Genetic News and Research

RSS

McGill research team finds distinct disease-causing mutations and saves baby girl

About two years ago, Dr. Philippe Gros, a McGill University professor in the Department of Biochemistry and a Principal Investigator in thd McGill Life Sciences Complex, described a mouse mutant that was immunodeficient and hypersensitive to the Bacille Calmette-Gu-rin (BCG) vaccine and to tuberculosis (TB).

12 May 2011

$100,000 needed to analyze '$1,000' genetic data

Advances in technology have almost lifted the curtain on the long-awaited era of the "$1,000 genome" - a time when all the genes that make up a person can be deciphered for about that amount - compared to nearly $1 million a few years ago.

12 May 2011

Losartan therapy improves muscle injury regeneration and prevents disuse atrophy

Using geriatric mice, a Johns Hopkins research team has shown that losartan, a commonly used blood pressure drug, not only improves regeneration of injured muscle but also protects against its wasting away from inactivity.

12 May 2011

New research sheds light on common pathogenic mechanisms underlying Huntington's disease

New research sheds light on common pathogenic mechanisms shared by Huntington's disease (HD) and HD-like disorders. The study, published by Cell Press in the May 12, 2011, issue of the journal Neuron, uses a new transgenic mouse model for an HD-like disorder to unravel complex molecular events that drive disease pathology.

12 May 2011

New genome-wide study identifies causes of serious childhood immune disorder

A new genomics study, led by the Center for Applied Genomics at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, sets the stage for the first predictive diagnostic test in a serious immunodeficiency disease in children. If the disorder, common variable immunodeficiency disease, can be diagnosed early, children may receive life-saving treatments before the disease can progress.

12 May 2011

Sugar boosts effectiveness of first-line antibiotics against chronic bacterial infections

James Collins, a pioneering researcher in the new field of systems biology and a MacArthur Genius, says: "You know the old saying: 'a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down?' This is more like 'a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine work.'

12 May 2011

Two new research studies on schizophrenia

Two new research studies published in Biological Psychiatry point to progressive abnormalities in brain development that emerge as vulnerable individuals develop schizophrenia.

12 May 2011

Reprogrammed herpes virus can improve early cancer diagnosis

Scientists have used a genetically re-engineered herpes virus that selectively hunts down and infects cancerous tumors and then delivers genetic material that prompts cancers to secrete a biomarker and reveal their presence.

12 May 2011

Irritable Bowel Syndrome linked to bacterial overgrowth, food poisoning

Cedars-Sinai researchers have reported two advances in the understanding of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, the most common gastrointestinal disorder in the United States, affecting an estimated 30 million people.

12 May 2011

Santaris Pharma advances SPC4955 into Phase 1 trial for high cholesterol treatment

Santaris Pharma A/S, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the research and development of mRNA and microRNA targeted therapies, today announced that it has advanced a second drug from its cardiometabolic program, SPC4955 into Phase 1 clinical trials, for the treatment of high cholesterol.

11 May 2011

Symphogen to present second-generation Sympress platform at ESACT conference

Symphogen, a private biopharmaceutical company developing superior antibody therapeutics to treat cancer, infectious and autoimmune diseases, announced today that second-generation enhancements to the company's SYMPRESS manufacturing and quality control platform will be presented in an oral presentation entitled "Recombinant antibody mixtures; optimization of cell line generation and single-batch manufacturing processes" by Dr. Søren K. Rasmussen, Principal Scientist, Symphogen at the upcoming European Society for Animal Cell Technology conference in Vienna on May 17, 2011.

11 May 2011

Shanghai Zhabei Health Bureau, CWRU sign 10-year research deal to study Chinese lifestyle

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has signed an unprecedented 10-year research agreement with the Shanghai Zhabei District Health Bureau to study how an increasingly westernized diet and a less active lifestyle are affecting the health of China's residents.

