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RNA sequencing unlocks bipolar secrets

An RNA sequencing study of patients with bipolar disorder has shown altered expression of genes and transcripts, including those involved in neuroplasticity and circadian rhythms.

16 Jan 2014

Presence of gene variant in people with MCI associated with accelerated rates of brain atrophy

The presence of a gene variant in people with mild cognitive impairment is associated with accelerated rates of brain atrophy, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.

15 Jan 2014

Researchers examine genetic variants associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes

Contrary to a common belief, researchers have shown that genetic regions associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes were unlikely to have been beneficial to people at stages through human evolution.

10 Jan 2014

Study finds extraordinary link between narcolepsy and specific gene variant

A new study conducted across Europe found an extraordinary association between narcolepsy and a specific gene variant related to the immune system.

2 Jan 2014

Genotyping strategy could boost celiac screening efficacy

Genotyping for human leukocyte antigen followed by biopsy is a sensitive strategy for detecting histopathologic lesions in the close relatives of people with celiac disease, research indicates.

24 Dec 2013

Further boost for copy number variant role in schizophrenia

A large study confirms that 11 previously identified copy number variants are likely associated with schizophrenia.

20 Dec 2013

Shared genetic risk for bipolar disorder and BMI

Researchers have found a positive association in the heritability of bipolar disorder and body mass index, supporting the theory that there is some interaction in the genetic mechanisms underlying these two traits.

19 Dec 2013

Neurocognitive abnormalities ‘fundamental’ to schizophrenia

Rare copy-number variants that confer a high risk for schizophrenia or autism are associated with impaired cognition in carriers without psychiatric disorders, researchers report in Nature.

19 Dec 2013

Rich club disconnectivity may be ‘core’ schizophrenia feature

The impaired “rich club” connectivity observed in the brains of patients with schizophrenia is also present in their unaffected siblings, report researchers.

17 Dec 2013

FoundationOne Heme identifies clinically actionable genomic alterations in multiple myeloma cases

Foundation Medicine today announced new data from a pilot study demonstrating that its fully informative genomic profile for hematologic malignancies, FoundationOne Heme, identified both novel and previously reported clinically actionable genomic alterations in multiple myeloma cases. These data were presented in an oral presentation titled Pilot Study To Evaluate The Prevalence Of Actionable Oncogenic Mutations In Patients With Relapsed Refractory Multiple Myeloma (abstract number 755) by Alexander Lesokhin, M.D., medical oncologist, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, at the 55th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting in New Orleans.

10 Dec 2013

Tet1 helps erase epigenetic imprints from genome ahead of egg, sperm development

A protein called Tet1 is partly responsible for giving primordial germ cells a clean epigenetic slate before developing into sperm and egg cells, according to a new study by researchers at Boston Children's Hospital.

4 Dec 2013

Study links genetic predisposition to childhood obesity

Research has suggested that a particular gene in the brain's reward system contributes to overeating and obesity in adults. This same variant has now been linked to childhood obesity and tasty food choices, particularly for girls, according to a new study by Dr. Patricia Silveira and Prof. Michael Meaney of McGill University and Dr. Robert Levitan of the University of Toronto.

27 Nov 2013

Researchers use new approach to parse roles of key mutated protein that causes familial AD

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have used genetic engineering of human induced pluripotent stem cells to specifically and precisely parse the roles of a key mutated protein in causing familial Alzheimer's disease, discovering that simple loss-of-function does not contribute to the inherited form of the neurodegenerative disorder.

15 Nov 2013

Gene-diet interaction may shed light on increased risk of colorectal cancer linked with meat consumption

A newly discovered potential gene-diet interaction for colorectal cancer was reported today (Thursday, Oct. 24) at the American Society of Human Genetics 2013 meeting in Boston.

25 Oct 2013

Study identifies gene that raises risk for colorectal cancer from eating red or processed meat

A common genetic variant that affects 1 in 3 people significantly increases the risk of colorectal cancer from the consumption of red meat and processed meat, according to a study presented today at the annual American Society of Human Genetics 2013 meeting, the largest gathering of human geneticists in the world.

25 Oct 2013

Study: Skin tanning gene linked to higher risk for testicular cancer in white men

A gene important in skin tanning has been linked to higher risk for testicular cancer in white men, according to a study led by scientists from the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the University of Oxford in England.

19 Oct 2013

Gene involved in regulation of serotonin predicts how much our emotions affect our relationships

What makes some people more prone to wedded bliss or sorrow than others? Researchers at UC Berkeley and Northwestern University have found a major clue in our DNA. A gene involved in the regulation of serotonin can predict how much our emotions affect our relationships, according to a new study that may be the first to link genetics, emotions, and marital satisfaction. The study was conducted at UC Berkeley.

8 Oct 2013

Study shows precision medicine provides better treatment options for mentally ill person

A multidisciplinary team led by a geneticist and psychiatrist from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory's (CSHL) Stanley Institute for Cognitive Genomics today publish a paper providing a glimpse of both the tremendous power and the current limitations of what is sometimes called "precision medicine."

5 Oct 2013

Genetic discovery could take guesswork out of prescribing correct dose of drugs

The discovery of genetic differences affecting up to a third of the population could take the guesswork out of prescribing the correct dose of 25 percent of drugs currently on the market, researchers say.

2 Oct 2013

Researchers examine evolutionary selective pressure for MC1R gene among Spaniard and European populations

The proclivity of Spaniards to bask in regions like the Costa del Sol while their northern European counterparts must stay under cover to protect their paler skin or risk skin cancer is due in large part to the pigment producing qualities of the MC1R gene locus.

19 Sep 2013