Genetic News and Research

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Validation results of SmartChip Real-Time PCR System to be presented at CHI's conference

WaferGen Biosystems, Inc., a leading developer of state-of-the-art genetic analysis systems, today announced that WaferGen scientists will present validation results of the company's SmartChip™ Real-Time PCR System at Cambridge Healthcare Institute's 17th International Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference.

3 Feb 2010

BRAF drugs may accelerate tumour growth in cancer patients with faulty RAS gene

A team of UK scientists has made the unexpected discovery that drugs which target a well known fault in a protein called BRAF could actually fuel the progression of cancer in some cases. The findings of this study, which was jointly funded by Cancer Research UK, The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and the Wellcome Trust are published in Cell.

3 Feb 2010

Gene variants protect sexually-abused victims from alcohol dependence, says study

Exposure to severe stress early in life increases the risk of alcohol and drug addiction. Yet surprisingly, some adults sexually abused as children - and therefore at high risk for alcohol problems - carry gene variants that protect them from heavy drinking and its effects, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

3 Feb 2010

Research opens new avenues for understanding genetic basis of type 2 diabetes

Together with colleagues in Barcelona, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have generated a complete map of the areas of the genome that control which genes are "turned on" or "off."

3 Feb 2010

TGen, Horizon Discovery partner in development of novel cancer cell-lines

The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and Horizon Discovery today announced plans to develop human disease models for use in TGen's cancer research.

3 Feb 2010

Scientists are getting closer to prove how cholesterol causes heart disease

By considering molecular-level events on a broader scale, researchers now have a clearer, if more complicated, picture of how one class of immune cells goes wrong when loaded with cholesterol. The findings reported in the February 3rd issue of Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication, show that, when it comes to the development of atherosclerosis and heart disease, it's not about any one bad actor-it's about a network gone awry.

3 Feb 2010

Study could provide potential therapeutic strategies for treating prostate cancer

Prostate cancer cells are more likely to spread to other parts of the body if a specific gene quits functioning normally, according to new data from researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

3 Feb 2010

Research suggests growth factor gene plays a central role in palate development

Cleft palate has been linked to dozens of genes. During their investigation of one of these genes, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis were surprised to find that cleft palate occurs both when the gene is more active and when it is less active than normal.

3 Feb 2010

Women's metabolic disorder remains largely undiagnosed

Gail Donnelly's classmates nicknamed her "Knobby" because she was so skinny all her bones seemed to poke out from under her skin. But when Donnelly turned 27, that once knobby frame disappeared under mysteriously ballooning weight.

2 Feb 2010

Mary Ann Liebert launches Videourology journal for urologists

Videourology- is the first and only videojournal for urologists, publishing fully peer-reviewed surgical and micro-invasive video demonstrations of the latest techniques and technologies used to optimize surgical patient care.

2 Feb 2010

Medco Health Solutions acquires DNA Direct

Committed to being at the forefront of translating personalized medicine from the science to its daily practice in healthcare, Medco Health Solutions, Inc. today announced the acquisition of DNA Direct, Inc., a leader in providing guidance and decision support for genomic medicine to patients, providers, payors and employees.

2 Feb 2010

Minimally invasive living donor liver retrieval for pediatric transplant

NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital is the only medical center in the United States to offer minimally invasive liver donation for pediatric transplantation. Surgeons use a laparoscopic technique to remove a section of liver from a living donor for implantation in a pediatric patient -- typically a parent donating to their child. The innovative approach promises dramatically improved recovery for the donor.

2 Feb 2010

Extended nicotine patch therapy benefits relapsing smokers trying to quit

New research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine may help more smokers keep their New Year's resolution by helping them quit smoking. Extended use of a nicotine patch - 24 weeks versus the standard eight weeks recommended by manufacturers - boosts the number of smokers who maintain their cigarette abstinence and helps more of those who backslide into the habit while wearing the patch, according to a study which will be published in the February 2 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

2 Feb 2010

Cryogenetics invents a method for cryo-preservation of fish embryos

The Norwegian company Cryogenetics Ltd. has made a significant breakthrough by inventing a method for cryo-preservation of fish embryos down to -130° C (-202° F).

2 Feb 2010

Argonaute binds to microRNA and shuts down protein production

Johns Hopkins scientists believe they may have figured out how genetic snippets called microRNAs are able to shut down the production of some proteins.

2 Feb 2010

Gene mutation can trigger preterm births, says study

Mutation of a gene that helps protect the body from genetic instability leads to cellular and molecular changes in the pregnant uterus that trigger premature birth, according to a study appearing online Feb. 1 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

2 Feb 2010

Cardiac arrest sudden death: The seven warning signs

As Americans look to keep their fitness resolutions and increase their physical activity, Dr. Bing Liem, cardiologist and electrophysiologist at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, Calif., is hoping to raise awareness of a critical but rare heart condition: congenital malformations of the heart or vascular system, which is to blame for the majority of sudden cardiac deaths in athletes under the age of 40.

2 Feb 2010

Simple genetic test can help in detecting heart abnormalities

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic disease that causes the heart muscle to become abnormally large. It often goes undetected and, as a result, HCM has the dubious distinction of being the leading cause of sudden death in children, young adults and athletes.

2 Feb 2010

Companies may hit new anti-discrimination law when asking workers about health issues

Employers offering wellness and preventive health programs can sometimes run afoul of a new anti-discrimination law restricting their ability to ask workers about family medical histories, The Wall Street Journal reports.

2 Feb 2010

Genetic mutations may trigger suicidal behavior in depressed patients

Single mutations in genes involved with nerve cell formation and growth appear to be associated with the risk of attempting suicide among individuals with depression, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the April print issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

2 Feb 2010