Feb 2011

Mutated cancer pathway studies identify therapeutic targets for congenital heart disease

Cross-disciplinary teams of scientists studying genetic pathways that are mutated in many forms of cancer, but which also cause certain forms of congenital heart disease - including hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart muscle that is the leading cause of sudden death in children and young adults -, have introduced these mutations into mice and successfully treated HCM in the lab.

22 Feb 2011

Experimental vaccine appears to protect against pneumonia

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have developed an experimental vaccine that appears to protect against an increasingly common and particularly deadly form of pneumococcal pneumonia. Details of the new vaccine, which was tested in an animal model, are reported in a paper published today in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

22 Feb 2011

New study: Rapamycin reverses cardiac muscle damage in LEOPARD syndrome mouse model

Congenital heart diseases affect approximately one in 100 patients, making them the most common type of birth defect and the number-one cause of pediatric deaths.

21 Feb 2011

Scientists identify new cellular mechanism underlying hydronephrosis

One of the most common congenital defects in humans - it is detected in approximately 0.5% of fetuses analyzed by routine antenatal sonography - is a kidney abnormality known as hydronephrosis. Hydronephrosis arises because the flow of urine from the kidney to the bladder is impeded.

21 Feb 2011

International study shows reprogramming cells lead to genomic aberrations

It's a discordant note in the symphony of good news that usually accompanies stem cell research announcements. Stem cells hold enormous promise in regenerative medicine, thanks to their ability to regenerate diseased or damaged tissues.

21 Feb 2011

Swedish scientist: Social, physical and mental activities can minimize risk of dementia

As the average life span becomes longer, dementia becomes more common. Swedish scientist Laura Fratiglioni has shown that everyone can minimize his or her risk of being affected. Factors from blood pressure and weight to the degree of physical and mental activity can influence cognitive functioning as one gets older.

21 Feb 2011

Experts caution against dangers of inflated expectations of genomic medicine

In the ten years since the human genetic code was mapped, expectations among scientists, health care industry, policy makers, and the public have remained high concerning the promise of genomics research for improving health.

19 Feb 2011

Genetic News and Research

Pretreatment with FDA-approved drug allows successful pregnancies in radiation-exposed rhesus monkeys

The King's Speech earns praise for calling attention to stuttering

UT Southwestern Medical Center launches new multidisciplinary abdominal wall surgery program

New DNA technology to study cystic fibrosis 'superbug' during infection

Mechanism of cancer treatment related to infertility in women

Researchers discover biological pathway that alters normal cells into aggressive tumors

Researchers to explore genomes of childhood cancers

New DNA microarray detects genetic changes differentiating cancer patients from healthy individuals

Study: Antibody-directed chemotherapy may be effective for majority of younger AML sufferers

CAMH introduces mobile research lab to study mental health, addictions in communities across Ontario

Gilead Sciences signs definitive agreement to acquire Calistoga for $375 million

Why are Chlamydia and HPV major public health problems?

Noninvasive test to evaluate risk of ASD in infants

Mutated cancer pathway studies identify therapeutic targets for congenital heart disease

Experimental vaccine appears to protect against pneumonia

New study: Rapamycin reverses cardiac muscle damage in LEOPARD syndrome mouse model

Scientists identify new cellular mechanism underlying hydronephrosis

International study shows reprogramming cells lead to genomic aberrations

Swedish scientist: Social, physical and mental activities can minimize risk of dementia

Experts caution against dangers of inflated expectations of genomic medicine

Genetics & Genomics - Second Edition 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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