Genes News and Research

RSS

Mount Sinai researchers reprogram blood cells into iPSCs to study genetic origins of MDS

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) -- adult cells reprogrammed back to an embryonic stem cell-like state--may better model the genetic contributions to each patient's particular disease. In a process called cellular reprogramming, researchers at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have taken mature blood cells from patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and reprogrammed them back into iPSCs to study the genetic origins of this rare blood cancer.

26 Mar 2015

Arno Therapeutics' AR-42 with cisplatin demonstrates anti-tumor effect in bladder cancer models

Arno Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company primarily focused on the development of oncology therapeutics, today announced that data from a preclinical study demonstrate its histone-deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor AR-42 in combination with cisplatin has a synergistic anti-tumor effect in bladder cancer models.

26 Mar 2015

Regulus' RG-012 receives orphan medicinal product designation in EU for treatment of Alport syndrome

Regulus Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company leading the discovery and development of innovative medicines targeting microRNAs, announced today that the European Commission has granted orphan medicinal product designation for RG-012, a single stranded, chemically modified oligonucleotide that binds to and inhibits the function of microRNA-21 ("miR-21") for the treatment of Alport syndrome, a life-threatening genetic kidney disease with no approved therapy.

25 Mar 2015

New study reveals how cells sort out loops meant to encode microRNAs

Just as two DNA strands naturally arrange themselves into a helix, DNA's molecular cousin RNA can form hairpin-like loops. But unlike DNA, which has a single job, RNA can play many parts -- including acting as a precursor for small molecules that block the activity of genes. These small RNA molecules must be trimmed from long hairpin-loop structures, raising a question: How do cells know which RNA loops need to be processed this way and which don't?

25 Mar 2015

DNA samples collected from tampons may help detect endometrial cancer

Researchers at Mayo Clinic have shown that it is possible to detect endometrial cancer using tumor DNA picked up by ordinary tampons. The new approach specifically examines DNA samples from vaginal secretions for the presence of chemical "off" switches — known as methylation — that can disable genes that normally keep cancer in check.

25 Mar 2015

Migraine headaches with auras may increase risk of stroke

People who suffer migraine headaches with auras are at roughly double the risk of suffering the most common type of stroke.

25 Mar 2015

Biological clue could help explain why some drinkers can't resist alcohol

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine researchers have discovered a biological clue that could help explain why some drinkers develop a dependence on alcohol and others do not.

25 Mar 2015

Discovery opens door to possible new ways to break transmission cycle of schistosomiasis

Researchers at Oregon State University have discovered a group of genes in one species of snail that provide a natural resistance to the flatworm parasite that causes schistosomiasis, and opens the door to possible new drugs or ways to break the transmission cycle of this debilitating disease.

25 Mar 2015

Loyola ophthalmologist recommends specific foods and supplements for healthy vision

You may remember your mother telling you to eat your carrots; they are good for your eyes. Well, she was right. "Carrots are actually just one of the many foods, and supplements that contribute to good eye health," says James McDonnell, MD, pediatric ophthalmologist, Loyola University Health System. "In some cases, eyesight can actually be improved depending on what you eat."

24 Mar 2015

Plexin D1 gene determines body fat distribution in humans

Scientists have known for some time that people who carry a lot of weight around their bellies are more likely to develop diabetes and heart disease than those who have bigger hips and thighs.

24 Mar 2015

Scientists identify key molecules that trigger immune system to fight tularemia

Research led by scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has identified key molecules that trigger the immune system to launch an attack on the bacterium that causes tularemia.

24 Mar 2015

Vitamin D3 and metformin show promising results in preventing colorectal cancer

The concept was simple: If two compounds each individually show promise in preventing colon cancer, surely it's worth trying the two together to see if even greater impact is possible.

24 Mar 2015

Male genetic diversity declined due to wealth, power rather than `survival of fittest`

The DNA you inherit from your parents contributes to the physical make-up of your body -- whether you have blue eyes or brown, black hair or red, or are male or female.

23 Mar 2015

Gene regulatory code remained same across the evolution

The language used in the switches that turn genes on and off has remained the same across millions of years of evolution, according to a new study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. The findings, which are published in the scientific journal "eLife", indicate that the differences between animals reside in the content and length of the instructions that are written using this conserved language.

23 Mar 2015

Discovery may lead to new potential treatment for drug-resistant melanoma

In the last several years, targeted therapies - drugs that directly impact specific genes and proteins involved in the progression of cancer - have been approved for a wide variety of cancers, including melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Now, researchers at The Wistar Institute have discovered one way in which melanoma becomes resistant to a particular form of targeted therapy, and understanding this phenomenon may lead to a new melanoma target or prompt new designs of these treatments.

23 Mar 2015