Genes News and Research

RSS

Silencing small but mighty cancer inhibitors

Researchers from Johns Hopkins and the University of Pennsylvania have uncovered another reason why one of the most commonly activated proteins in cancer is in fact so dangerous.

10 Dec 2007

New test for targeted therapy in acute myeloid leukemia

Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute researcher Jeff Tyner, Ph.D., has created a way to identify proteins that are candidates for targeted therapy in acute myeloid leukemia using an assay that yields results in just four days.

10 Dec 2007

Is there a developmental component to the risk for depression?

Psychiatrists remain divided as to how to define and classify the mood and anxiety disorders, the most common mental disorders.

10 Dec 2007

Growth factor receptor affects prostate cancer progression

Breeding mice with a gene for a cellular receptor that can be turned on and off-at will-not only enabled researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston to show how prostate cancer progresses, but also provides a model for studying when a drug targeting a gene will have an effect on the cancer.

10 Dec 2007

Human evolution in genetic fast lane

Countering a common theory that human evolution has slowed to a crawl or even stopped in modern humans, a new study examining data from an international genomics project describes the past 40,000 years as a time of supercharged evolutionary change, driven by exponential population growth and cultural shifts.

10 Dec 2007

Role of genetics in multiple sclerosis

New research announced this week has found an association between certain genes and the severity of multiple sclerosis (MS).

10 Dec 2007

Genetic evidence that human evolution is speeding up

Researchers discovered genetic evidence that human evolution is speeding up – and has not halted or proceeded at a constant rate, as had been thought – indicating that humans on different continents are becoming increasingly different.

10 Dec 2007

Nicotine has significant effects on brain GABA

There is a clear link between GABA - a chemical substance of the central nervous system that inhibits neurons in the brain - and nicotine dependence, according to a study presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) annual meeting.

10 Dec 2007

Stable sleep patterns and regular routines may improve outcomes in bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder, commonly known as manic-depressive disorder, is highly influenced by the circadian system - the body's internal clock - and a specific kind of psychotherapy may help decrease irregularities in the circadian system that can trigger key symptoms of bipolar disorder, according to a study presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) annual meeting.

10 Dec 2007

Possible genetic link between schizophrenia and cancer

A series of studies presented today at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) annual meeting elucidates evidence that there is a genetic link between schizophrenia and cancer, providing a surprising possible scientific explanation for lower rates of cancer among patients with schizophrenia – despite having poor diets and high rates of smoking – and their parents.

10 Dec 2007

New understanding of biological effects of alcohol on genes within cells

Alcohol triggers the activation of a variety of genes that can influence the health and activity of brain cells, and new research from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City sheds light on how that process occurs.

10 Dec 2007

Study shows how mutations in the BRCA1 gene lead to breast cancer

An international team of researchers led by Columbia University Medical Center's Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center and Sweden's Lund University has, for the first time, revealed how mutations in the BRCA1 gene lead to breast cancer.

10 Dec 2007

Mechanism for regulation of growth and differentiation of adult muscle stem cells is revealed

During muscle regeneration, which is a natural response to injury and disease, environmental cues cause adult muscle stem cells (satellite cells) to shift from dormancy to actively building new muscle tissue.

10 Dec 2007

Reprogrammed stem cells cure sickle cell anaemia

Scientists in the U.S. have made a breakthrough in the fight against sickle cell anaemia, a blood disease caused by a defect in a single gene.

9 Dec 2007

Discovery of potential "getting drunk" gene

A variant of a gene involved in communication among brain cells has a direct influence on alcohol consumption in mice, according to a new study by scientists supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the U.S. Army.

5 Dec 2007

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