Genetic News and Research

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Why do teeth form in a single row?

A system of opposing genetic forces determines why mammals develop a single row of teeth, while sharks sport several, according to a study published in the journal Science.

26 Feb 2009

Study examines maternal and newborn health risks and colorectal cancer

In one of the first studies to examine maternal and newborn health risks and colorectal cancer, UC Davis researchers have found that women diagnosed with the disease during or shortly after their pregnancies have the same survival as women who have the disease and are not pregnant.

26 Feb 2009

New software aids discovery of new genetic markers for diseases

Modern genotyping technologies offer new opportunities to explore how genes influence health and disease, but also present the challenge of analyzing huge amounts of genetic and clinical data.

26 Feb 2009

Novel approach to gene hunting uncovers possible new targets for Crohn's disease drugs

Discovering the different genes that contribute to a complex disease is like searching in the proverbial haystack for an unknown number of needles--some much smaller than others, often blending into the background, and many of them widely separated from each other.

26 Feb 2009

Blood clots after hip and knee replacements

As the number of hip and knee replacements skyrocket into the coming years, patients and orthopaedic surgeons need to work together to evaluate and assess a potentially fatal complication - blood clots.

26 Feb 2009

A second MND gene mutation in one year signifies rapid research progress

A collaborative research project involving Professor Christopher Shaw of the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London (KCL), Dr Tom Kwiatkowski at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Professor Robert H Brown at University of Massachusetts, has revealed that mutations in a gene called FUS (fused in sarcoma) cause familial Motor Neuron Disease (also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis).

26 Feb 2009

Discovery of gene that modifies severity of cystic fibrosis lung disease

Researchers have discovered a gene that modifies the severity of lung disease in people with the lethal genetic condition, cystic fibrosis, pointing to possible new targets for treatment, according to a new study in Nature.

25 Feb 2009

New statistical model could predict an individual's lifetime risk of stroke

Using genetic information from 569 hospital patients, the researchers showed that their predictive model could estimate an individual's overall risk of cardioembolic stroke -- the most common form of stroke -- with 86 percent accuracy. The findings are reported in the March issue of Stroke.

25 Feb 2009

Discovery of gene that modifies severity of cystic fibrosis lung disease

25 Feb 2009

Could our mother's diet at time we are conceived set the course for our future health?

This intriguing question is at the heart of a new study based on an "experiment of nature" being conducted by Wellcome Trust-funded researchers.

25 Feb 2009

PSA levels accurately predict prostate cancer risk in African-American men

PSA levels appear to be more predictive of three year prostate cancer risk in African-American men compared with Caucasian men with a family history of prostate cancer, according to a paper published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

24 Feb 2009

Scientists identify lab-made proteins that neutralize a broad range of influenza A viruses

Scientists have identified a small family of lab-made proteins that neutralize a broad range of influenza A viruses, including the H5N1 avian virus, the 1918 pandemic influenza virus and seasonal H1N1 flu viruses.

23 Feb 2009

Men who are infertile appear to have greater risk for testicular cancer

Men who are infertile appear to have an increased risk of developing testicular cancer, according to a report in the February 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine , one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

23 Feb 2009

Discovery of gene that controls the production of tooth enamel

Researchers have identified the gene that ultimately controls the production of tooth enamel, a significant advance that could some day lead to the repair of damaged enamel, a new concept in cavity prevention, and restoration or even the production of replacement teeth.

23 Feb 2009

Aneurysms do not occur earlier in second generation

People whose parents or aunts and uncles have had a brain aneurysm are more likely to have one themselves, indicating that genetic risk factors passed down by generation are responsible.

23 Feb 2009

Basis of immunity to oral thrush, common in AIDS, identified by UB researchers

Oral thrush, a hallmark symptom in AIDS patients, is caused by a type of yeast that grows unchecked in people with weakened immune systems, and appears in colonies of white patches in the mouth.

23 Feb 2009

Suppressing cancer with a master control gene

Starting with the tiny fruit fly and then moving into mice and humans, researchers at VIB and K. U. Leuven show that expression of the same gene suppresses cancer in all three organisms. Reciprocally, switching off the gene - called Ato in flies and ATOH1 in mammals - leads to cancer.

23 Feb 2009

Oxford Nanopore announces publication of DNA analysis paper

Oxford Nanopore Technologies ("Oxford Nanopore") today announced the publication of new research in Nature Nanotechnology, demonstrating accurate and continuous identification of DNA bases using nanopores.

From Oxford Nanopore Technologies 23 Feb 2009

Scientists identify lab-made proteins that neutralize multiple strains of seasonal and pandemic flu

22 Feb 2009

Mice with "superhealing" powers provide clues to treating arthritis caused by traumatic injury

A strain of laboratory mice that has "superhealing" powers has been found to resist inflammation after a knee injury, and also to avoid developing arthritis at the injury site in the long term, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

22 Feb 2009