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New approach allows noninvasive identification of tumor mutations in lung cancer patients

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have devised a way to significantly increase the sensitivity of a technique to identify and sequence DNA from cancer cells circulating in a person's blood.

29 Mar 2016

Japanese scientists decode sugar molecule linked to muscular dystrophy

A group of Japanese scientists have succeeded in decoding a sugar molecule and clarifying a mechanism linked to muscular dystrophy. Their discovery has potential implications for muscular dystrophy treatment. The results of their research were published in the journal Cell Reports on February 25, 2016 EST.

29 Mar 2016

UT Southwestern scientists discover mutation that causes X-linked reticulate pigmentary disorder

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have discovered a mutation that causes a rare systemic disorder known as X-linked reticulate pigmentary disorder (XLPDR) and, significantly, the unexpected cellular mechanism by which the mutation causes the disease.

29 Mar 2016

SLU scientist describes several tactics that can help cells overcome lesions

In a recent review paper published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, SLU scientist Alessandro Vindigni, Ph.D., describes the strategies cells use when their DNA faces replication stress, challenges that may derail a cell's ability to reproduce.

29 Mar 2016

BIDMC investigators identify precise 5-gene classifier for discriminating early pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer, the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States, is often diagnosed at a late stage, when curative treatment is no longer possible. A team led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has now identified and validated an accurate 5-gene classifier for discriminating early pancreatic cancer from non-malignant tissue.

28 Mar 2016

Study reveals new hypothesis on evolution of hundreds of malaria species

A study published this week in the journal Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution reveals a new hypothesis on the evolution of hundreds of species of malaria - including the form that is deadly to humans.

26 Mar 2016

Study identifies genetic differences in kidney tumors of African-Americans

A University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center-led study has identified genetic differences in tumors of African-Americans with the most common type of kidney cancer compared with whites.

26 Mar 2016

Inactivation of protein-coding gene promotes liver tissue regeneration in mammals

Scientists at the Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) report that inactivating a certain protein-coding gene promotes liver tissue regeneration in mammals.

26 Mar 2016

DNA sequence features predict genome-wide binding pattern of key protein involved in brain disorders

Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of California-Davis are combining in vivo experimentation with computation for highly accurate prediction of the genome-wide binding pattern of a key protein involved in brain disorders.

25 Mar 2016

Personalized medicine promises better treatment options for cystic fibrosis patients

For a highly variable disease like cystic fibrosis, personalized medicine promises treatments based on individual factors, down to the molecular level. This promise is especially alluring for the treatment of children with cystic fibrosis, who are at particular risk for complications that could affect them throughout their lives.

25 Mar 2016

Self-repairing cancer cells: A new pathway for cancer treatment

With narrow bodies and no collarbones, mice are able to squeeze through holes as small as a quarter-inch in diameter. Cancer cells similarly are able to migrate through extremely tight quarters but with a major difference: The journey often comes at a price - the deformation and, in some cases, rupture of the outer lining of a cell's nucleus. While deformation and rupture can sometimes lead to cell death, the cell - about 90 percent of the time - also has the ability to repair itself.

25 Mar 2016

New research highlights potential for emergence of new form of Ebolavirus

New research at the University of Kent has highlighted the potential for the emergence of a new form of Ebolavirus. A team from the University's School of Biosciences examined the differences between Ebolaviruses that cause severe disease in humans and the Reston virus that does not.

25 Mar 2016

Scientists unravel genetic basis of autism spectrum disorder

The types of gene mutations that contribute to autism are more diverse than previously thought, report researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine in the March 24 online issue of The American Journal of Human Genetics. The findings, they say, represent a significant advance in efforts to unravel the genetic basis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

25 Mar 2016

SGO acting on ovarian cancer report recommendations

During the Society of Gynecologic Oncology’s 47th Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer today, SGO convened a panel of ovarian cancer experts to discuss the recently released report by the National Academy of Medicine (NAM),

24 Mar 2016

Genetic testing in women with ovarian cancer helps determine prognosis

A study examining mutations in DNA repair genes in women with advanced ovarian cancer found that the disease remained at bay longer in women with the mutations than without, and that women having cancers with these mutations lived longer.

24 Mar 2016

Study reveals malaria has its roots in bird hosts

Malaria affects close to 500 million people every year, but we're not the only ones--different species of malaria parasite can infect birds, bats, and other mammals too. A Field Museum study published in Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution reveals a new take on the evolution of different malaria species and contributes to the ongoing search for the origins of malaria in humans.

24 Mar 2016

Novel mechanism can suppress blood vessel leakage, reduce tumour spread in mice

Cancer therapy is often hampered by the accumulation of fluids in and around the tumour, which is caused by leakage from the blood vessels in the tumour. Researchers at Uppsala University now show how leakage from blood vessels is regulated.

24 Mar 2016

New worldwide collaboration aims to speed up effective diagnosis of TB

As World TB day (24 March) marks global efforts to eliminate tuberculosis as a public health problem by 2035, Oxford University researchers, in partnership with Public Health England (PHE), will lead a new worldwide collaboration called CRyPTIC to speed up diagnosis of the disease.

23 Mar 2016

Penn neurologists uncover new genetic cause of Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease

Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT) is a family of inherited disorders of the peripheral nervous system, affecting approximately one in 2,500 Americans. Its most common iteration, CMT1, comes in many forms, most of which have to date been linked to a small set of causative genes.

23 Mar 2016

Research findings offer new way to differentiate, treat patients with lung cancer

Research in Manchester has identified mutations in lung cancer that is key to tumour growth, offering a new way to differentiate and treat some patients with the disease.

23 Mar 2016