Genetic News and Research

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Genetic basis for susceptibility to alcohol abuse confirmed

A new set of experiments in mice confirms that a brain receptor associated with the reinforcing effects of marijuana also helps to stimulate the rewarding and pleasurable effects of alcohol.

12 Sep 2005

It's pure science fiction! - human embryo to be created from two mothers

Scientists in Britain have been given permission to create a human embryo that will have genetic material from two mothers.

10 Sep 2005

Human brain still evolving, who knows what the future has to offer!

According to a team of University of Chicago scientists they have found strong evidence that the human brain is still evolving.

10 Sep 2005

Bacteria lurking in household dust produce chemicals that may trigger asthma

These bacterial chemicals, called endotoxins, particularly those found on bedroom floors, were linked with increased respiratory problems in adults.

7 Sep 2005

Testing for specific breast cancer genes unadvisable if no family history of disease exists

According to the Preventive Services Task Force in the U.S., routine testing for mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which have been linked to breast and ovarian cancer, are not advised unless women have a family history of the disease.

7 Sep 2005

Folic acid levels should be double to provide maximum protection during pregnancy

Reports say that the U.S. government decision to add folic acid to enriched grain products has reduced the incidence of two devastating birth defects. but more needs to be done.

6 Sep 2005

British Heart Foundation gene research helped by thousands of brothers and sisters

An unusual British Heart Foundation (BHF) 'DNA database' from brothers and sisters across the UK has enabled researchers to pinpoint six genetic 'hotspots' that can double the risk of developing early heart disease.

6 Sep 2005

Human embryonic stem cell lines accumulate changes in their genetic material over time

The findings do not limit the utility of the cells for some types of research or for some future clinical applications, the researchers say, but draw attention to the need to closely monitor stem cell lines for genetic changes and to study how these alterations affect the cells' behavior.

6 Sep 2005

Chinese scientists clone a goat

It was released on August 24, 2005 by Prof. Chen Dayuan (Da-Yuan Chen) from the CAS Institute of Zoology that the first success in cloning Asian Yellow Goat by nuclear transfer had recently been achieved in east China's Shandong Province.

6 Sep 2005

DNA research: learning the language of genes

Griffith University's Dr Christine Wells is one of just a handful of women scientists in the global FANTOM consortium which has announced a major breakthrough in unraveling the mammalian genome.

6 Sep 2005

Genetic hot spots double the risk of early heart disease

According to researchers in the UK there are six genetic "hotspots" that can double the risk of developing early heart disease.

6 Sep 2005

Gene B-myb essential in preventing tumors

A new study has confirmed that research done with zebrafish may be able to play a critical role in learning about the genetic basis of cancer and the mutations that can lead to it - and identified one gene in particular, B-myb, whose function is essential to preventing tumors.

5 Sep 2005

Metabolic Syndrome, a map of the cardiovascular damage

The metabolic syndrome (MS) is a cluster of metabolic abnormalities with abdominal obesity (increased waist circumference) at its centre. Although all forms of obesity have a negative impact on human health, metabolic syndrome describes a set of particularly adverse biochemical changes accompanying (abdominal) obesity.

5 Sep 2005

Genome of mammals is much more complex than previously thought

More than 100 scientists from Australia, Asia, Europe and the US have been probing the genome of the mouse in a joint study lasting several years.

5 Sep 2005

New recommendations for screening for BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations

The United States Preventive Services Task Force issues new recommendations for screening for BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations in the Sept. 6, 2005, issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

5 Sep 2005

Chernobyl: The True Scale of the Accident

A total of up to four thousand people could eventually die of radiation exposure from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) accident nearly 20 years ago, an international team of more than 100 scientists has concluded.

5 Sep 2005

Human embryonic stem cell lines accumulate changes in their genetic material over time

5 Sep 2005

Researchers discover one of the reasons why melanoma is so ruthless

About 60,000 Americans will be diagnosed with melanoma this year, says the American Cancer Society, and 10,000 of those cases will be fatal. If not caught in the early stages, melanoma can be a particularly virulent form of cancer, spreading through the body with an efficiency that few tumors possess.

5 Sep 2005

UK fertility specialist and broadcaster says embryonic stem cell research promises are hyped up

According to a well known fertility specialist and broadcaster in the UK, the promise of embryonic stem cell research has been oversold by scientists.

5 Sep 2005

Lack of exposure to dirt and common viral infections among children could be behind the rise in the levels of asthma

Scientists believe that knowing exactly which type of dirt provides the best 'education' for the immune system, could be key to providing new treatments for diseases such as asthma.

4 Sep 2005