Genetic Engineering News and Research

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Scientists identify key gene in 22q11.2 that contributes to genitourinary birth defects

The 22q11.2 region of human chromosome 22 is a hotspot for a variety of birth defects. Scientists learned about this region because it is deleted in about 1 in 4,000 births, causing the loss or duplication of up to 40 genes.

25 May 2017

Researchers discover likely cause for visual impairment in Finnish variant of NCL

Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland have discovered a likely cause for visual impairment and eventual loss of vision in the Finnish variant of Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis.

17 May 2017

Researchers identify many dangerous strains of TB pathogens

Researchers from the Vavilov Institute of General Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (VIGG) and the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology have established a catalog of mutations in 319 virulence genes of mycobacteria that cause tuberculosis.

16 May 2017

Improper methylation of cilia protein linked to increased risk of neural tube defects

Research published online in The FASEB Journal shows that the improper methylation of a protein called "Septin2," which regulates the structure of cilia, was associated with an increased risk of having a neural tube defect (NTD) and confirms that cilia are important factors in determining susceptibility of NTDs.

11 May 2017

Researchers identify brain cells that drive fruit flies’ food choices based on nutrition needs

Using fruit flies, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have identified a specific and very small set of brain cells -- dubbed dopamine wedge neurons -- responsible for driving the insects' food preferences toward what they need, rather than what they like.

10 May 2017

New trial aims to prolong remission for pediatric leukemia patients treated with T-cell immunotherapy

After phase 1 results of Seattle Children's Pediatric Leukemia Adoptive Therapy trial have shown T-cell immunotherapy to be effective in getting 93 percent of patients with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia into complete initial remission, researchers have now opened a first-in-human clinical trial aimed at reducing the rate of relapse after the therapy, which is about 50 percent.

9 May 2017

New UCI Malaria Initiative aims to disrupt deadly disease transmission in Africa

University of California, Irvine vector biologist Anthony James will lead a multimillion-dollar effort to cultivate new strains of mosquitoes to fight malaria in Africa.

9 May 2017

Study finds higher rates of suicidal thoughts and attempts among transgender adults

Suicidal thoughts and attempts by adult transgender individuals were 14 and 22 times higher, respectively, than rates for the general public, according to a new study published in Transgender Health, a peer-reviewed open access journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available open access on the Transgender Health website.

4 May 2017

Disrupting the circadian clock can alter gut microbiome and the body's response to diet

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have discovered that changing the circadian clock in mouse liver can alter how the body responds to diet and also change the microbes living in the digestive track.

4 May 2017

Synthetic biologists re-engineer yeast cells to manufacture antibiotic penicillin

The synthetic biologists from Imperial College London have re-engineered yeast cells to manufacture the nonribosomal peptide antibiotic penicillin. In laboratory experiments, they were able to demonstrate that this yeast had antibacterial properties against streptococcus bacteria.

4 May 2017

Lethal DNA re-replication may be used to attack cancer cells

DNA over-replication is a phenomenon that can have devastating consequences for proliferating cells. When parts of the genome are duplicated more than once, cells suffer from 'genomic instability' (alterations to the structure, composition and/or number of chromosomes), and this process gives rise to aberrant cells as those detected in many carcinomas.

4 May 2017

Impaired effects of insulin can increase cancer risk, shows study

Over the decades, scientists have repeatedly shown that patients with increased levels of the hormone insulin in their blood can experience increased risks of cancer. Surprisingly, however, Joslin Diabetes Center researchers now have discovered that impaired effects of insulin also can boost these risks.

3 May 2017

Scientists map genetic changes that help drive aggressive brain tumor

University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers and collaborators have mapped genetic changes that help drive an aggressive tumor as it develops in the brain – helping to lay the foundation for targeted treatment of the disease.

3 May 2017

Researchers propose link between acupuncture and 21st century medicine

MD, and co-author Rosa Schnyer, PhD, LAc propose that elements of classical acupuncture "are related to important 21st century advances in physiology and medicine, including systems biology, cross-system integration, matrix biology and mechanotherapeutics."

29 Apr 2017

China creates new kinase-based whole-cell screening library for high-throughput drug assay

After five years of hard work, China has completed the world's largest kinase-based whole-cell screening library for high-throughput drug assay.

28 Apr 2017

Gene critical for tumor progression also encourages growth of intestinal stem cells, study shows

A gene previously identified as critical for tumor growth in many human cancers also maintains intestinal stem cells and encourages the growth of cells that support them, according to results of a study led by Johns Hopkins researchers.

28 Apr 2017

Antidepressant improves drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier, rat study shows

NIH rat study suggests amitriptyline temporarily inhibits the blood-brain barrier, allowing drugs to enter the brain.

27 Apr 2017

Low levels of NPTX2 protein in the brain may lead to learning and memory loss in Alzheimer's disease

Working with human brain tissue samples and genetically engineered mice, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers together with colleagues at the National Institutes of Health, the University of California San Diego Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Columbia University, and the Institute for Basic Research in Staten Island say that consequences of low levels of the protein NPTX2 in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) may change the pattern of neural activity in ways that lead to the learning and memory loss that are hallmarks of the disease.

25 Apr 2017

Researchers discover gene that may play role in restoring hearing after noise exposure

Researchers have discovered that a protein implicated in human longevity may also play a role in restoring hearing after noise exposure. The findings, where were published in the journal Scientific Reports, could one day provide researchers with new tools to prevent hearing loss.

24 Apr 2017

High-fat diet and obesity drive liver immune cells to promote metabolic syndrome

A high-fat diet and obesity turn "hero" virus-fighting liver immune cells "rogue", leading to insulin resistance, a condition that often results in type 2 diabetes, according to research published today in Science Immunology.

21 Apr 2017

Genetic Engineering News and Research

Scientists identify key gene in 22q11.2 that contributes to genitourinary birth defects

Researchers discover likely cause for visual impairment in Finnish variant of NCL

Researchers identify many dangerous strains of TB pathogens

Improper methylation of cilia protein linked to increased risk of neural tube defects

Researchers identify brain cells that drive fruit flies’ food choices based on nutrition needs

New trial aims to prolong remission for pediatric leukemia patients treated with T-cell immunotherapy

New UCI Malaria Initiative aims to disrupt deadly disease transmission in Africa

Study finds higher rates of suicidal thoughts and attempts among transgender adults

Disrupting the circadian clock can alter gut microbiome and the body's response to diet

Synthetic biologists re-engineer yeast cells to manufacture antibiotic penicillin

Lethal DNA re-replication may be used to attack cancer cells

Impaired effects of insulin can increase cancer risk, shows study

Scientists map genetic changes that help drive aggressive brain tumor

Researchers propose link between acupuncture and 21st century medicine

China creates new kinase-based whole-cell screening library for high-throughput drug assay

Gene critical for tumor progression also encourages growth of intestinal stem cells, study shows

Antidepressant improves drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier, rat study shows

Low levels of NPTX2 protein in the brain may lead to learning and memory loss in Alzheimer's disease

Researchers discover gene that may play role in restoring hearing after noise exposure

High-fat diet and obesity drive liver immune cells to promote metabolic syndrome

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