Inherit News and Research

RSS

USC scientists unlock mystery of why new cases of Noonan Syndrome are so common

Scientists at USC have unlocked the mystery of why new cases of the genetic disease Noonan Syndrome are so common: a mutation that causes the disease disproportionately increases a normal father's production of sperm carrying the disease trait.

10 Jun 2013

Obese mothers can make impact on birth weight, diabetes risk of grandchildren: Study

Health problems linked to obesity - like heart disease and diabetes - could skip an entire generation, a new study suggests.

6 Jun 2013

Common foot disorders are inherited, says Framingham Foot Study

A novel study reports that white men and women of European descent inherit common foot disorders, such as bunions (hallux valgus) and lesser toe deformities, including hammer or claw toe.

20 May 2013

Women with family history of cancer need to have proper counseling, testing

In the wake of actress Angelina Jolie's public announcement that she recently underwent a preventive double mastectomy, Loma Linda University Medical Center urges women with a family history of cancer to have proper counseling and testing, if indicated, to see if they are at similar risk.

17 May 2013

Loss of Merlin protein leads to abnormal growth of tumours

A study led by researchers from Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry has for the first time revealed how the loss of a particular tumour suppressing protein leads to the abnormal growth of tumours of the brain and nervous system.

17 May 2013

Inhibiting powerful protein with new agents may supply broad benefit for lymphoma patients

A soon-to-be-tested class of drug inhibitors were predicted to help a limited number of patients with B-cell lymphomas with mutations affecting the EZH2 protein.

14 May 2013

Children born with CDG don't contain mutation in every cell type, say Sanford-Burnham researchers

Children born with rare, inherited conditions known as Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation, or CDG, have mutations in one of the many enzymes the body uses to decorate its proteins and cells with sugars.

10 May 2013

Researchers explore biological processes of stem cell division

The human body contains trillions of cells, all derived from a single cell, or zygote, made by the fusion of an egg and a sperm. That single cell contains all the genetic information needed to develop into a human, and passes identical copies of that information to each new cell as it divides into the many diverse types of cells that make up a complex organism like a human being.

6 May 2013

Variations in the sequencing of TERT gene influence risk of breast, ovarian cancers

A major international study involving a Simon Fraser University scientist has found that sequence differences in a gene crucial to the maintenance of our chromosomes' integrity predispose us to certain cancers.

3 May 2013

Examining function of all genes in zebrafish genome could benefit human health, researchers say

Equipped with the zebrafish genome, researchers have designed a method to assay the function of each and every gene and to explore the effects genetic variation has on zebrafish.

18 Apr 2013

Inflammation and epigenetics: an interview with Dr Belkina and Dr Denis, Boston University School of Medicine

Inflammation can be thought of as taking two major forms: acute or chronic. Acute inflammation, which can be painful, usually arises quickly and resolves quickly. It accompanies bacterial infections, traumatic injury and is useful to fight infections and promote healing.

28 Mar 2013

Study links inherited variations in few genes to increased risk of pediatric leukemia

Humans have between 20,000 and 25,000 genes that carry instructions for assembling the proteins that do the work of cells. Work led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital found that children who inherit certain variations in four particular genes are at much higher risk of developing acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

20 Mar 2013

Delegates at CSW meeting push to reach compromise on final document

"Delegates to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women are racing to reach a consensus deal on a final document by Friday, and some diplomats say the future of the commission -- a global policy-making body created in 1946 for the advancement of women -- is at risk if they fail to broker a compromise," Reuters reports.

15 Mar 2013

Ryan says critics of his budget need to offer 'credible alternative' for Medicare; Opponents blast plan as repeat of failed past efforts

On Tuesday, we're introducing a budget that balances in 10 years - without raising taxes. How do we do it? We stop spending money the government doesn't have.

13 Mar 2013

SIRT1 gene may be involved in development of type 1 diabetes

A JDRF-funded study out of Switzerland has shown that a single gene called SIRT1 may be involved in the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and other autoimmune diseases. The study, "Identification of a SIRT1 Mutation in a Family with Type 1 Diabetes," was published today in Cell Metabolism and represents the first demonstration of a monogenetic defect leading to the onset of T1D.

6 Mar 2013

Genetic testing strategy for familial high cholesterol questioned

Current testing strategies for the families of patients with familial hypercholesterolemia may not be an efficient use of health resources, suggest study results published in The Lancet.

25 Feb 2013

Familial Hypercholesterolaemia patients often inherit small-effect changes in several genes rather than a large-effect mutation in a single gene

Research published Online First in The Lancet provides new evidence that a substantial proportion of individuals with a clinical diagnosis of Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) inherit a combination of small-effect changes in several genes (polygenic) rather than a large-effect mutation in a single gene (monogenic).

22 Feb 2013

Tranylcypromine may also hold promise in treating sickle cell disease

An antidepressant drug used since the 1960s may also hold promise for treating sickle cell disease, according to a surprising new finding made in mice and human red blood cells by a team from the University of Michigan Medical School.

19 Feb 2013

Scientists discover new subgroups of GC patients with different disease's characteristics

A collaboration between Portuguese and Italian scientists has discovered new subgroups of stomach cancer patients with different disease's characteristics, an information that is hoped will help improving the clinical management of a disease that still kills a dismaying 3 out of 4 patients.

18 Feb 2013

Research reveals how quickly the Achilles tendon can regenerate

The Achilles heel of the body - getting over damage to tendons can be a long and painful process. By combining the nuclear tests of the 1950s with tissue samples and modern technology, a research collaboration between the Aarhus University and University of Copenhagen now reveals why the healing process is so slow.