11 May 2011

Genetic test to identify women at higher risk of breast cancer could reduce risks associated with screening

Calculating individual genetic cancer risk and taking age into account could mean fewer women would need to be screened for breast cancer, according to research published in the British Journal of Cancer1.

11 May 2011

Zebrafish research identifies undiscovered high-risk genetic features in T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia

Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer; it also occurs in adults. Now researchers working with zebrafish at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah have identified previously undiscovered high-risk genetic features in T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (T-ALL), according to an article published online May 9, 2011, in the cancer research journal Oncogene.

11 May 2011

Scientists unravel how genetic defects can help predict risk of sudden cardiac death

Sudden cardiac death is always a shocking, tragic event, especially when it occurs at a young age. But, for the first time, scientists are unraveling how genetic defects can help predict the risk of dying suddenly in individuals with one of the leading causes of this unfortunate phenomenon.

11 May 2011

16-year-old uses supercomputing network to invent new drug cocktail for cystic fibrosis

While many 16-year-olds are content with PlayStation, Toronto-area student Marshall Zhang used the Canadian SCINET supercomputing network to invent a new drug cocktail which could one day help treat cystic fibrosis.

11 May 2011

NTC, Aldevron partner to manufacture first plasmid DNA-based genetic cosmetic

Nature Technology Corporation "NTC" and Aldevron today announced a joint effort to manufacture the world's first plasmid DNA-based genetic cosmetic for Gene Facelift.

11 May 2011

Breast cancer and unhealthy lifestyle choices

Figures have shown that more than one in five British women is classified as obese, and research has found those affected are almost 50 per cent more likely to die from breast cancer than women carrying less weight. Studies have shown that obesity in women leads to changes in sex-hormone levels that may trigger estrogen-dependent tumors, which form the majority of cases. Drinking just one large glass of wine a day also increases the chance of developing breast cancer by a fifth, say experts. It is thought alcohol raises levels of estrogen in the body.

11 May 2011

Long ring finger linked to Lou Gehrig’s disease

In some of the latest studies it has been found that finger length could be linked to various traits in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. These people tend to have longer ring fingers, compared with their index fingers, than do people without the disease.

11 May 2011

Fluidigm announces availability of genetic assays and primers for integrated fluidic circuit technology

Fluidigm Corporation today announced the availability of assays and primers optimized for the company's integrated fluidic circuit technology.

10 May 2011

Genetic News and Research

McGill research team finds distinct disease-causing mutations and saves baby girl

$100,000 needed to analyze '$1,000' genetic data

Losartan therapy improves muscle injury regeneration and prevents disuse atrophy

New research sheds light on common pathogenic mechanisms underlying Huntington's disease

New genome-wide study identifies causes of serious childhood immune disorder

Sugar boosts effectiveness of first-line antibiotics against chronic bacterial infections

Two new research studies on schizophrenia

Reprogrammed herpes virus can improve early cancer diagnosis

Irritable Bowel Syndrome linked to bacterial overgrowth, food poisoning

Santaris Pharma advances SPC4955 into Phase 1 trial for high cholesterol treatment

Symphogen to present second-generation Sympress platform at ESACT conference

Shanghai Zhabei Health Bureau, CWRU sign 10-year research deal to study Chinese lifestyle

Genetic test to identify women at higher risk of breast cancer could reduce risks associated with screening

Zebrafish research identifies undiscovered high-risk genetic features in T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia

Scientists unravel how genetic defects can help predict risk of sudden cardiac death

16-year-old uses supercomputing network to invent new drug cocktail for cystic fibrosis

NTC, Aldevron partner to manufacture first plasmid DNA-based genetic cosmetic

Breast cancer and unhealthy lifestyle choices

Long ring finger linked to Lou Gehrig’s disease

Fluidigm announces availability of genetic assays and primers for integrated fluidic circuit technology

Sequencing & Genomics: Elevating Science and Healthcare eBook

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

Latest News