Genome News and Research

RSS

Early gene therapy could improve choroideremia prognosis

Retinal gene therapy could prevent loss of vision in patients with choroideremia and other retinal diseases, show the results of a phase I/II study.

30 Apr 2014

Highly stressed people who eat lot of high-fat are more prone to health risks

New research out of UC San Francisco is the first to demonstrate that highly stressed people who eat a lot of high-fat, high-sugar food are more prone to health risks than low-stress people who eat the same amount of unhealthy food.

30 Apr 2014

3D shape of leukemia cell's genome holds key to solving puzzle of human diseases

To solve a puzzle, you need to recognize shapes, patterns and a particular kind of order. In much the same way, researchers at McGill University have discovered that the 3D shape of a leukemia cell's genome holds a key to solving the puzzle of human diseases. The researchers report their findings in the open access journal Genome Biology.

30 Apr 2014

Researchers develop new strategy to personalised medicine in advanced cancer patients

Tumour cells can accumulate hundreds or even thousands of DNA mutations which induce the growth and spread of cancer. The number and pattern of mutations differs according to the type of tumour, even among those that are classified as part of the same type of tumours.

30 Apr 2014

Bristol-Myers Squibb completes acquisition of iPierian

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and iPierian, Inc. announced today that Bristol-Myers Squibb has acquired iPierian, a privately held biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of new treatments for Tauopathies, a class of neurodegenerative diseases associated with the pathological aggregation of Tau protein in the human brain.

29 Apr 2014

Study: Genetics as well as environment in womb play important roles in development of baby

A recent study led by A*STAR's Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS) found that genetics as well as the environment in the womb play important roles in the development of the baby.

29 Apr 2014

Study: Mutations could have major impact on treatment of human blood diseases

A study published today in Nature Genetics has revealed mutations that could have a major impact on the future diagnosis and treatment of many human diseases.

29 Apr 2014

BRCA gene loss may accelerate cancer-promoting chromosome rearrangements

Inherited mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 tumor suppressor genes are by far the most frequent contributors to hereditary cancer risk in the human population, often causing breast or ovarian cancer in young women of child-bearing age.

29 Apr 2014

Scientists use analysis of epigenetic marks on DNA to measure baby's development in womb

An international study, involving scientists at the University of Southampton, has used an analysis of epigenetic marks on DNA to measure how much a baby's development in the womb is determined by the genes inherited from the parents, as compared with the mother's nutrition, mental health and lifestyle.

28 Apr 2014

Researchers use RNA sequencing to look at early- and late-stage development of the heart

Most people think the development of the heart only happens in the womb, however the days and weeks following birth are full of cellular changes that play a role in the structure and function of the heart. Using mouse models, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have now been able to categorize the alternative splicing (the process in which genes code proteins, determining their role) that takes place during these changes and what mechanisms they affect.

26 Apr 2014

MGH investigators develop next-generation genome editing system

A next-generation genome editing system developed by Massachusetts General Hospital investigators substantially decreases the risk of producing unwanted, off-target gene mutations. In a paper receiving online publication in Nature Biotechnology, the researchers report a new CRISPR-based RNA-guided nuclease technology that uses two guide RNAs, significantly reducing the chance of cutting through DNA strands at mismatched sites.

26 Apr 2014

Junk DNA linked to heart failure, reveals Washington University study

Large sections of the genome that were once referred to as "junk" DNA have been linked to human heart failure, according to research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

26 Apr 2014

New study sheds light on mysterious gene that influences cardiovascular health

A new study from researchers at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI), published today in Cell Reports, sheds light on a mysterious gene that likely influences cardiovascular health.

26 Apr 2014

New Ebola variant identified in Guinea

Performed in less than a month, sequencing of the complete genome and subsequent phylogenetic analysis show that the virus present in Guinea forms a clade (variant) that is distinct from strains previously identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in Gabon. Epidemiological investigations also linked the laboratory confirmed cases with the initial deaths recorded during the December 2013 outbreak.

25 Apr 2014

Research findings can impact lives of people with autism today

A new study from investigators with the Autism Genome Project, the world's largest research project on identifying genes associated with risk for autism, has found that the comprehensive use of copy number variant (CNV) genetic testing offers an important tool in individualized diagnosis and treatment of autism.

25 Apr 2014

Meta-analysis links signalling pathways to bipolar disorder

A meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies has identified six biological pathways that may be involved in the genetic predisposition to develop bipolar disorder.

23 Apr 2014

Personalis receives CAP accreditation

Personalis, Inc., a leading provider of genome-based diagnostics, announced today that its onsite clinical laboratory has received accreditation from the College of American Pathologists (CAP), meeting the highest standard of excellence in clinical laboratory practices.

23 Apr 2014