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Introducing missing gene could help extend lives of patients with SMA

A team of University of Missouri researchers has found that introducing a missing gene into the central nervous system could help extend the lives of patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) - the leading genetic cause of infantile death in the world.

17 Jul 2012

UMMS scientists identify new genetic mutation that causes familial ALS

A new genetic mutation that causes familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurological disorder also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, has been identified by a team of scientists led by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS).

16 Jul 2012

Depressed patients need the right kind of support

Clinicians should be aware of the potential detrimental effects the behavior of family and friends can have on depressed individuals, report US researchers.

10 Jul 2012

Genetics play a significant role in determining side effects of opiates

Genetics play a significant role in determining which patients will suffer the most from the disturbing side effects of opiates, commonly prescribed painkillers for severe to moderate pain, according to a new Stanford University School of Medicine study, which pinpoints nausea, slowed breathing and potential for addiction as heritable traits.

21 Jun 2012

Next-generation sequencing technologies for the 1,000 Rare Diseases Project

BGI, the world's largest genomics organization, and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) today announced that they have jointly initiated the 1,000 Rare Diseases Project with the aim of accelerating the discovery of genetic variants underlying rare diseases.

19 Jun 2012

No evidence for inherited addictive behavior

Dr. Stanton Peele's extensive research concludes that there is no evidence that biological or genetic mechanisms have been identified for addictive behavior or that addictive behavior is therefore inherited. The inherited addiction gene theory is widely used by the majority of alcohol and drug rehab programs, but Peele's research reveals that addiction is just too complicated to be contained within a simple inherited gene.

15 Jun 2012

HLA B-27 protein appears to confer ability to suppress HIV viral replication

The rare ability of some individuals to control HIV infection with their immune system alone appears to depend - at least partially - on specific qualities of the immune system's killer T cells and not on how many of those cells are produced.

13 Jun 2012

Children of older fathers inherit longer telomeres

If your father and grandfather waited until they were older before reproducing, you might experience life-extending benefits. Biologists assume that a slow pace of aging requires that the body invest more resources in repairing cells and tissues.

12 Jun 2012

Clinical study demonstrates effectiveness of vismodegib in treating BCNS

A revolutionary clinical study has demonstrated the effectiveness of a new drug, vismodegib, in dramatically shrinking and preventing the formation of basal cell skin cancers - the most common cancer in the United States - in patients with basal cell nevus syndrome (BCNS), a rare genetic condition that causes hundreds to thousands of skin cancers primarily treated by surgical removal.

7 Jun 2012

Religious practices more successful at promoting certainty about paternity

Religious practices that strongly control female sexuality are more successful at promoting certainty about paternity, according to a study published in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

5 Jun 2012

Scientists identify 20 distinct gene mutations in patients with FGD

A rare disease which often first presents in newborn babies has been traced to a novel genetic defect, scientists at Queen Mary, University of London have found.

30 May 2012

Researchers identify mechanism by which Zds1 protein regulates key function in mitosis

Researchers from the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) have identified the mechanism by which protein Zds1 regulates a key function in mitosis, the process that occurs immediately before cell division.

19 May 2012

Researchers identify 57 SNPs associated with autism

By focusing on the identification of common genetic variants, researchers have identified 57 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that predict-with a high degree of certainty--the risk that siblings of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will also develop the condition. The findings were presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research.

18 May 2012

Nottingham researchers lead largest ever research project into genetics of pre-eclampsia

Researchers from The University of Nottingham are leading the largest ever international research project into the genetics of the potentially fatal condition pre-eclampsia.

17 May 2012

Research grants on facioscapulohumeral dystrophy prove useful as genetic basis is found

Businessman Bill Moss’s determination to fight his untreatable muscle-wasting disease may have paid off. Four years ago, Mr Moss, a former Macquarie Bank Executive Director, established a charitable research foundation, FSHD Global, which partly funded the Italian researchers who made the breakthrough.

8 May 2012

FANCM gene plays key role in recombination of genetic information during inheritance

Scientists of KIT and the University of Birmingham have identified relevant new functions of a gene that plays a crucial role in Fanconi anemia, a life-threatening disease. The FANCM gene is known to be important for the stability of the genome.

30 Apr 2012

Researchers discover gene for new form of intellectual disability

Researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) led a study discovering a gene for a new form of intellectual disability, as well as how it likely affects cognitive development by disrupting neuron functioning.

27 Apr 2012

Mod5 yeast prion contributes to cell survival under environmental stress

One of the greatest mysterious in cellular biology has been given a new twist thanks to findings reported in Science. Researchers at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute show that prions, proteins that transmit heritable information without DNA or RNA, can contribute to drug resistance and cellular adaptation. Their discovery of a yeast prion with these properties demonstrates the active role of the prion conversion in cellular fitness adaptation, providing new insights into the potentially broader function of prions in living organisms.

23 Apr 2012

Genetic reach of autism may extend to half siblings

When a child has autism, siblings are also at risk for the disorder. New research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that the genetic reach of the disorder often extends to half siblings as well.

18 Apr 2012

Seniors increasingly challenged by cost, logistics of handling health care

News organizations are covering how some seniors are moving in with their children or grandchildren -- or using community programs -- to help navigate the world of care.

18 Apr 2012