Genome News and Research

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Genetic change to non-DNA structures in cell can cause cancer

A mutation that affects the proteins that package DNA--without changing the DNA itself--can cause a rare form of cancer, according to new findings in this week's Science from researchers at The Rockefeller University.

13 May 2016

Gene therapy shows promise in treating glioblastoma

A team from the International School for Advanced Studies in Trieste has obtained very promising results by applying gene therapy to glioblastoma.

13 May 2016

Histone mutation linked to fatal pediatric brain tumor

A single defect in a gene that codes for a histone — a "spool" that wraps idle DNA — is linked to pediatric cancers in a study published today in the journal Science.

13 May 2016

Scientists prove effectiveness of gene editing system in eliminating HIV from DNA of CD4+ T-cells

In 2014, a team of researchers in the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University became the first to successfully eliminate the HIV-1 virus from cultured human cells.

12 May 2016

Novel UBC-developed device could soon pave way for improved cancer diagnosis

A new UBC-developed method to isolate cancer cells that have escaped from a tumour could soon pave the way for improved diagnosis and treatment.

12 May 2016

Two statistically significant genetic variants may be linked to increased PTSD risk in veterans

In a massive analysis of DNA samples from more than 13,000 U.S. soldiers, scientists have identified two statistically significant genetic variants that may be associated with an increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an often serious mental illness linked to earlier exposure to a traumatic event, such as combat and an act of violence.

12 May 2016

Researchers discover true Diels-Alder enzyme on the Pacific seabed

Scientists at the Universities of Bristol and Newcastle have uncovered the secret of the 'Mona Lisa of chemical reactions' - in a bacterium that lives at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

12 May 2016

Comprehensive genomic characterizations of ACC provide potentially better treatment options

An international team of scientists, including those at the Translational Genomic Research Institute (TGen), have discovered new avenues of potential treatments for a rare and deadly cancer known as Adrenocortical Carcinoma, or ACC.

11 May 2016

Scientists discover reliable marker to spot CAFs in oral cancer tissues

For the first time, researchers have identified a reliable marker (PDGFRβ) to detect carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (cells within the tumor that encourage growth and metastasis) (CAFs) in oral cancer tissues. With this discovery, anti-PDGFRβ treatment could soon be combined with existing tumor treatments to provide a more effective cancer therapy.

11 May 2016

Jumping genes may play crucial role in generation of cancer

For more than 50 years, scientists have known of the existence of "jumping genes," strands of DNA material that can move from one location in the genome to another.

11 May 2016

Study suggests ways of minimizing DNA folding errors

Induced pluripotent stem cells hold promise for regenerative medicine because they can, in theory, turn into any type of tissue and because they are made from a patient's own adult cells, guaranteeing compatibility. However, the technique that turns adult cells into these iPS cells is not foolproof; after reverting to their pluripotent state, these cells don't always correctly differentiate back into adult cells.

11 May 2016

TSRI scientists expanding web services to improve biomedical research

A team of scientists at The Scripps Research Institute is expanding web services to make biomedical research more efficient. With their free, public projects, MyGene.info and MyVariant.info, researchers around the world have a faster way to spot new connections between genes and disease.

11 May 2016

Profiling gamma-retrovirus integration sites may help identify genes linked to specific cancer types

Identifying the sites where gamma-retroviruses commonly insert into the genome may help to identify genes associated with specific cancer types, according to a study published April 20, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Kathryn Gilroy at the University of Glasgow, UK, and colleagues.

10 May 2016

Study highlights role of specific chromosomal deletion in cancer development, progression

In a typical cancer cell, up to one-quarter of the genome is lost due to large chromosomal deletions, while the concomitant loss of hundreds of genes creates vulnerabilities that are impossible to reveal through the study of individual genes. Prof. Anna Sablina and her team at VIB/KU Leuven optimized a workflow for the generation of cell lines with targeted chromosomal deletions.

10 May 2016

Genetic biomarkers may predict response to psychological treatments in anxious children

An investigation published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics indicates that genetic biomarkers may predict response to psychotherapy in anxious children.

10 May 2016

Caltech researchers discover new potential cause for Crohn's disease

The community of beneficial bacteria that live in our intestines, known as the gut microbiome, are important for the development and function of the immune system. There has been growing evidence that certain probiotics--therapies that introduce beneficial bacteria into the gut--may help alleviate some of the symptoms of intestinal disorders such as Crohn's disease.

10 May 2016

Study reveals important new findings about rare cancer

A study comprised of 39 international institutions revealed significant new findings about adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), a rare cancer with an often poor prognosis.

10 May 2016

Scientists develop new technology that helps visualize translation of mRNA into proteins

For the first time, scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine have developed a technology allowing them to "see" single molecules of messenger RNA as they are translated into proteins in living mammalian cells. Initial findings using this technology that may shed light on neurological diseases as well as cancer were published online today in Science.

9 May 2016

Unique attributes of zebrafish may help study human blood disorders

Genetic regulation of the various types of blood cells in zebrafish and humans is highly similar, making it relatively easy and cost-effective to perform genetic, chemical, imaging and other molecular studies on this invaluable model organism to study normal hematopoetic development in humans as well as blood disorders and malignancies, as described in a Review article in Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

9 May 2016

MIT researchers develop innovative paper-based test to diagnose Zika virus

A new paper-based test developed at MIT and other institutions can diagnose Zika virus infection within a few hours. The test, which distinguishes Zika from the very similar dengue virus, can be stored at room temperature and read with a simple electronic reader, making it potentially practical for widespread use.

9 May 2016