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Study finds relationships between body size and epigenetic changes

New research in human volunteers has shown that molecular changes to our genes, known as epigenetic marks, are driven mainly by ageing but are also affected by what we eat.

6 Dec 2012

SOX2 directly regulated by tumor suppressor CDKN1B(p27) gene

A team of researchers from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), led by Manuel Serrano, from the Tumour Suppression Group, together with scientists from London and Santiago de Compostela, has discovered that the cellular reprogramming gene SOX2, which is involved in several types of cancers, such as lung cancer and pituitary cancer, is directly regulated by the tumor suppressor CDKN1B(p27) gene, which is also associated with these types of cancer.

6 Dec 2012

Scientists identify novel mechanism by which ketogenic diet could delay effects of aging

Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have identified a novel mechanism by which a type of low-carb, low-calorie diet-called a "ketogenic diet"-could delay the effects of aging. This fundamental discovery reveals how such a diet could slow the aging process and may one day allow scientists to better treat or prevent age-related diseases, including heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and many forms of cancer.

6 Dec 2012

Researchers unlock mechanisms of how the body converts dietary carbohydrates into fat

A gene that helps the body convert that big plate of holiday cookies you just polished off into fat could provide a new target for potential treatments for fatty liver disease, diabetes and obesity.

6 Dec 2012

Study catalogs genetic variation of microbes that live in the gut

Our bodies contain far more microbial genes than human genes. And a new study suggests that just as human DNA varies from person to person, so too does the massive collection of microbial DNA in the intestine.

6 Dec 2012

Scientists evaluate two different strategies to treat Usher syndrome

After years of basic research, scientists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) are increasingly able to understand the mechanisms underlying the human Usher syndrome and are coming ever closer to finding a successful treatment approach. The scientists in the Usher research group of Professor Dr. Uwe Wolfrum are evaluating two different strategies. These involve either the repair of mutated genes or the deactivation of the genetic defects using agents.

6 Dec 2012

Scientists develop MitoFish for in vivo studies of mitochondria transport in nerve cells

Scientists have demonstrated a new way to investigate mechanisms at work in Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases, which also could prove useful in the search for effective drugs. For new insights, they turned to the zebrafish, which is transparent in the early stages of its life. The researchers developed a transgenic variety, the "MitoFish," that enables them to see - within individual neurons of living animals - how brain diseases disturb the transport of mitochondria, the power plants of the cell.

6 Dec 2012

TSRI scientist to better define how brain organizes different types of memories among neurons

A scientist from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has been awarded approximately $2.5 million from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to better define how the brain organizes different types of memories among its neurons.

6 Dec 2012

Tyk2 enzyme helps regulate obesity through differentiation of brown adipose tissue

Approximately 68 percent of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, according to the National Cancer Institute, which puts them at greater risk for developing cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and a host of other chronic illnesses. But an international team of scientists led by Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center researcher Andrew Larner, M.D., Ph.D., has successfully reversed obesity in mice by manipulating the production of an enzyme known as tyrosine-protein kinase-2 (Tyk2).

6 Dec 2012

Surprising discovery about physical properties of cancer cells

A surprising discovery about the physical properties of cancer cells could help improve a new diagnostic approach - a liquid biopsy - that detects, measures, and evaluates cancer cells in blood.

5 Dec 2012

University of Chicago professor wins Manpei Suzuki International Prize for diabetes work

Graeme Ian Bell, PhD, the Louis Block Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine and Human Genetics and an investigator in the Kovler Diabetes Center at the University of Chicago, has been awarded the Manpei Suzuki International Prize for 2012 for his pioneering work in understanding the role of genetics in the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes.

5 Dec 2012

Copper can prevent horizontal transmission of genes in antibiotic-resistant bacteria

New research from the University of Southampton has shown that copper can prevent horizontal transmission of genes, which has contributed to the increasing number of antibiotic-resistant infections worldwide.

5 Dec 2012

Highlights for December 2012 issue of GSA’s Genetics journal

Listed below are the selected highlights for the December 2012 issue of the Genetics Society of America's journal, Genetics.

5 Dec 2012

Mainz University neuroscientist professor receives ERC Advanced Grant

The European Research Council (ERC) has earmarked some EUR 2.5 million to fund research being conducted by neuroscientist Professor Dr. Robert Nitsch at the Mainz University Medical Center.

5 Dec 2012

Mutations signaling poor neuroblastoma prognosis identified

Children with neuroblastoma who have mutations in the ARID1A and ARID1B genes in their tumors have a poor prognosis compared with those without these alterations, show study findings.

4 Dec 2012

Excess vitamin A intake has calcification repercussions

Excess dietary vitamin A intake is significantly associated with increased heart valve calcification, show results from an animal study.

4 Dec 2012

Hebrew University researchers pave way for development of new approaches to cure malaria

More than a million people die each year of malaria caused by different strains of the Plasmodium parasite transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito. The medical world has yet to find an effective vaccine against the deadly parasite, which mainly affects pregnant women and children under the age of five. By figuring out how the most dangerous strain evades the watchful eye of the immune system, researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have now paved the way for the development of new approaches to cure this acute infection.

4 Dec 2012

Feeding probiotics to baby zebrafish accelerates their development into adulthood

Probiotics like those found in yogurt are not only good for people--they are also good for fish. A new study by scientists at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology found that feeding probiotics to baby zebrafish accelerated their development and increased their chances of survival into adulthood.

4 Dec 2012

Researchers identify 4 new genetic regions that influence birth weight

Researchers have identified four new genetic regions that influence birth weight, providing further evidence that genes as well as maternal nutrition are important for growth in the womb. Three of the regions are also linked to adult metabolism, helping to explain why smaller babies have higher rates of chronic diseases later in life.

4 Dec 2012

Researchers discover 15 new genetic regions linked with coronary artery disease

The University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) participated in the largest genetic study of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) to date. Researchers from the CARDIoGRAMplusC4D Consortium report the identification of 15 genetic regions newly associated with the disease, bringing to 46 the number of regions associated with CAD risk.

3 Dec 2012

Genes News and Research

Study finds relationships between body size and epigenetic changes

SOX2 directly regulated by tumor suppressor CDKN1B(p27) gene

Scientists identify novel mechanism by which ketogenic diet could delay effects of aging

Researchers unlock mechanisms of how the body converts dietary carbohydrates into fat

Study catalogs genetic variation of microbes that live in the gut

Scientists evaluate two different strategies to treat Usher syndrome

Scientists develop MitoFish for in vivo studies of mitochondria transport in nerve cells

TSRI scientist to better define how brain organizes different types of memories among neurons

Tyk2 enzyme helps regulate obesity through differentiation of brown adipose tissue

Surprising discovery about physical properties of cancer cells

University of Chicago professor wins Manpei Suzuki International Prize for diabetes work

Copper can prevent horizontal transmission of genes in antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Highlights for December 2012 issue of GSA’s Genetics journal

Mainz University neuroscientist professor receives ERC Advanced Grant

Mutations signaling poor neuroblastoma prognosis identified

Excess vitamin A intake has calcification repercussions

Hebrew University researchers pave way for development of new approaches to cure malaria

Feeding probiotics to baby zebrafish accelerates their development into adulthood

Researchers identify 4 new genetic regions that influence birth weight

Researchers discover 15 new genetic regions linked with coronary artery disease

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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