Genetic News and Research

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Gene variant boosts risk of fatty liver disease

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found that individuals who carry a specific form of the gene PNPLA3 have more fat in their livers and a greater risk of developing liver inflammation.

25 Sep 2008

Sun exposure may have an anti-melanoma effect

Italian researchers have found a link between vitamin D and the risk of developing a melanoma and they say that individuals with certain variants in a vitamin D-related gene, called BsmI, may be at an increased risk of developing melanoma.

22 Sep 2008

Genetic fishing expedition yields surprising catch important to mammals

Johns Hopkins investigators report the discovery of master controllers of a gene critical to human and all mammalian development by trawling, implausibly enough, through anonymous genetic sequences using tiny zebrafish embryos.

21 Sep 2008

No such thing as a 'safe' suntan

Three review papers from leading researchers in the fields of cell biology, dermatology and epidemiology have looked closely at the effects on skin of UV radiation, including that from indoor tanning beds.

18 Sep 2008

Muscle stem cell identity confirmed

A single cell can repopulate damaged skeletal muscle in mice, say scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine, who devised a way to track the cell's fate in living animals. The research is the first to confirm that so-called satellite cells encircling muscle fibers harbor an elusive muscle stem cell.

17 Sep 2008

Genetic screening effective for initial HIV treatment

A major study from a team of researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College and Massachusetts General Hospital has found that a recent change to HIV-treatment guidelines recommending genetic screening is cost-effective under certain conditions. The new recommendation suggests conducting a genetic screening test prior to prescribing the drug abacavir, one of the preferred first-line drugs for the treatment for HIV-infected adults.

17 Sep 2008

Ethics of screening for Down Syndrome under question

A new analysis has revealed some troubling facts regarding the universally available genetic screening test for Down syndrome.

17 Sep 2008

Prostate cancer genes behave like those in embryo

Gene activity in prostate cancer is reminiscent of that in the developing fetal prostate, providing further evidence that all cancers are not equal, Johns Hopkins researchers report. The finding could help scientists investigate how to manipulate the genetic program to fight a disease whose biology remains poorly understood despite more than half a century of investigation.

16 Sep 2008

New results help predict treatment response in colorectal cancer

Genetic testing can identify a group of patients with advanced colorectal cancer who are likely to survive on average twice as long if treated with the drug cetuximab, late breaking results show.

16 Sep 2008

Migraine sufferers more at risk of deadly blood clots

According to new research migraine sufferers may be more at risk of developing deadly blood clots in their veins.

16 Sep 2008

Variations in cyclin D1 gene increase susceptibility to malignant melanoma

People who carry a particular genetic variant are at significantly increased risk of developing malignant melanoma, new research shows.

15 Sep 2008

Scientists identify kidney failure susceptibility gene

Scientists at Johns Hopkins schools of Public Health and Medicine have, for the first time, identified variants in the gene MYH9 that are associated with increased risk for non-diabetic end stage renal disease (ESRD,) which is the near-loss of kidney function leading to either dialysis of transplant. MYH9, located on the 22 chromosome, is the first gene identified for common forms of kidney disease.

15 Sep 2008

Inovio Biomedical achieves 75% complete response rate in preclinical testing of DNA-based cancer vaccine using its electroporation DNA delivery system

Inovio Biomedical Corporation announced today that it achieved positive results from its proprietary research and development program for DNA-based cancer vaccines delivered using the company's electroporation-based DNA delivery technology.

15 Sep 2008

Significant benefits in non-small-cell lung cancer from customizing erlotinib treatment

Lung cancer patients whose tumors carry specific genetic mutations can achieve significantly longer survival when treated with targeted therapies such as erlotinib, Spanish researchers report.

15 Sep 2008

Study shows high gum disease rates in rural Appalachia

Research on 445 families centered in two Pennsylvania towns and two West Virginia counties shows that 80 percent of adults suffer from more severe forms of periodontal disease, according to Richard Crout, D.M.D., Ph.D., an expert on gum disease and associate dean for research in the West Virginia University School of Dentistry.

14 Sep 2008

Scientists discover common variants in the human genome conferring risk of bladder cancer

Scientists at deCODE genetics and colleagues at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands today report the discovery of two common single-letter variants in the human genome (SNPs) that confer increased risk of urinary bladder cancer.

14 Sep 2008

BioServe introduces customizable DNA panels for genetic research

BioServe has announced a more affordable pricing plan for its vast bank of DNA with comprehensive, de-identified, covariate data that includes age, gender, diet, body mass index (BMI), and race. In addition, each sample has data on the complete diagnostic and treatment history of the donor.

14 Sep 2008

Phase I trial for new tuberculosis vaccine

This week, a new vaccine "VPM1002" has entered the clinical phase I trial in Neuss, Germany, where it is being tested for safety on voluntary subjects. VPM1002 is based on a vaccine that has been in use since 1921, and has been genetically engineered to prevent infection with tuberculosis bacteria much more effectively than its predecessor.

11 Sep 2008

Risk of breast cancer mutations underestimated for Asian women, Stanford study shows

Oncologist Allison Kurian, MD, and her colleagues at the Stanford University School of Medicine were perplexed. Computer models designed to identify women who might have dangerous genetic mutations that increase their risk of breast and ovarian cancer worked well for white women. But they seemed to be less reliable for another ethnic group.

11 Sep 2008

Genetic mutation prevents fetal malaria transmission, study says

A genetic mutation of the fetal gene sFlt1 might protect fetuses of first-time pregnant women from contracting malaria, according to a study published online Sept. 8 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, ANI/Thaindian News reports.

11 Sep 2008