Genetic Information News and Research

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CPMC study discovers six genes that affect sleep duration

The Coriell Personalized Medicine Collaborative, a research initiative exploring the utility of genetic information in the clinical setting, has published a study and identified six noteworthy genes that affect human sleep duration.

13 Jan 2016

New gene-filtering tool aims to predict disease-causing mutations

Despite their bad reputations, the vast majority of mutations are not harmful. Even in very rare genetic disorders, only one or two genetic variations — out of tens of thousands — is actually the cause of disease. Distinguishing between harmful and harmless mutations has long been a challenge.

13 Jan 2016

New mechanism of differentiation may offer novel therapeutic approaches to blood malignancies, solid tumors

In humans the differentiation of stem cells into hundreds of specialized cell types is vital. Differentiation drives development from fertilized egg to a newborn, and it underlies the continuous replacement of the 5 billion cells that die every hour in an adult. On the downside, mutations in differentiation pathways of different cell types can be drivers of cancers.

13 Jan 2016

Drugs that block KDM4C and PRMT1 genes could be effective in treating AML

Two genes have been identified that are critical to the development of the biggest leukaemia killer, acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Researchers at King’s College London found that drugs that selectively block these genes could be highly effective in treating this type of leukaemia.

12 Jan 2016

Genetic factors in puberty timing: an interview with Dr John Perry

The study focused on the genetic regions that influence age at voice breaking - a distinct developmental milestone that happens to young men as their larynx (voice box) lengthens when exposed to male hormones.

11 Jan 2016

World's largest database for cancer drug discovery revolutionised by 3D techniques

THE world's largest database for cancer drug discovery has been revolutionised by adding 3D structures of faulty proteins and maps of cancer's communication networks, according to Cancer Research UK-funded research published in Nucleic Acid Research today (Monday).

4 Jan 2016

International panel of clinical experts comment on state of their fields

In an Editorial published this week in PLOS Medicine, editors ask an international panel of eleven expert researchers and clinicians spanning a range of specialties to answer questions on their field and what developments they hope and expect to see in 2016.

30 Dec 2015

St. Jude scientists develop interactive tool to advance understanding of mutations that fuel pediatric cancer

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have developed a web application and data set that gives researchers worldwide a powerful interactive tool to advance understanding of the mutations that lead to and fuel pediatric cancer. The freely available tool, called ProteinPaint, is described in today's issue of the scientific journal Nature Genetics.

30 Dec 2015

UAB's Undiagnosed Diseases Program finds answers for mysterious health issues

Stephanie and Christopher Smith have been on a long, difficult and often frustrating journey to find answers for the mysterious health issues of their children. It started 24 years ago when their third child, Gage, was born. Gage, his younger brother Aiden and then sister Mandalynn, now 13, all developed mysterious symptoms that mystified doctors.

29 Dec 2015

3D maps of spatial organization may help find genes involved in hereditary diseases

It has now been 15 years since scientists celebrated the completion of the human genome. At that point, scientists had determined the entire sequence of the genetic letters making up our DNA.

26 Dec 2015

Healthier weight using genetic data for customized diets and physical activity plans

Some health experts predict that the next big advance in helping overweight people achieve a healthier weight will be to use an individual's genetic data to customize diets and physical activity plans, an approach known as "precision weight loss.

24 Dec 2015

Computers could discover future drugs

The drugs of tomorrow may be discovered by computers. A proof-of-concept study published December 23 in Cell Systems demonstrates that with the right input of data about infectious yeast, a machine algorithm can learn to identify combinations of existing and previously unknown compounds that can work together as antifungal agents.

24 Dec 2015

Study identifies genetic factors that play role in AMD

An international study has identified the number of genetic factors known to play a role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the worldwide leading cause of blindness in the elderly.

23 Dec 2015

Researchers reveal inherited genetic errors across 12 cancer types

Researchers long have known that some portion of the risk of developing cancer is hereditary and that inherited genetic errors are very important in some tumors but much less so in others.

22 Dec 2015

Study reveals new genetic factors linked to age-related macular degeneration

An international study of about 43,000 people has significantly expanded the number of genetic factors known to play a role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss among people age 50 and older.

22 Dec 2015

Scientists identify genes linked to human intelligence

Scientists from Imperial College London have identified for the first time two clusters of genes linked to human intelligence.

22 Dec 2015

New easy-to-use computer program can quickly identify drug-resistant infections

Scientists have developed an easy-to-use computer program that can quickly analyse bacterial DNA from a patient's infection and predict which antibiotics will work, and which will fail due to drug resistance. The software is currently being trialled in three UK hospitals to see whether it could help speed up diagnosis of drug-resistant infections and enable doctors to better target the prescription of antibiotics.

21 Dec 2015

Heidelberg neurobiologists identify Dnmt3a2 protein that boosts memory performance

Increasing the level of a certain DNA-modified enzyme in the brain significantly improves cognitive ability. The discovery was made by the research team led by Prof. Dr. Hilmar Bading at the Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences of Heidelberg University. Mouse experiments showed that the Dnmt3a2 protein can boost memory performance in the animals.

21 Dec 2015

Scientists identify overlooked consequence of spatial separation of cells into nucleus, cytoplasm

Genetically identical cells do not always behave the same way. According to the accepted theory, the reason are random molecular processes - known as random noise. For decades this view has been underpinned by numerous experiments and theoretical models.

18 Dec 2015

Many gene variants affect person's response to medication

In recent decades much hope was based on the development of personalised drug treatments, in which genetic tests determine the choice and optimal dose of medication for each individual patient. However, the real breakthrough is still to be seen, and now researchers at Karolinska Institutet show in two separate scientific papers that many more gene variants affect how a person responds to medication than previously thought - and thus that today's analytical tools are too coarse.

16 Dec 2015

Genetic Information News and Research

CPMC study discovers six genes that affect sleep duration

New gene-filtering tool aims to predict disease-causing mutations

New mechanism of differentiation may offer novel therapeutic approaches to blood malignancies, solid tumors

Drugs that block KDM4C and PRMT1 genes could be effective in treating AML

Genetic factors in puberty timing: an interview with Dr John Perry

World's largest database for cancer drug discovery revolutionised by 3D techniques

International panel of clinical experts comment on state of their fields

St. Jude scientists develop interactive tool to advance understanding of mutations that fuel pediatric cancer

UAB's Undiagnosed Diseases Program finds answers for mysterious health issues

3D maps of spatial organization may help find genes involved in hereditary diseases

Healthier weight using genetic data for customized diets and physical activity plans

Computers could discover future drugs

Study identifies genetic factors that play role in AMD

Researchers reveal inherited genetic errors across 12 cancer types

Study reveals new genetic factors linked to age-related macular degeneration

Scientists identify genes linked to human intelligence

New easy-to-use computer program can quickly identify drug-resistant infections

Heidelberg neurobiologists identify Dnmt3a2 protein that boosts memory performance

Scientists identify overlooked consequence of spatial separation of cells into nucleus, cytoplasm

Many gene variants affect person's response to medication

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