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Experimental drug benefits women with advanced ovarian or breast tumours caused by BRCA gene faults

An experimental drug called olaparib has been shown to shrink tumours in women whose advanced cancers were caused by faults in their BRCA genes.

17 Aug 2010

Study finds abnormal expression of miRNAs can contribute to human diseases

Researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine and Tufts Medical Center have identified an RNA sequence that promotes increased numbers of specific microRNAs (miRNAs), molecules that regulate cell growth, development, and stress response. The discovery helps researchers understand the links between miRNA expression and disease, including heart disease and cancer. The findings are published in the August 13 issue of Molecular Cell.

17 Aug 2010

Scientists find epigenetic landscape map for tissue differentiation

Having charted the occurrence of a common chemical change that takes place while stem cells decide their fates and progress from precursor to progeny, a Johns Hopkins-led team of scientists has produced the first-ever epigenetic landscape map for tissue differentiation.The details of this collaborative study between Johns Hopkins, Stanford and Harvard appear August 15 in the early online publication of Nature.

17 Aug 2010

Non-viral gene therapy delays onset of eye disease

In one of only two studies of its kind, a study from researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine and the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts demonstrates that non-viral gene therapy can delay the onset of some forms of eye disease and preserve vision. The team developed nanoparticles to deliver therapeutic genes to the retina and found that treated mice temporarily retained more eyesight than controls.

17 Aug 2010

Parkinson’s disease linked to genetic alteration of immune system: Study

Parkinson’s disease (PD), a severely crippling disease of the nerves and brain has been linked to genes that affect the immune system according to new research. In these patients the immune system may go awry attacking healthy tissues or failing to fight infections that leave people susceptible to the condition scientists say.

16 Aug 2010

$Study finds first clue that links childhood obesity to skeletal fractures$

Study finds first clue that links childhood obesity to skeletal fractures

Children at risk for diabetes before they reach puberty also appear to be at risk for weak bones, Medical College of Georgia researchers report.

16 Aug 2010

Arrayit announces addition of 128 new products to life sciences tools portfolio

Arrayit Corporation, a leader in life sciences and healthcare technology, announces today that the company has added 128 new products to its widely-used portfolio of life sciences tools. Arrayit now offers 836 life sciences products to researchers worldwide, all of which can be purchased on-line 24 hours a day at the Arrayit Store. The company has recorded $36.2M in product revenue in the Arrayit Store since its inception.

16 Aug 2010

Scientists identify genes associated with aggressive breast cancer

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have for the first time identified 12 genes that could be associated with aggressive breast tumours. The discovery could result in more reliable prognoses and better treatment strategies for patients.

16 Aug 2010

Abnormalities in certain genes may cause autism: Research

Together with colleagues from an international research group, autism researcher Christopher Gillberg of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has found in a new study that autism can be partially explained by abnormalities in certain genes. The group's results could, in the long run, pave the way for more appropriate treatments for autism.

16 Aug 2010

Scientists discover new signaling pathway to reduce tumour growth in glioblastoma multiforme

Malignant gliomas are the most common subtype of primary brain tumor - and one of the deadliest. Even as doctors make steady progress treating other types of solid tumor cancers, from breast to prostate, the most aggressive form of malignant glioma, called a glioblastoma multiforme or GBM, has steadfastly defied advances in neurosurgery, radiation therapy and various conventional or novel drugs. But an international team of scientists, headed by researchers at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, reports in the August 15 issue of Genes & Development that they have discovered a new signaling pathway between GBM cells - one that, if ultimately blocked or disrupted, could significantly slow or reduce tumor growth and malignancy.

16 Aug 2010

Researchers discover genetic alterations responsible for Kabuki syndrome

Using a new, rapid and less expensive DNA sequencing strategy, scientists have discovered genetic alterations that account for most cases of Kabuki syndrome, a rare disorder that causes multiple birth defects and mental retardation. Instead of sequencing the entire human genome, the new approach sequences just the exome, the 1-2 percent of the human genome that contains protein-coding genes.

16 Aug 2010

Common genetic variation in HLA region associated with late-onset sporadic Parkinson's disease: Research

A team of researchers has discovered new evidence that Parkinson's disease may have an infectious or autoimmune origin. "Common genetic variation in the HLA region is associated with late-onset sporadic Parkinson's disease" appears online in Nature Genetics.

16 Aug 2010

Dyadic second-quarter 2010 total revenue decreases to $2.2 million

Dyadic International, Inc., a global biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development, manufacture and sale of specialty enzyme products and solutions for the bioenergy, industrial enzyme and biopharmaceutical industries, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010.

13 Aug 2010

DNA repair genes in melanoma tumours repair associated with poor response to chemotherapy: Research

A Link between the level of active DNA repair genes in melanoma tumours and the effectiveness of chemotherapy for skin cancer patients has been established for the first time by a team of scientists.The study, part-funded by Cancer Research UK and published in Clinical Cancer Research today (Friday), found that higher levels of DNA repair genes in melanoma tumours were associated with a poorer response to chemotherapy.

13 Aug 2010

Study finds Olaparib can reduce tumor size in ovarian cancer women

Understanding the underlying genetic weakness of certain types of cancer may lead to targeted therapy and provide the key to effective treatment, a new study suggests. An international consortium of researchers has shown that an investigational drug, Olaparib, can reduce the size of tumors in women with advanced hereditary ovarian cancer with BRCA gene mutations.

13 Aug 2010

Cancer Research Technology grants Valirx global rights to develop VAL 201 for cancer treatment

Cancer Research Technology has signed a deal to provide biotech company ValiRx plc with the global rights to develop a promising compound to treat hormone-resistant prostate cancer.The compound, now called VAL 201, has been shown in pre-clinical tests in mice to stop growth of tumours which have been unresponsive to hormone treatments. VAL 201 blocks genes which can cause prostate cancer to develop. The compound has been shown to be effective in treating mice with breast and prostate cancer and is now rapidly progressing towards the first clinical trials in patients.

13 Aug 2010

Merlin protein controls adult cell activity to cause liver cancer

A protein known to be involved in a rare hereditary cancer syndrome may have a role in the regulation of liver stem cells and the development of liver cancer. In the August 15 issue of Genes & Development, a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) research team describes finding that the protein called merlin, encoded by the NF2 (neurofibromatosis type 2) gene, controls the activity of adult stem cells that give rise to the two major types of liver cells.

13 Aug 2010

Research finds genetic roots of alcoholism in humans

A novel mutation found in a mouse gene might provide new insights into the genetic roots of alcoholism in humans, according to a study led by researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center and the University of California, San Francisco. The study is published August 12th in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.

13 Aug 2010

Labopharm second-quarter total revenue increases to $6.8 million

Labopharm Inc. today reported its financial results for the second quarter and first six months ended June 30, 2010. All figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.

12 Aug 2010

Increased brain activity predicts anxious temperament in young primates

A new study focused on anxiety and brain activity pinpoints the brain regions that are relevant to developing childhood anxiety. The findings, published in the Aug. 12 edition of the journal Nature, may lead to new strategies for early detection and treatment of at-risk children.

12 Aug 2010