Genetic News and Research

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Researchers show why mutations in a certain few genes, such as the p53 tumor suppressor gene, are found in different cancers

Scientists have identified some of the first genetic triggers for cancer as mutations in specific oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. Full-blown tumors and metastatic cancers, however, often exhibit many genetic mutations, sometimes dozens in a given tumor. An important scientific question, and one with significant clinical implications, has been what happens after the initial mutation that leads to dangerous later-stage cancers with multiple damaged genes.

13 Apr 2005

Neurologists may have foot in the door to preventing Alzheimer’s before it starts

A study led by Mayo Clinic shows for the first time that a drug appears to have a slowing effect -- though limited -- on the progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease. The findings will be published online in the New England Journal of Medicine on April 14.

13 Apr 2005

Common genetic mutation that increases the risk of inheriting Hirschsprung disease

Gene hunters at Johns Hopkins have discovered a common genetic mutation that increases the risk of inheriting a particular birth defect not by the usual route of disrupting the gene's protein-making instructions, but by altering a regulatory region of the gene. Although the condition, called Hirschsprung disease, is rare, its complex genetics mimics that of more common diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.

13 Apr 2005

Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's may be delayed

In a study of people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), those who took the drug donepezil were at reduced risk of progressing to a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) during the first year of the trial, but by the end of the 3-year study there was no benefit from the drug. Vitamin E was also tested in the study and was found to have no effect at any time point in the study when compared with placebo.

13 Apr 2005

Scientists identifiy protein that seems to control the malignant features of brain tumor cells

Scientists from Wake Forest University School of Medicine have identified a protein that seems to control the malignant features of brain tumor cells, suggesting a new treatment target for anti-cancer drugs. The research is reported in the current issue of Molecular Cancer Research.

13 Apr 2005

Black women in the US less likely to access preventative cancer treatments

A report from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia says that black women in the US with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, are far less likely to seek genetic counselling and possible testing than their white counterparts, and although the reasons for the disparity are not clear, it is suspected that mistrust of both the medical system and advice from primary physicians may be factors.

12 Apr 2005

Researchers and drug giant team up to find cure for CJD

The Medical Research Council's Prion Unit, based at University College London, a leading British research group, is joining forces with drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to develop a cure for the disease Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD).

12 Apr 2005

Ugly kids get less attention from parents

A researcher at the University of Alberta has shown that parents are more likely to give better care and pay closer attention to good-looking children compared to unattractive ones. Dr. Andrew Harrell presented his findings recently at the Warren E. Kalbach Population Conference in Edmonton, Alberta.

12 Apr 2005

New findings about insulin-signaling in the liver could prove useful in understanding type 2 diabetes

A collaborative effort led by The Burnham Institute's Gen-Sheng Feng has created a mouse with improved glucose tolerance and insulin activity in the liver, and generated new findings about insulin-signaling in the liver that could prove useful in understanding the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes.

12 Apr 2005

Levels of anti–clotting proteins influence pregancy outcomes

Recurrent miscarriage, stillbirth, preeclampsia, poor fetal growth, preterm delivery and bleeding in pregnancy are influenced by low levels of the anti–clotting proteins Z and S, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in the March issue of Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

12 Apr 2005

New medical uses for the Kunjin virus

Queensland Government scientists at the Department of Health Services have collaborated with scientists at the University of Queensland (UQ) and The Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) to discover new medical uses for the Kunjin virus.

12 Apr 2005

Cardiac stem cells come closer to clinic

The laboratory of MDA grantee Kenneth Chien at the University of California-San Diego announced in a recent issue of Nature that its researchers have discovered in the hearts of mice, rats and humans a new type of stem cell that can become a mature cardiac cell.

12 Apr 2005

Swedish team find gene with link to major diseases

In an exciting new discovery, which could affect millions of people, scientists from the Karolinska Institute and the Centre for Molecular Medicine (CMM) in Stockholm, Sweden, have identified a gene which links autoimmune diseases with cardiovascular diseases.

12 Apr 2005

Milk and meat from cloned cattle safe to eat

Scientists in the US and Japan say that milk and meat from cloned cattle appears safe for human consumption.

12 Apr 2005

New drugs help the immune system kill cancer cells

Researchers at the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR) announced today that they have discovered an effective way to enlist the immune system to help chemotherapy destroy breast cancer cells. The work, led by LIMR researchers Alexander J. Muller and George C. Prendergast, is reported in the March 2005 edition of the leading international medical journal Nature Medicine.

11 Apr 2005

Research suggests a central role for NMDA receptors in learning and memory

Learning and memory are processes that link experience with behavior and therefore play central roles in our daily experience. That there exists a physical basis for these processes seems at first hard to imagine--except for the fact that physical disruptions in the brain, such as stroke or disease, can make them go wrong.

11 Apr 2005

Fifteen-year hunt uncovers gene behind pseudothalidomide syndrome

A team of scientists from Colombia, the United States and elsewhere has successfully completed a 15-year-plus search for the genetic problems behind the very rare Roberts syndrome, whose physical manifestations often include cleft lip and palate and shortened limbs that resemble those of babies whose mothers took thalidomide during pregnancy.

11 Apr 2005

Eat like the Greeks and live longer

Researchers at the University of Athens Medical School, in a major pan-Europe study, have produced convincing evidence that a Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables and fruit and low in saturated fats can help us live longer.

10 Apr 2005

Novel human kidney protein called renalase that regulates both heart contraction and blood pressure

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System in West Haven identified a novel human kidney protein called renalase that regulates both heart contraction and blood pressure; it is a strong candidate for easily administered treatment of advanced kidney and cardiovascular disease.

10 Apr 2005

The liver may produce most of the body's good cholesterol

Research in mice suggests that the liver may produce most of the body's "good" cholesterol, an unexpected finding that might one day help scientists develop new treatments to raise levels of this heart-protecting molecule in humans.

10 Apr 2005