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Scientists discover important hallmark of aging in neuronal cells

MIT researchers have discovered that free radicals cause a build-up of short RNA snippets which could contribute to neuronal ageing and cognitive decline.

27 Nov 2018

New platform for metagenomic analysis

A team of developers from Skolkovo, ITMO University and MIPT presented an online service called Knomics-Biota, which allows for a comprehensive study of intestinal microbiome genetic data.

27 Nov 2018

Gene-brain association occurs differently in toddlers with autism and poor language development

An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of Cyprus and University of California San Diego School of Medicine, have identified a previously unknown, large-scale association between molecular gene expression activity in blood leukocyte cells and altered neural responses to speech in toddlers with autism as measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

27 Nov 2018

Using molecular targeting approach to kill melanoma cells

In 1960, scientists described the "Philadelphia chromosome" that causes chronic myeloid leukemia, and in 2001 the Food and Drug Administration approved the drug imatinib to disable the action of this cancer-causing genetic change.

27 Nov 2018

New breakthrough may speed up research and drug trials to tackle motor neurone disease

Scientists from the University of Sheffield have successfully created zebrafish that carry the complex genetic change known to cause the most common genetic form of motor neurone disease (MND).

27 Nov 2018

Study: Measuring and monitoring tumor DNA can help reveal early melanoma growth

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center say they have added to evidence that measuring and monitoring tumor DNA that naturally circulates in the blood of melanoma patients can not only reliably help reveal the early stages of cancer growth and spread but also uncover new treatment options that tumor genetic analysis alone may not.

27 Nov 2018

Scientists focus on epigenetics to identify factors involved in Hispanic childhood obesity

Are there changes that affect genes and fuel a person's propensity to develop obesity? That's a question under study at Texas Biomedical Research Institute.

27 Nov 2018

FDA grants accelerated approval to oncology drug for treatment of key genetic driver of cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today granted accelerated approval to Vitrakvi (larotrectinib), a treatment for adult and pediatric patients whose cancers have a specific genetic feature (biomarker).

27 Nov 2018

ASHG reaffirms cautious but proactive approach recommended in its 2017 position statement on germline genome editing

Given this morning's reports of infants possibly born in China whose genomes were edited by CRISPR-based technology, the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) reaffirms the cautious but proactive approach recommended in its 2017 position statement on human germline genome editing, published in The American Journal of Human Genetics.

26 Nov 2018

International study of ADHD at genomic scale

An international study, focused on the analysis of the genome of more than 50,000 people worldwide, has identified twelve specific fragments of DNA related to the vulnerability of the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

26 Nov 2018

Study finds genetic links between alcohol dependence and psychiatric disorders

In the largest study of genetic factors linked to alcohol dependence, an international team of researchers identified a gene known to affect risk, and they determined that many other genes also contribute to risk for alcohol dependence to a lesser degree.

26 Nov 2018

Scripps Research scientists reveal potential new approach to design HIV vaccines

A new candidate HIV vaccine from Scripps Research surmounts technical hurdles that stymied previous vaccine efforts, and stimulates a powerful anti-HIV antibody response in animal tests.

26 Nov 2018

Researchers attempt to create world's first genetically edited babies

The researchers have used CRISPR to edit the genes of IVF embryos in a controversial attempt to create offspring that are resistant to disease.

26 Nov 2018

Scientists develop new surgical process for studying the thymus

Elisa Oltra, head of the Genetic Exppression and Immunity group of the Faculty of Medicine at the Catholic University of Valencia, in collaboration with Alejandro Caicedo, professor of the Department of Medicine of the University of Miami, have developed a surgical process which makes it possible to place functional fragments of the thymus in the anterior chamber of the eyes of mice.

26 Nov 2018

Genetic risk score for autism linked with outcomes of psychological treatment

Depression is a common disorder for which cognitive behavioral therapy is the recommended treatment for most patients.

26 Nov 2018

A love of coffee and tea is mostly genetic

The morning coffee or tea can perk one up for the day, however, for some of us these beverages are too bitter. Researchers have now found that the bitter taste experienced is all down to genes. The new study titled, “Understanding the role of bitter taste perception in coffee, tea and alcohol consumption through Mendelian randomization,” was published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Scientific Reports.

25 Nov 2018

Why Mosquitoes prefer some people over others: Genetic discovery

A new study has tried to assess the genetic variants among mosquitoes that make them more susceptible to spreading deadly viral diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, Zika and chikungunya and more resistant to insecticides that are used to kill them.

25 Nov 2018

Researchers successfully restore sense of vision in blind people using BVT's bionic eye

Bionic Vision Technologies Pty Ltd today announced medical researchers had successfully restored a sense of vision in four blind people with its bionic eye as part of a clinical trial in Melbourne.

22 Nov 2018

Research team urges shake-up in mental health provision to enhance patient care

A new study published in the journal Social Theory & Health has called into question how patients interact and respond to psychiatry when they present to mental health services.

22 Nov 2018

New method enhances efficiency and accuracy of single cell RNA sequencing

In the era of personalized medicine, scientists are using new genetic and genomic insights to help them determine the best treatment for a given patient. In the case of cancer, the first step toward these treatments is an investigation into how tumor cells behave in an effort to figure out the best drugs to use to attack them.

22 Nov 2018