Genetic News and Research

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Extreme gene pin-pointed

One teenager likes to snowboard off a cliff. Another prefers to read a book and wouldn't think of trading places. Why these differences exist is a mystery, but for the first time researchers have identified a possible genetic explanation behind risk-seeking behavior.

26 Sep 2005

Researchers map genetic location that explains why certain blood pressure-lowering drugs aren't effective for some people

"The findings bring us a step closer to developing targeted therapies for patients with high blood pressure who might otherwise be started on medications that won't help," said lead author Sandosh Padmanabhan, Ph.D.

26 Sep 2005

Mutations in the gene, called PIG-A may help identify individuals at high risk for cancer

A new study to detect an elevated rate of mutations in a gene on the X chromosome holds promise for developing a test that could identify individuals at risk for developing cancer.

26 Sep 2005

Genes from both the mother and father can trigger pre-eclampsia

Pre-eclampsia is a serious condition where abnormally high blood pressure and other disturbances develop in the second half of pregnancy. It occurs in 3-5% of pregnancies and is dangerous for both mother and child.

26 Sep 2005

Possible molecular origin of at least nine human diseases of nervous system degeneration

These neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington's disease, share an abnormal deposit of proteins inside nerve cells. This deposition of protein results from a kind of genetic stutter within the cell's nucleus asking for multiple copies of the amino acid glutamine, a building block of protein structure.

26 Sep 2005

First-of-its kind atlas of the folds of the cerebral cortex

Neuroscientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have assembled a first-of-its kind atlas of the folds of the cerebral cortex, the wrinkled surface layer of the brain credited with many of the higher cognitive functions that make us human.

26 Sep 2005

Research highlights the role of viral sequence analysis in improving our overall understanding of hepatitis A cases in the U.S.

Novel use of genetic testing methods helped public health officials control and limit the further spread of four outbreaks of foodborne hepatitis A virus in 2003 related to the consumption of green onions, according to a detailed analysis published in the October 15 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online.

26 Sep 2005

Questionnaire helps identify women who have inherited genetic mutations that increase their risk for breast or ovarian cancer

A simplified way for patients to report and update their family medical histories could help identify women who have inherited genetic mutations that increase their risk for breast or ovarian cancer.

26 Sep 2005

How the vertebrate eye, as we know it, has emerged over evolutionary time

The evolution of complex and physiologically remarkable structures such as the vertebrate eye has long been a focus of intrigue and theorizing by biologists.

26 Sep 2005

Change in gene may be underlying molecular defect in some colorectal cancers

Inactivation of a DNA repair gene may be an early step in the development of sporadic colorectal tumors, and detection of the molecular basis for this inactivation may ultimately be useful in risk assessment for colorectal cancer, according to a new study in the current issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

22 Sep 2005

Definitive multiple sclerosis linkage screen

A cluster of genes on chromosome six is the only one that plays a significant role in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to the most complete genetic study to date in the disorder, presented at the 130th annual meeting of the American Neurological Association in San Diego.

22 Sep 2005

John Hopkins scientists uncover "tags" that force proteins to cell surface

Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered internal "shipping labels" that allow -- and perhaps force -- hundreds if not thousands of proteins to get to the surface of cells and stay there.

22 Sep 2005

$Genetic factors influence elderly individual's propensity to bone fractures$

Genetic factors influence elderly individual's propensity to bone fractures

The importance of genetic factors in an elderly individual's propensity to bone fractures depends on the individual's age and the type of fracture, according to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

21 Sep 2005

Eating lots of fruits and vegetables greatly reduces risk of developing pancreatic cancer

In one of the largest studies of its kind, University of California - San Francisco (UCSF) researchers have found that eating lots of fruits and vegetables - particularly vegetables - is associated with about a 50 percent reduction in the risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnose and remains largely untreatable.

21 Sep 2005

Simple organism can produce 10 trillion varieties of a single protein

A team led by University of California, San Diego biochemists has discovered the mechanism by which a simple organism can produce 10 trillion varieties of a single protein, a finding that provides a new tool to develop novel drugs.

21 Sep 2005

Increased ovarian cancer risk not linked to cancer family history

Women with a strong family history of breast cancer but who don't have breast cancer genetic mutations can now be reassured that they are not at increased risk for ovarian cancer, according to a new study by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC).

21 Sep 2005