Genes News and Research

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Study links common chemical to rare birth defect in mice

A chemical commonly used in consumer and agricultural products to boost the effectiveness of insecticides has been linked to a rare birth defect in mice.

23 Oct 2019

Half the drugs in use damage gut bacteria, says new study

A startling presentation at UEG Week 2019, in Barcelona, reveals that the gut microbiome is at high risk for damage each time we use a drug from one or more of 18 commonly used groups. The effects may range from changes in the relative proportions of different beneficial and potentially harmful species to alterations in the cellular metabolism of the bacteria themselves.

23 Oct 2019

New CRISPR genome “prime editing” system

Gene editing to correct genetic faults and removing the risk of hereditary diseases may soon become reality. Researchers have come up with a new gene editing technology that could help patients with sickle cell anaemia and up 89 percent of other genetic defects.

22 Oct 2019

Dementia patients’ adult kids develop symptoms six years earlier than their parents

A person's chance of developing dementia is influenced by family history, variations in certain genes, and medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. But less is known about the factors that affect when the first symptoms of forgetfulness and confusion will arise.

22 Oct 2019

New study identifies gene that causes intellectual disability syndrome

It used to take several years or sometimes decades to unequivocally identify the genes that cause rare human syndromes that affect very few individuals. Nowadays, however, human geneticists and fly and mouse biologists have the means to work together to integrate their data, which has significantly accelerated the pace of disease and gene discovery.

22 Oct 2019

E. coli bacteria study may provide clues about drug resistance

Swapping a single amino acid in a simple bacterial protein changes its structure and function, revealing the effects of complex gene evolution, finds a new study published in the journal eLife.

22 Oct 2019

USC study shows how tumor cells circulating in the blood target distant organs

Most cancers kill because tumor cells spread beyond the primary site to invade other organs. Now, a USC study of brain-invading breast cancer cells circulating in the blood reveals they have a molecular signature indicating specific organ preferences.

22 Oct 2019

LSU Health New Orleans awarded $1.74 million to advance research on Usher syndrome

Jennifer J. Lentz, PhD, Associate Professor at LSU Health New Orleans Neuroscience Center of Excellence and Departments of Otorhinolaryngology, Genetics and Ophthalmology, in collaboration with Robert K. Koenekoop MD, PhD and Professor of Pediatric Surgery, Human Genetics and Ophthalmology at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, has been awarded a $1.74 million USD grant to advance research on Usher syndrome.

22 Oct 2019

Taste neurons could be controlling feeding behaviour find researchers

Researchers from the University of California, Riverside used a common fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) to find the association between taste neurons and control of feeding behaviours. They noted that if they genetically modulated these flies, they could make them selectively avoid certain chemicals including acids, bitter compounds, salty substances etc. The results of their study appeared in the October issue of the journal Cell Reports.

22 Oct 2019

Long-term exposure to toxic chemicals in the environment impairs brain function in mice

Human-made toxic chemicals that linger indefinitely in the environment disrupt the performance of critical helper cells in the mouse brain, leading to impaired function over long-term exposures, say neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center.

22 Oct 2019

Dual action of genes and RNA influences aggressive triple-negative breast cancer

Women with an aggressive, less-common type of breast cancer, known as triple-negative, versus a more common form of the disease, could be differentiated from each other by a panel of 17 small RNA molecules that are directly influenced by genetic alterations typically found in cancer cells.

22 Oct 2019

High glucose impairs circadian clock function, may increase cardiovascular risk

High glucose in obesity appears to gum up the works of the circadian clocks inside our cells that help regulate the timing of many body functions across the 24-hour day and drive the risk of cardiovascular disease, scientists say.

22 Oct 2019

IBD far more common than expected, and will only increase in future

There are three times as many people with the chronic and debilitating bowel disorder called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as ever thought before, according to a new study presented today at UEG Week 2019, at Barcelona. Not only is the condition a distressing one in itself, but patients with IBD have a higher risk of colorectal cancer as well.

21 Oct 2019

Autism spectrum disorder could be triggered by low placental steroid levels

A recent experimental study has shown that one reason for the occurrence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) could be the deficit of a placental steroid hormone called allopregnanolone. The reason is that this hormone plays a critical role in the normal development of the brain in fetal life.

21 Oct 2019

Study shows how mouse X and Y chromosomes compete with each other to control sex of offspring

The molecular function of genes in mice has a major influence on the sex of their offspring, according to a new discovery that reveals more about the impact of genes on animal fertility.

21 Oct 2019

Researchers use mouse model to better understand mechanism involved in atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart arrhythmia in humans. This condition increases the risk of heart failure, stroke, dementia and death, and current treatments have suboptimal efficacy and carry side effects.

21 Oct 2019

Good heart health can equal good brain health, study shows

Emory University researchers are giving us double the reasons to pay attention to our cardiovascular health - showing in a recently published study in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease that good heart health can equal good brain health.

21 Oct 2019

Link found between genetic variations and size of the brainstem, other subcortical structures

Researchers have found a link between 48 common genetic variations and the size of the brainstem and other subcortical structures deep within the brain.

21 Oct 2019

Discovery about DNA-reeling bacteria can help inform strategies to stop bacterial infection

A new study from Indiana University has revealed a previously unknown role a protein plays in helping bacteria reel in DNA in their environment -- like a fisherman pulling up a catch from the ocean.

21 Oct 2019

Peptide-based nanoparticles can suppress pancreatic cancer growth without adverse effects

Despite advances in cancer survival, more than 90 percent of people with pancreatic cancer die within five years. Most patients with pancreatic tumors (and half of those with colorectal cancers) carry a mutation in the KRAS gene, which normally controls cell growth and death.

21 Oct 2019

Genes News and Research

Study links common chemical to rare birth defect in mice

Half the drugs in use damage gut bacteria, says new study

New CRISPR genome “prime editing” system

Dementia patients’ adult kids develop symptoms six years earlier than their parents

New study identifies gene that causes intellectual disability syndrome

E. coli bacteria study may provide clues about drug resistance

USC study shows how tumor cells circulating in the blood target distant organs

LSU Health New Orleans awarded $1.74 million to advance research on Usher syndrome

Taste neurons could be controlling feeding behaviour find researchers

Long-term exposure to toxic chemicals in the environment impairs brain function in mice

Dual action of genes and RNA influences aggressive triple-negative breast cancer

High glucose impairs circadian clock function, may increase cardiovascular risk

IBD far more common than expected, and will only increase in future

Autism spectrum disorder could be triggered by low placental steroid levels

Study shows how mouse X and Y chromosomes compete with each other to control sex of offspring

Researchers use mouse model to better understand mechanism involved in atrial fibrillation

Good heart health can equal good brain health, study shows

Link found between genetic variations and size of the brainstem, other subcortical structures

Discovery about DNA-reeling bacteria can help inform strategies to stop bacterial infection

Peptide-based nanoparticles can suppress pancreatic cancer growth without adverse effects

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