Genetic News and Research

RSS

Scientists reveal cancer cells' immune weak spot

Scientists have found a vulnerability in cancer cells that could make them more susceptible to being destroyed by the immune system, according to a new report in eLife.

27 Aug 2019

Excess body fat linked to greater risk of developing depression

Carrying ten kilograms of excess body fat increases the risk of depression by seventeen per cent. The more fat, the greater the probability of developing depression. This is the main conclusion of a new study carried out by researchers from Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.

27 Aug 2019

Infants with genetic epilepsy show better response to treatment with ketogenic diet

Infants and young children with epilepsy due to a confirmed genetic abnormality had a better response to treatment with ketogenic diet compared to patients with other types of epilepsy, according to a review of 10-year experience at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. Results were published in Scientific Reports.

27 Aug 2019

Researchers develop simple method for isolating placental cells from cervical swabs

Brown University researchers have developed a simple method for isolating placental cells from cervical swabs. The technique, described in the journal Scientific Reports, could aid in developing less invasive ways of diagnosing genetic disorders in developing fetuses.

27 Aug 2019

Sick mitochondria pollute the cells, cause telomere damage

Researchers at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center provide the first concrete evidence for the long-held belief that sick mitochondria pollute the cells they're supposed to be supplying with power.

27 Aug 2019

New study provides unprecedented insights into retina's genetic code

Australian scientists have led the development of the world's most detailed gene map of the human retina, providing new insights which will help future research to prevent and treat blindness.

27 Aug 2019

Researchers demonstrate the effectiveness of new bladder cancer treatment

Researchers from the Molecular Cancer group at the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute and doctors from Hospital del Mar, have demonstrated the effectiveness of a drug for treating metastatic bladder cancer in patients who did not respond to the usual treatment.

27 Aug 2019

Polycystic kidney disease may be preventable

Kidney failure is a lifelong burden in hundreds of thousands of people who need to be treated either by dialysis or a kidney transplant. Both procedures significantly increase the cost of healthcare and reduce the quality of life.

26 Aug 2019

Early detection method for pinpointing molecular signatures of Lyme disease

When researchers examined the mitochondrial DNA of Ötzi, a man entombed in ice high in the Tyrolean Alps some 5,300 years ago, they made a startling discovery.

26 Aug 2019

Researchers discover how fatty liver disease develops in lean people

Researchers from The Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR) have discovered how fatty liver disease develops in lean people, aiding the development of potential treatments for these patients.

26 Aug 2019

"Australian" genetic mutation provides clues to Alzheimer’s mechanism

In an astonishing new breakthrough in Alzheimer’s research, the molecular basis of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and age-linked AD has been identified by looking at one type of genetic mutation.

26 Aug 2019

Yale-led study reveals new factors that contribute to hardening of arteries and plaque growth

In a new Yale-led study, investigators have revealed previously unknown factors that contribute to the hardening of arteries and plaque growth, which cause heart disease.

26 Aug 2019

New hand-held device can predict your risk of heart failure

A hand-held device to predict heart failure based on saliva could help millions of potential victims take preventative steps to avoid their fate.

26 Aug 2019

Experts to gather for world’s largest annual symposium on DNA forensics

ISHI, world’s largest annual meeting on DNA forensics, will draw scientists to collaborate on the newest forensic technologies and industry trends.

From Promega Corporation 26 Aug 2019

Genetic link between children’s language and poor mental health identified

The University of York-led study examined genetic variants in six genes that are thought to contribute to language development in children.

26 Aug 2019

Salk researchers develop new gene-editing tool to target broad range of mutations, cell types

The ability to edit genes in living organisms offers the opportunity to treat a plethora of inherited diseases. However, many types of gene-editing tools are unable to target critical areas of DNA, and creating such a technology has been difficult as living tissue contains diverse types of cells.

26 Aug 2019

Hidden Zika outbreak in Cuba uncovered by genomic sequencing and travel data

Researchers from the Scripps have stumbled upon evidence of a hidden outbreak of Zika virus infection in Cuba, around 300 miles from the coast of Miami. The researchers managed to detect the outbreak by some detective work that used air travel patterns as well as genome sequencing of the viral samples.

25 Aug 2019

Researchers discover pivotal role for bacterial sex in evolution of mammalian microbiome

In a pioneer study now published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science - USA, the research team led by Isabel Gordo, from the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, in collaboration with researcher Michael Lässig of Cologne University, used healthy mice to study real-time gut colonization and discovered a pivotal role for bacterial sex in the evolution of the mammalian microbiome.

25 Aug 2019

Living Cells Can Record and Track Genomic Events with New “Designer Cell” Computer Technology

Published in Molecular Cell, researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a new technology that uses DNA to process and store information in living cells.

23 Aug 2019

UQ researchers discover how our genes, environment influence BMI and height

Environmental conditions influence our body mass index by increasing or decreasing the effect of inherited genetic variations, University of Queensland researchers have discovered.

23 Aug 2019