Genetic News and Research

RSS

Musculoskeletal pain, obesity and smoking linked to increased risk of back-related disability

Musculoskeletal pain, obesity, and smoking are among the factors associated with an increased risk of work disability due to low back disorders, reports a study in the May Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

19 May 2011

Stem cells from kidneys - World first from Australian scientists

According to Australian scientists, their latest stem cell research breakthrough will bring new treatments for a growing epidemic of chronic kidney disease. They are the first in the world to generate a type of stem cell from human kidney cells. The Melbourne scientists are hoping their discovery will have far-reaching effects in treating the disease.

19 May 2011

Two genes linked to worst cases of esophageal cancer

University of Rochester Medical Center researchers have pinpointed two genes that are amplified in the worst cases of esophageal cancer, providing data to support a new investigational treatment that targets those same genes.

19 May 2011

A new gene expression analysis technique on a single molecule sequencer

A new gene expression technique adapted for single molecule sequencing has enabled researchers at the RIKEN Omics Science Center (OSC) to accurately and quantitatively measure gene expression levels using only 100 nanograms of total RNA. The technique, which pairs RIKEN's Cap Analysis of Gene Expression (CAGE) protocol with the Helicos(R) Genetic Analysis System developed by Helicos BioSciences Corporation, opens the door to the detailed analysis of gene expression networks and rare cell populations. In recent years, next-generation DNA sequencers have produced an increasingly detailed picture of how genes are expressed at the molecular level. The transcriptional output of these genes - the RNA copies produced from DNA - has revealed a richness of complexity in transcript structure and function, providing insights into the molecular-level properties of cancers and other diseases.

19 May 2011

Mayo Clinic develops new screening procedure for Lynch syndrome detection

Mayo Clinic has developed a screening procedure that could dramatically increase testing for Lynch syndrome, a hereditary genetic disorder that raises cancer risk, particularly for colorectal cancer.

19 May 2011

Affymetrix launches new menu of multiple genomic microarray tools

Affymetrix, Inc. today announced the availability of multiple genomic microarray tools that will further enable scientists in the applied research field.

18 May 2011

UW C4C, Pharmigene execute licensing agreement for warfarin personalized medicine technology

The University of Washington Center for Commercialization and Pharmigene, a leader in advancing personalized medicine and reducing severe adverse reactions to drugs through genetic-based diagnostic solutions, today announced the execution of a licensing agreement between the parties.

18 May 2011

Epstein-Barr virus might cause multiple sclerosis, study confirms

The Epstein-Barr (EVB) virus -belonging to the herpesviruses family, which also includes the herpes simplex virus and the cytomegalovirus- is one of the environmental factors that might cause multiple sclerosis, a condition affecting the central nervous system, which causes are unknown.

18 May 2011

Novel gene associated with heart development and aging process

Researchers at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) have identified a novel gene in the nucleus of muscle and brain cells that affects heart development and the aging process. Their investigation brings the promise of new treatments for an old, failing heart.

18 May 2011

Neurochemical basis for sleep deprivation's effects on memory

From high-school students to surgeons, anyone who has pulled an all-nighter knows there is a price to be paid the next day: trouble focusing, a fuzzy memory and other cognitive impairments. Now, researchers at Penn have found the part of the brain and the neurochemical basis for sleep deprivation's effects on memory.

18 May 2011

Gut bacteria influences brain chemistry and behaviour: Research

For the first time, researchers at McMaster University have conclusive evidence that bacteria residing in the gut influence brain chemistry and behaviour.

18 May 2011

Celgene, Foundation Medicine partner for clinical cancer genomic testing platforms

Foundation Medicine, Inc., a personalized cancer diagnostics company that aims to bring comprehensive cancer genome analysis to routine clinical care, today announced a strategic collaboration with Celgene Corporation.

17 May 2011

Scientists identify 'de novo' genetic mutations in autism spectrum disorder children

Scientists at the University of Washington (UW) Department of Genome Sciences have identified several sporadic or "de novo" genetic mutations in children with autism spectrum disorder. The researchers applied leading edge molecular biology techniques and massively parallel sequencing to simultaneously examine all of the protein coding portions of the genome, collectively called the exome.

17 May 2011

Scientists make human stem cells without working on human embryos

Stem cell research courts both controversy and support in the community- depending on your viewpoint.

17 May 2011

PKC-delta enzyme critical for development of insulin resistance, diabetes and fatty liver

The road to type 2 diabetes is paved with insulin resistance, a condition often associated with obesity in which the hormone begins to fail at its job helping to convert sugars to energy.

17 May 2011

'Mu opioid' receptors in the brain linked to smoking relapse

Nearly everyone who has tried to quit smoking says it's incredibly difficult, and the struggle is due in part to genetic factors. Now, a new study from the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania sheds light on how one specific genetic risk for smoking relapse may work: Some of the difficulties may be due to how many receptors, called "mu opioid" receptors, a smoker has in his or her brain.

17 May 2011

New biomarker can predict breast cancer recurrence

Researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center have discovered a new biomarker related to the body's immune system that can predict a breast cancer patients' risk of cancer recurrence.

17 May 2011

CytRx sells global rights of molecular chaperone assets to Orphazyme

CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in oncology, today announced that it has sold the worldwide rights to its molecular chaperone assets to privately-held, Copenhagen, Denmark-based Orphazyme ApS.

17 May 2011

Pediatric researchers find potential tools for controlling cytokine storm

By analyzing complex interactions of the immune system in an animal study, pediatric researchers have found potential tools for controlling a life-threatening condition called a cytokine storm that may strike children who have juvenile arthritis and other autoimmune diseases.

17 May 2011

PGT, Quintiles collaborate to bring genomic testing into mainstream drug development

Quintiles, the world's leading biopharmaceutical services company, and Population Genetics Technologies Ltd., creator of innovative solutions to reduce the costs and complexity of large-scale genomic testing and enable correlations with clinical outcomes, today announced a commercial collaboration to bring genomic testing into mainstream drug development in order to produce safer, more effective medicines.

17 May 2011