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New guideline recommends genetic testing of tumors for colorectal cancer patients

Of the 143,000 patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer annually in the U.S., up to 25 percent have a familial risk of colorectal cancer. A new guideline from the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer recommends genetic testing of tumors for all newly diagnosed colorectal cancer patients.

5 Aug 2014

Researchers investigate hereditary breast cancer to find new treatment approaches

Deborah Kelly and Zhi Sheng, assistant professors at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, recently received a grant from the Commonwealth Health Research Board to investigate hereditary breast cancer, an effort that may lead to new treatment approaches.

30 Jul 2014

Genetics involved with menarche may hold keys to preventing diabetes or osteoporosis in later life

A novel study shows that the age girls reach puberty is influenced by 'imprinted genes'-a subset of genes whose activity differs depending on which parent contributes the gene.

26 Jul 2014

Age of sexual maturity is influenced by 'imprinted' genes in girls

The age at which girls reach sexual maturity is influenced by 'imprinted' genes, a small sub-set of genes whose activity differs depending on which parent passes on that gene, according to new research published today in the journal Nature.

24 Jul 2014

Understanding how some cells in the brain and nervous system turn cancerous

Scientists from the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research in New York with the help of Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry have completed research which for the first time brings us nearer to understanding how some cells in the brain and nervous system become cancerous.

23 Jul 2014

Researchers develop new single-cell technique to study environmental effects on DNA

Researchers at the BBSRC-funded Babraham Institute, in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute Single Cell Genomics Centre, have developed a powerful new single-cell technique to help investigate how the environment affects our development and the traits we inherit from our parents.

21 Jul 2014

Starvation can affect health of descendants of famished individuals

Evidence from human famines and animal studies suggests that starvation can affect the health of descendants of famished individuals. But how such an acquired trait might be transmitted from one generation to the next has not been clear.

18 Jul 2014

New study reveals how genetic defect may make people more susceptible to developing melanoma

A new study by University of Kentucky researchers shows how a genetic defect in a specific hormonal pathway may make people more susceptible to developing melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer.

16 Jul 2014

People who grow up farm with livestock better protected against inflammatory bowel diseases

New research conducted at Aarhus University has revealed that people who have grown up on a farm with livestock are only half as likely as their urban counterparts to develop the most common inflammatory bowel diseases: ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

14 Jul 2014

Hypertension medication may cause metabolic-related adverse events in older adults

Adults over 65 who have recently begun thiazide diuretics are at a greater risk for developing metabolic-related adverse events, researchers at UT-Southwestern Medical Center have found.

18 Jun 2014

Health law bumps in the road: Subsidy eligibility questions, Medi-Cal asset seizure, health literacy

Obamacare programs designed to help people are running into problems concerning how much money people have when they get covered.

17 Jun 2014

Research roundup: Hospital readmissions; researchers mistrust social media; premiums in Washington state

Reducing hospital readmissions is a major target for current quality improvement and cost-containment efforts.

16 Jun 2014

Son's vulnerability for alcohol use disorders could be shaped by father

Even before conception, a son's vulnerability for alcohol use disorders could be shaped by a father who chronically drinks to excess, according to a new animal study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

5 Jun 2014

New software tool helps identify genetic mutations linked to increased risk for cancer

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and other institutions have applied a newly developed software tool to identify genetic mutations that contribute to a person's increased risk for developing common, complex diseases, such as cancer.

31 May 2014

Tubal ligation and breastfeeding may lower risk of ovarian cancer in women with BRCA gene mutations

Breastfeeding, tubal ligation - also known as having one's "tubes tied" - and oral contraceptives may lower the risk of ovarian cancer for some women with BRCA gene mutations, according to a comprehensive analysis from a team at the University of Pennsylvania's Basser Research Center for BRCA and the Abramson Cancer Center.

15 May 2014

Findings shed light on evolutionary history of sex chromosomes

In many species, the possession of X and Y chromosomes determines whether an individual develops into a male or female.

14 May 2014

Scientists report major breakthrough in understanding molecular basis for Prader-Willi syndrome

Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have reported a major breakthrough in understanding the molecular basis for Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), perhaps the most studied among the class of diseases that involves defects in parental imprinting.

14 May 2014

Whitehead Institute scientists identify genetic cause of hemifacial microsomia

Whitehead Institute scientists have identified a genetic cause of a facial disorder known as hemifacial microsomia (HFM). The researchers find that duplication of the gene OTX2 induces HFM, the second-most common facial anomaly after cleft lip and palate.

12 May 2014

Immunoregulatory genes modulate otitis media risk

Variation in genes involved in immunity influences children’s susceptibility to developing otitis media, according to research by a US team.

28 Apr 2014

1/4 human tumor exist genetic polymorphisms linked with increased risk of cancer

In 10% of human tumors there is a family history of hereditary disease associated with mutations in identified genes. The best examples are the cases of polyps in the large intestine associated with the APC gene and breast cancer associated with BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.

11 Apr 2014