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Novel polygenic hazard score captures age variations of aggressive prostate cancer

An international team, led by researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, has developed and validated a genetic tool for predicting age of onset of aggressive prostate cancer, a disease that kills more than 26,000 American men annually.

12 Jan 2018

UAB study shows missense mutations as key risk factor for severe symptoms of neurofibromatosis type 1

Research led by Ludwine Messiaen, Ph.D., professor of genetics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, shows that missense mutations in a cluster of just five codons in the NF1 gene are an important risk factor for severe symptoms of the genetic disease neurofibromatosis type 1.

28 Dec 2017

$Study uncovers genomic targets in refractory neuroblastoma$

Study uncovers genomic targets in refractory neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common solid tumor found in children. It starts in some very early forms of nerve cells found in the embryo or fetus.

28 Dec 2017

Inherited gene variation may be to blame for poor survival of patients with early-onset breast cancer

A new study led by scientists at the University of Southampton has found that inherited variation in a particular gene may be to blame for the lower survival rate of patients diagnosed with early-onset breast cancer.

14 Dec 2017

Researchers reveal pathological mechanisms in congenital myotonic dystrophy

Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is the most common form of genetic muscular dystrophy that begins in adulthood. DM is characterized by progressive muscle wasting and weakness. People with this disorder often have prolonged muscle contractions (myotonic) and are not able to relax certain muscles after use.

12 Dec 2017

Simple molecular test may help predict presence of high-grade pancreatic cancers

A report in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, describes a new simple molecular test to detect chromosomal abnormalities -- biomarkers known as telomere fusions--in pancreatic tumor specimens and pancreatic cyst fluids.

8 Dec 2017

Genetic susceptibility to BD can increase suicide risk among people exposed to traumatic stress

Genetic susceptibility to bipolar disorder can increase the risk for suicide attempt, but only among those who also have experienced traumatic stress, reports a study published in the December 2017 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

4 Dec 2017

Study focuses on improving pharmacokinetic properties of therapeutic aptamers

Designing new therapeutic DNA aptamers with diverse side chains can improve their ability to interact with targets, and a new study describes characteristics of these side chains that may determine how long the aptamers remain in the bloodstream.

30 Nov 2017

Research findings will help identify genetic causes of brain disorders

New findings will help to identify the genetic causes of brain disorders: researchers at the Universities of Basel, Bonn and Cologne have presented a systematic catalog of specific variable locations in the genome that influence gene activity in the human hippocampus, as they report in the journal Nature Communications.

27 Nov 2017

Anti-diabetic drug can enhance repair of UV-induced DNA damage in cells of ‘Moon children’

The destructive force of UV radiation on DNA molecules is only fully visible, when repair mechanisms fail: patients with the rare genetic disease Xeroderma pigmentosum - also known as 'Moon children' - develop inflammations upon exposure to only small amounts of sunlight, rough-surfaced growths and eventually skin cancer occurs often in early age.

21 Nov 2017

Researchers visualize mechanism of CRISPR-Cas9 genetic-engineering technique

Researchers at Kanazawa University and the University of Tokyo report in Nature Communications the visualization of the dynamics of ‘molecular scissors’ — the main mechanism of the CRISPR-Cas9 genetic-engineering technique.

15 Nov 2017

Gene variants appear to alter features of alcohol dose-response relationship

Although estimates vary, scientists believe that 50 to 64 percent of the risk of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) is inherited. One way to identify this risk is through a person's subjective response to alcohol.

14 Nov 2017

Researchers show how rhythm of DNA replication can be manipulated to kill cancer cells

Human cells divide and create new cells throughout life. In this process, a steady – even rhythmic – supply of DNA building blocks is needed to create new DNA. Now researchers from the University of Copenhagen are the first to show exactly how human cells regulate this process so it does not fail and cause illness.

10 Nov 2017

Russian scientists uncover previously unknown effect of leukemia drug

Researchers from RUDN University and Institute of Biomedical Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences have identified an alternative mechanism for the effective antitumor drug -- an enzyme called L-asparaginase.

10 Nov 2017

Study finds potential chemical compound that initiated life on Earth

A new study conducted at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has found a compound called diamidophosphate (DAP), which is expected to have played a vital role in the origins of life on Earth.

8 Nov 2017

Dartmouth study uncovers three novel genetic biomarkers for lung cancer

Both environmental and genetic risk factors contribute to development of lung cancer. Tobacco smoking is the most well-known environmental risk factor associated with lung cancer. A Dartmouth research team led by Yafang Li, PhD, has conducted a study to display that gene-smoking interactions play important roles in the etiology of lung cancer.

26 Oct 2017

Adopting healthy diet can help reverse risk of high triglycerides, despite genetic predisposition

Triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood, are important for good health. But having high triglycerides might increase a person's risk of heart disease, and may be a sign of metabolic syndrome--a combination of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and too much fat accumulation at the waist.

25 Oct 2017

New discovery could speed development and approval of antiviral drugs

New research shows that a new class of antiviral drugs works by causing the virus' replication machinery to pause and backtrack, preventing the virus from efficiently replicating. This discovery, made possible by a high-throughput experimental technique called "magnetic tweezers," could speed the development and approval of related antiviral drugs.

25 Oct 2017

Researchers mine blood-based epigenetic data to gain insights into autism biology

Using data from blood and brain tissue, a team led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that they could gain insights into mechanisms that might help explain autism by analyzing the interplay between genes and chemical tags that control whether genes are used to make a protein, called epigenetic marks.

25 Oct 2017

Study discovers new genetic risk loci linked to children's food allergies

What role do genes play in egg, milk, and nut allergies? A study published in Nature Communications, led by the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, has found five genetic risk loci that point to the importance of skin and mucous membrane barriers and the immune system in the development of food allergies.

24 Oct 2017

Nucleotide News and Research

Novel polygenic hazard score captures age variations of aggressive prostate cancer

UAB study shows missense mutations as key risk factor for severe symptoms of neurofibromatosis type 1

Study uncovers genomic targets in refractory neuroblastoma

Inherited gene variation may be to blame for poor survival of patients with early-onset breast cancer

Researchers reveal pathological mechanisms in congenital myotonic dystrophy

Simple molecular test may help predict presence of high-grade pancreatic cancers

Genetic susceptibility to BD can increase suicide risk among people exposed to traumatic stress

Study focuses on improving pharmacokinetic properties of therapeutic aptamers

Research findings will help identify genetic causes of brain disorders

Anti-diabetic drug can enhance repair of UV-induced DNA damage in cells of ‘Moon children’

Researchers visualize mechanism of CRISPR-Cas9 genetic-engineering technique

Gene variants appear to alter features of alcohol dose-response relationship

Researchers show how rhythm of DNA replication can be manipulated to kill cancer cells

Russian scientists uncover previously unknown effect of leukemia drug

Study finds potential chemical compound that initiated life on Earth

Dartmouth study uncovers three novel genetic biomarkers for lung cancer

Adopting healthy diet can help reverse risk of high triglycerides, despite genetic predisposition

New discovery could speed development and approval of antiviral drugs

Researchers mine blood-based epigenetic data to gain insights into autism biology

Study discovers new genetic risk loci linked to children's food allergies

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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