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Smoking of fathers before conception can damage genetic information of their offspring

As you decide what to get dad for Father's Day, you might want to consider what he gave you when you were conceived. If he smoked, your genes are likely damaged, and your odds for cancers and other diseases throughout your life could be increased. A new research report appearing online in the FASEB Journal, scientists show for the first time in humans that men who smoke before conception can damage the genetic information of their offspring.

23 Jun 2012

Oxytocin hormone plays an important role in Williams syndrome

The hormone oxytocin - often referred to as the "trust" hormone or "love hormone" for its role in stimulating emotional responses - plays an important role in Williams syndrome (WS), according to a study published June 12, 2012, in PLoS One.

23 Jun 2012

CARHY announces comprehensive hematopoietic stem cell transplant service

Adding an impetus to the already existing image of Bangalore being a healthcare destination of India, Columbia Asia Referral Hospital, Yeshwanthpur (CARHY), announced comprehensive bone marrow transplant (stem cell transplant) service on Thursday.

23 Jun 2012

International conference showcases breadth of research possible with zebrafish

It's clear where the black-and-white striped zebrafish got its name, but less obvious at first glance is what zebrafish has to do with biomedical research. Amazingly, it has biological similarities to humans, which are making this small freshwater fish an increasingly popular model organism for studying vertebrate development, genetics, physiology, and mechanisms of disease.

23 Jun 2012

First study to demonstrate that microbes are specific to their host species

Gut bacteria's key role in immunity is tuned to the host species, researchers have found, suggesting that the superabundant microbes lining our digestive tract evolved with us-a tantalizing clue in the mysterious recent spike in human autoimmune disorders.

23 Jun 2012

Amygdala volume reduced in schizophrenia, not psychotic BD

Amygdala volume is reduced in patients with schizophrenia compared with those who have psychotic bipolar disorder, researchers report.

22 Jun 2012

A potential drug target for NK/T-cell lymphoma

A discovery by Van Andel Institute researchers has identified a potential drug target for NK/T-cell lymphoma, a type of cancer responsible for claiming the life of a close friend and fellow researcher.

22 Jun 2012

Research funding in sub-Saharan Africa needs to 'reflect true disease burden'

With the disease burden of AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria expected to make up less than 15 percent of the total disease burden in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) by 2030, and non-communicable diseases to account for nearly 40 percent of the total in the region, "[a] revision of the approach to research and health care in SSA is therefore urgently needed, but international donors and health communities have generally been slow to respond to the changing environment."

22 Jun 2012

Researchers identify genes that cooperate in development of medulloblastoma

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project lifts lid on the most aggressive subtype of medulloblastoma and finds genes that cooperate in tumor development.

22 Jun 2012

Gene expression and peripheral blood as tools for pinpointing genes linked to autism

UCLA researchers have combined two tools - gene expression and the use of peripheral blood -- to expand scientists' arsenal of methods for pinpointing genes that play a role in autism. Published in the June 21 online edition of the American Journal of Human Genetics, the findings could help scientists zero in on genes that offer future therapeutic targets for the disorder.

22 Jun 2012

Evolutionary principles of natural selection may be applied to successfully manage cancer

According to researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center, cancer is subject to the evolutionary processes laid out by Charles Darwin in his concept of natural selection. Natural selection was the process identified by Darwin by which nature selects certain physical attributes, or phenotypes, to pass on to offspring to better "fit" the organism to the environment.

22 Jun 2012

Parents must be considered during expansion of genetic screening programs for newborns

Parents must be considered when states decide to expand genetic screening programs for newborns, according to a new study that looked at mandatory testing panels and political pressure by advocacy groups.

22 Jun 2012

Faulty conclusions due to contamination, misidentification and redundancy in widely available cell lines

Modern cancer therapies start in cells - researchers compare cancer samples to healthy cells to discover how cancer is genetically different, and use cell lines to test promising new drugs. However, a University of Colorado Cancer Center study published this week in the journal Gynecologic Oncology shows that due to a high rate of contamination, misidentification and redundancy in widely available cell lines, researchers may be drawing faulty conclusions.

22 Jun 2012

Sanford Health CAO receives NOFAS Excellence Award for commitment to FAS

H. Eugene Hoyme, MD, chief academic officer for Sanford Health and president of Sanford , has received the 2012 Excellence Award from the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS), joining the ranks of almost 40 past recipients that include Senator John McCain and the late Ted Kennedy.

22 Jun 2012

Study: Unexpected activity of estrogenic compounds during early stages of embryonic development

Chemicals in the environment that mimic estrogen can strongly influence the development of humans and other animals. New research to be presented at the 2012 International Zebrafish Development and Genetics Conference, held June 20-24 in Madison, Wisconsin, reveals that these substances may act even earlier than previously realized, at the very beginning stages of embryonic development.

22 Jun 2012

Report: Autoimmune diseases are all being diagnosed at rapid rates

There is a disturbing trend in autoimmune disease diagnosis; many are on the upswing. Recent reports show that type 1 diabetes (an autoimmune disease not related to obesity), celiac disease and lupus, among others autoimmune diseases, are all being diagnosed at rapid rates.

22 Jun 2012

Genetics play a significant role in determining side effects of opiates

Genetics play a significant role in determining which patients will suffer the most from the disturbing side effects of opiates, commonly prescribed painkillers for severe to moderate pain, according to a new Stanford University School of Medicine study, which pinpoints nausea, slowed breathing and potential for addiction as heritable traits.

21 Jun 2012

FOXO3a transcription factor actually promotes growth of anaplastic thyroid cancer

A molecule widely believed to fight many forms of cancer actually helps deadly thyroid tumors grow, and cancer therapies now being tested in humans might boost the activity of this newly revealed bad guy, researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida say.

21 Jun 2012

New understanding of how motor neurons die in spinal muscular atrophy patients

Cedars-Sinai's Regenerative Medicine Institute has pioneered research on how motor-neuron cell-death occurs in patients with spinal muscular atrophy, offering an important clue in identifying potential medicines to treat this leading genetic cause of death in infants and toddlers.

21 Jun 2012

Spinach consumption can partially offset damaging effects of carcinogen

Researchers at Oregon State University for the first time have traced the actions of a known carcinogen in cooked meat to its complex biological effects on microRNA and cancer stem cells.

21 Jun 2012