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Scientists pinpoint the cause of a rare childhood seizure disorder

Scientists have developed a set of computational tools that pinpoint the cause of Early Infantile Epileptic Encephalopathy (EIEE), a rare childhood disorder.

13 Aug 2018

Koala virus could provide clues to accumulated 'junk' DNA in the human genome

A koala virus could help researchers explain millions of years of accumulated ‘junk’ DNA in the human genome.

10 Aug 2018

Study yields new insights into why the system needs sleep

Sleep is essential for brain functionality and overall health but understanding how sleep delivers its beneficial effects remains largely unknown. In an article publishing on August 9 in the open access journal PLOS Biology, Shanaz Diessler and Maxime Jan at the University of Lausanne and the SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (Switzerland), sleep researchers are exploring new and unbiased approaches that can take sleep to a systems level.

10 Aug 2018

Using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to correct mutation responsible for sickle cell disease

Genome editing using the CRISPR-Cas9 system has tremendous promise for therapeutic correction of genetic errors in human cells. Prior to adoption as a medical therapeutic, safety concerns relating to off-target effects must be minimized to mitigate risks that may arise from the unintended action of this system at sites similar, but not identical, to the desired gene target site.

From Integrated DNA Technologies 10 Aug 2018

Researchers describe underlying mechanisms of congestive heart failure

Congestive heart failure is a terminal disease that affects nearly 6 million Americans. Yet its management is limited to symptomatic treatments because the causal mechanisms of congestive heart failure -- including its most common form, ischemic cardiomyopathy -- are not known.

10 Aug 2018

Scientists find new molecular biomarker for gastric cancer

Although immunotherapy is seen as a very promising treatment for cancer, currently only 20 to 30 percent of patients respond positively. Being able to identify the people most likely to benefit from the costly therapy is a Holy Grail for oncologists.

9 Aug 2018

Study identifies key role of TLK1 and TLK2 enzymes in DNA replication

During cell growth, cells copy their DNA through a process called DNA replication. For this process to be accurate, the genetic and epigenetic information must be copied flawlessly.

9 Aug 2018

ETH scientists discover new cancer-specific molecular changes in tumor tissues

A research team led by Gunnar Raetsch, Professor of Biomedical Informatics at ETH Zurich, has evaluated the largest set of genetic data in cancer medicine: The Cancer Genome Atlas in the United States.

9 Aug 2018

RNA and DNA sequencing platform matches broader swath of drugs to late-stage cancer patients

A comprehensive RNA and DNA sequencing platform benefits late-stage and drug-resistant multiple myeloma patients by determining which drugs would work best for them, according to results from a clinical trial published in JCO Precision Oncology in August.

9 Aug 2018

Gene considered as tumor promoter may also halt development of cancer, shows study

A gene that has for decades been considered a tumor promoter, the PLK1 gene, can also perform the exact opposite function: halting the development of cancer.

9 Aug 2018

Researchers provide new insight on origins and global spread of HBV

Researchers have provided new insight on the geographical origins and global spread of two classes of the hepatitis B virus (HBV), according to a study in eLife.

7 Aug 2018

Silencing of GULP1 gene expression plays important role in ovarian carcinogenesis

Johns Hopkins researchers in collaboration with Insilico Medicine, a biotechnology company based in Rockville Maryland, identify that silencing of the GULP1 gene expression by methylation plays an important role in ovarian carcinogenesis.

7 Aug 2018

Offspring fed with low-protein diet during pregnancy more likely to develop prostate cancer

The offspring of females fed a low-protein diet during pregnancy and lactation are significantly more likely to develop prostate cancer as they age.

7 Aug 2018

Study could lead to new diagnostic blood test for Kawasaki disease

For the first time, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Imperial College London, with international collaborators, have determined that Kawasaki Disease (KD) can be accurately diagnosed on the basis of the pattern of host gene expression in whole blood. The finding could lead to a diagnostic blood test to distinguish KD from other infectious and inflammatory conditions.

6 Aug 2018

Researchers identify new regulator in breast cancer cells

Triple-negative breast cancer is a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer. Here, important receptors are missing, which often serve as targets for treatments.

6 Aug 2018

New study finds key factors behind differences in immune responses

Age, sex, and specific human genetic variants are the key factors behind differences between immune responses among healthy humans, finds a study of 1,000 individuals carried out by EPFL and the Pasteur Institute.

6 Aug 2018

Research highlights how heritable and environmental factors can influence epigenetic variations

New research highlights the extent to which epigenetic variation is influenced by both inherited and environmental factors.

3 Aug 2018

Researchers shed new light on how bacteria sense nutrients in their environment

University of Leicester researchers have shed new light on how bacteria sense nutrients in their environment - which could provide important knowledge in the development of drugs and antibiotics to combat a range of diseases including tuberculosis.

3 Aug 2018

Claudia Langenberg wins Helmholtz International Fellow Award

"Claudia Langenberg is known for her research on genetic causes of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and related metabolic disorders," explains Dr. Gabi Kastenmüller, acting head of the Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology.

3 Aug 2018

Genome-wide association study identifies 151 genes for atrial fibrillation

Drawing on genomic data from more than one million individuals, researchers from the University of Michigan have led a large collaborative effort to discover as-yet unknown genetic risk factors for atrial fibrillation: an irregular, often rapid heart rate affecting millions of Americans and more than 30 million people worldwide.

3 Aug 2018