Genetic Disorder News and Research

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A genetic disorder is a disease caused in whole or in part by a "variation" (a different form) or "mutation" (alteration) of a gene.

Analysis of Rhesus monkey genome provides new clues to primate biology

An international consortium of researchers has published the genome sequence of the rhesus macaque monkey and aligned it with the chimpanzee and human genomes.

12 Apr 2007

Female stem cells work better

Female stem cells derived from muscle have a greater ability to regenerate skeletal muscle tissue than male cells, according to a study at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.

10 Apr 2007

Polymers show promise for gene delivery

Virginia Tech polymer scientists have developed a new family of gene vectors , novel polymers that can ferry genetic material across the cell membrane so that it can be incorporated into the machinery of the cell.

3 Apr 2007

New treatment possibilities for Huntington's disease

Howard Florey Institute have opened up new treatment possibilities for Huntington's disease by proving a scientific theory incorrect.

3 Apr 2007

People who are pre-diabetic or who have Type 2 diabetes have much shorter telomeres

New genetic markers may be able to predict whether a person is likely to have coronary heart disease (CAD) in the future.

2 Apr 2007

Molecular mechanism involved in development of schizophrenia

In studying the postmortem brain tissue of adults who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, the researchers found that levels of certain gene-regulating molecules called microRNAs were lower among schizophrenia patients than in persons who were free of psychiatric illness.

30 Mar 2007

Stem cells delay neurodegeneration in the brain

Sufferers from devastating neurodegenerative diseases have been given some hope by the results of recent research.

12 Mar 2007

Australian researcher unveils pregnancy mystery

Belinda Hardman completed the study for her PhD with Deakin's Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology under the supervision of Dr Leigh Ackland.

5 Mar 2007

Newborns with respiratory distress should be evaluated for primary ciliary dyskinesia

Reviewing published reports, Ferkol and Margaret Leigh, M.D., professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), found that neonatal respiratory distress was a common clinical symptom of PCD, a chronic airway disease that affects about 1 in 15,000 children.

20 Feb 2007

Four genes identified that increase risk of developing type 2 diabetes

This form of diabetes is the most common worldwide and affects nearly 2 million Canadians. In recent years, the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes has increased rapidly. This genetic discovery may help stem this rise.

19 Feb 2007

Researchers determine a critical factor in workings of proteins

Scientists know that a better understanding of how proteins bond could lead to more effective treatments for genetic disorders and other life-threatening conditions.

18 Feb 2007

Researchers replace organ in mice using 'single-parent' stem cells

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine have derived uniparental embryonic stem cells - created from a single donor's eggs or two sperm - and, for the first time, successfully used them to repopulate a damaged organ with healthy cells in adult mice.

18 Feb 2007

Researchers discover how to fight iron disorders with a drug against hypertension

We all know that iron deficiencies are dangerous, but also too much iron is bad for our health. Our body stores excess iron in various tissues, where it can lead to organ failure and even death if not treated before irreversible damage has occurred.

12 Feb 2007

Human proteins evolving slowly thanks to multi-tasking genes

Many human proteins are not as good as they might be because the gene sequences that code for them have a double role which slows down the rate at which they evolve, according to new research published in PLoS Biology.

6 Feb 2007

Gene found for Cornelia deLange syndrome

Studying mutations that give rise to a rare genetic disease, genetics researchers have identified a novel biological pathway that may have a broader role during human development, potentially in cases of mental retardation and autism.

5 Feb 2007

New genetic theory of parental teamwork

A molecular 'battle of the sexes' long considered the major driving force in a baby's development is being challenged by a new genetic theory of parental teamwork.

From The University of Manchester 2 Dec 2006

Whoever said people were much the same was wrong!

An international research team have come up with a new genetic map which could demand a fundamental shift in how we think genes work.

22 Nov 2006

Effective test for screening Huntington's disease drugs

A test using cultured cells provides an effective way to screen drugs against Huntington's disease and shows that two compounds - memantine and riluzole - are most effective at keeping cells alive under conditions that mimic the disorder, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report.

30 Oct 2006

Evolutionary connection between food supply and brain size

In a study of orangutans living on the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Sumatra, scientists from Duke University and the University of Zurich have found what they say is the first demonstration in primates of an evolutionary connection between available food supplies and brain size.

23 Oct 2006

Popular ADHD drug Ritalin safe and effective for pre-schoolers

A new study by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and five other medical centers concludes that carefully measured, low doses of methylphenidate (Ritalin) are safe and effective for attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in preschoolers.

23 Oct 2006