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Missing brain protein may be one of the culprits behind autism and other brain disorders

The protein helps synapses develop. Synapses--through which neurons communicate with one other-underlie our ability to learn and remember. Now Li-Huei Tsai, Picower Professor of Neuroscience at MIT, has uncovered an enzyme that is key to that protein's activity.

5 Dec 2007

Genetic markers for mental illness

Researchers have discovered natural genetic differences that might help predict the most effective antipsychotic drugs for particular patients with mental disorders such as schizophrenia, Parkinson's and drug addiction.

4 Dec 2007

Genetic testing for severe type of migraine may help identify new treatment options

People with a severe type of migraine in which one side of the body becomes weak should consider genetic testing, according to research that has found familial genes for this type of migraine in people who did not have family members experiencing the problem.

4 Dec 2007

Genes discovered that protect against heart damage from chemotherapy

A series of genes that protect cells from the powerful, common chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin has been identified by researchers working to understand how the drug also can destroy the heart.

4 Dec 2007

New genetic markers found that increase a person's risk for schizophrenia

Scientists at the Zucker Hillside Hospital campus of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have identified nine genetic markers that can increase a person's risk for schizophrenia.

4 Dec 2007

Hydrogen sulfide provides clues to a longer life

Hydrogen sulfide, or H2S, the chemical that gives rotten eggs their sulfurous stench - and the same compound that researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center successfully have used to put mice into a state of reversible metabolic hibernation - has now been shown to significantly increase life span and heat tolerance in the nematode worm, or C. elegans.

4 Dec 2007

Cold Spring Harbor Protocols features innovative methods for embryology research

Two methods that permit scientists to examine critical stages in early embryogenesis are featured in this month's release of Cold Spring Harbor Protocols.

4 Dec 2007

Prolonged exposure to night shift work increases odds of cancer

A study by the World Health Organization has found that night shift work increases the risk of cancer in humans.

3 Dec 2007

New tool for analyzing genetic variations in the inflammation pathways

Scientists have known which genes are linked to inflammation, but now researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have organized this information to develop a powerful tool to aid investigators in studying the genetics of inflammatory diseases.

3 Dec 2007

Boosting an exercise-related gene in the brain works as a powerful anti-depressant in mice

This finding could lead to a new anti-depressant drug target, according to a Yale School of Medicine report in Nature Medicine.

3 Dec 2007

Broccoli shows benefits for epidermolysis bullosa simplex

The compound sulforaphane whose natural precursors are found at high levels in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables has been hailed for its chemopreventive powers against cancer.

3 Dec 2007

Genomic disorders occur more frequently than previously thought

Research published today in Nature Genetics shows that some rearrangements of the human genome occur more frequently than previously thought.

3 Dec 2007

Discovery of key lupus gene

Wellcome Trust researchers have identified a key gene involved in the disease Lupus, which affects around 50,000 people in the UK, mostly women.

3 Dec 2007

Genetic testing over the net a waste of money say experts

According to a panel of top British scientists people who buy genetic tests from private companies are usually wasting their money.

3 Dec 2007

First map of imprinted genes in human genome

Scientists at Duke University have created the first map of imprinted genes throughout the human genome, and they say a modern-day Rosetta stone – a form of artificial intelligence called machine learning – was the key to their success.

2 Dec 2007

DNA methylation shown to promote development of colon tumors

Damaged or defective genes have long been known to be the cause of some cancers.

2 Dec 2007

Bacteria cheat on their mates for own good

Pursuing our own short term interests by cheating on the rest of the population is not the preserve of the human race.

29 Nov 2007

Sirtris Pharmaceuticals unveils promising, novel SIRT1 activators for treating diseases of aging

Sirtris Pharmaceuticals has announced that findings in the journal Nature demonstrate that Sirtris has developed novel drug candidates that offer a promising, new approach to treating diseases of aging, including Type 2 Diabetes, by targeting SIRT1, a gene that controls the aging process.

29 Nov 2007

New genetic findings on malaria parasite

The malaria parasite has been studied for decades, but surprisingly, little is known about how it behaves in humans to cause disease.

29 Nov 2007

Scientists observe gene activity outside the body

Researchers at Jefferson Medical College and Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia have used PET imaging to see hyperactive cancer genes inside breast tumors in laboratory animals, marking the first time such gene activity has been observed from outside the body.

29 Nov 2007