Genetic News and Research

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Birth abnormality rates could increase if proposed changes to prenatal testing go ahead

A proposed change to the type of prenatal genetic testing offered to couples in the UK could result in certain chromosome abnormalities being missed, suggests a study published online today (Thursday June 30, 2005) by The Lancet.

1 Jul 2005

New initiative to provide $600k to fund new research into Down Syndrome

Today the University of Colorado and The Anna and John J. Sie Foundation of Denver announced The Sie Family Down Syndrome Break-Through Research Initiative. The initiative will provide $600,000 in grant funds to stimulate new scientific research on Down syndrome with the aim of enhancing cognitive ability. These are the first such grants provided to CU for a specific chromosomal condition and the first nationwide specifically for Down syndrome.

1 Jul 2005

Researchers use imaging to gain better understanding of cancerous cell behaviour

Thanks to imaging and analysis techniques used by researchers at TU Delft, an international group of scientists has been able to gain more insight into the behaviour of cancerous cells.

30 Jun 2005

Protein that was thought to simply turn genes on and off now looks to be more like a cellular dimmer switch

The scientists showed for the first time that when certain parts of a protein molecule are modified - flexible, randomly structured regions believed to be only minor players in the protein world - they become important in turning genes on and off, but in a way that resembles a dimmer switch rather than an on-off switch.

30 Jun 2005

Another 10 children with polio in Indonesia

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says another ten children have contracted polio in Indonesia, which brings the number affected by the outbreak of the paralysing disease to 65.

30 Jun 2005

Map of gene control regions provides tool for understanding cells' different roles

In another step to decipher information in the human genome, scientists have discovered the location and sequence of over 10,000 DNA regions that function as genetic on-off switches, or "promoters" in human fibroblasts.

29 Jun 2005

Myriad Genetics issued new patent under license

Myriad Genetics has announced the issuance of Patent No. 6,911,466 entitled, "AB42 Lowering Agents". Myriad holds exclusive rights to the patent under a licensing agreement with Mayo Clinic. The patent covers methods of using a broad class of compounds known as selective amyloid beta 42 lowering agents (SALAs) to lower levels of the toxic peptide.

29 Jun 2005

Rain forest tree gives new hope for psoriasis sufferers

A team of scientists at University of Newcastle upon Tyne have discovered that an ointment, dithranol, used to soothe psoriasis actually kills the cells that cause the problem.

29 Jun 2005

Saturated fats combined with genetic trait may make people more susceptible to type 2 diabetes

A University of Alberta team of researchers has discovered an additional 2 million Canadians who have a high fat diet or are overweight may be at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes if they carry a particular type of common specific genetic trait known as a polymorphism.

29 Jun 2005

Exercise helps find genetic regions linked to prediabetes

People's bodies respond to exercise in different ways, and their genetic makeup is partly responsible.

28 Jun 2005

Parents whose children are born with a low birth weight run greater risk of dying of cardiovascular diseases

Even the fathers are at greater risk. These findings are published in a new report by Karolinska Institutet. The report shows that genetic factors affect both birth weight and the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

28 Jun 2005

Multi-million pound Grand Challenge grants to tackle TB and malaria in the developing world

UK scientists are to help tackle TB and malaria in the developing world through their leadership of two major international research projects.

28 Jun 2005

Vaccine against Lassa fever works in monkeys

Scientists say that a genetically engineered virus may possibly offer the first effective vaccine against Lassa fever.

28 Jun 2005

Don't sunbathe to avoid prostate cancer, take a pill instead

According to a recent study spending long periods in the sun may significantly reduce a man's risk of prostate cancer.

28 Jun 2005

Adult, or post-natal, stem cells have the same ability as embryonic stem cells to multiply

In a ground-breaking study, scientists at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh have discovered that adult, or post-natal, stem cells have the same ability as embryonic stem cells to multiply, a previously unknown characteristic indicating that post-natal stem cells may play an important therapeutic role.

27 Jun 2005

New clues about the location of genes potentially involved in the most common type of lung cancer

Using technology that makes it possible to zoom in on smaller sections of cell chromosomes than ever before, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have identified nearly 100 chromosome regions where genes are either over-copied or missing in non-small cell lung cancer.

27 Jun 2005

Scientists solve structure of a critical innate immune system protein

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have solved the structure of a crucial human immune system molecule called TLR3, an acronym for Toll-like receptor three. In an upcoming issue of the journal Science, the protein is described as a large horseshoe-shaped coil composed of 23 leucine-rich repeats (LRRs).

27 Jun 2005

Genetic News and Research

Birth abnormality rates could increase if proposed changes to prenatal testing go ahead

New initiative to provide $600k to fund new research into Down Syndrome

Researchers use imaging to gain better understanding of cancerous cell behaviour

Protein that was thought to simply turn genes on and off now looks to be more like a cellular dimmer switch

Another 10 children with polio in Indonesia

Map of gene control regions provides tool for understanding cells' different roles

Myriad Genetics issued new patent under license

Rain forest tree gives new hope for psoriasis sufferers

Saturated fats combined with genetic trait may make people more susceptible to type 2 diabetes

Exercise helps find genetic regions linked to prediabetes

Parents whose children are born with a low birth weight run greater risk of dying of cardiovascular diseases

Multi-million pound Grand Challenge grants to tackle TB and malaria in the developing world

Vaccine against Lassa fever works in monkeys

Don't sunbathe to avoid prostate cancer, take a pill instead

Adult, or post-natal, stem cells have the same ability as embryonic stem cells to multiply

New clues about the location of genes potentially involved in the most common type of lung cancer

Scientists solve structure of a critical innate immune system protein

Technique called phylogenetic footprinting reveals new gene regulation system

Adult, or post-natal, stem cells have the same ability as embryonic stem cells to multiply

OHSU scientists say low FOXP3 means fewer disease-fighting cells, but new drug may help multiple sclerosis

Sequencing & Genomics: Elevating Science and Healthcare eBook

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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