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Urine exRNA may be source of biomarkers for muscular dystrophy

Massachusetts General Hospital researchers have found that extracellular RNA in urine may be a source of biomarkers for the two most common forms of muscular dystrophy, noninvasively providing information about whether therapeutic drugs are having the desired effects on a molecular level.

26 Sep 2018

Researchers now confirm that genome duplication drives evolution of species

Many wild and cultivated plants arise through the combination of two different species. The genome of these so-called polyploid species often consists of a quadruple set of chromosomes - a double set for each parental species - and thus has about twice as many genes as the original species.

25 Sep 2018

Genomic ‘islands’ evolved from viruses can be converted into ‘anti-bacterial drones’

Genomic "islands" that evolved from viruses can be converted into "drones" that disable Staphylococcus aureus, bacteria that are often resistant to antibiotics and pose a threat to safe hospital care, a new study finds.

25 Sep 2018

New study finds height as possible risk factor for developing varicose veins

The taller you are, the more likely you are to develop varicose veins, according to a study led by Stanford University School of Medicine researchers that examined the genes of more than 400,000 people in search of clues to what causes this common but little understood condition.

24 Sep 2018

Ecstasy drug makes octopuses more social

When people take MDMA, the drug popularly known as ecstasy, a rush of serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin produces feelings of emotional closeness and euphoria, making people more interested than they would normally be in connecting and sharing with other people.

24 Sep 2018

Cytox, AIBL announce expanded agreement to assess genetic risk for Alzheimer’s

Cytox, a precision medicine company which today is commercializing polygenic risk scoring approaches for assessing genetic risk for developing Alzheimer's disease and other neurological diseases, has announced it has expanded its research collaboration with the Australian Imaging, Biomarker & Lifestyle Flagship Study of Ageing to test new algorithms for identifying the pre-symptomatic and mild cognitively impaired people most at risk to progress to AD.

24 Sep 2018

Study: Over 80% of people who carry identifiable genetic risk for cancer don't know it

Genomic screening of more than 50,000 people shows that more than 80% of those who carry an identifiable genetic risk for breast, ovarian, prostate, and pancreatic cancer don't know it despite frequent interaction with the healthcare system.

24 Sep 2018

Overlooked immune cells could play a key role in cancer immunotherapy, claims new study

Cancer immunotherapy is a relatively new method of treating cancer and has succeeded with some refractory tumors. However, it doesn’t always work, why not?

21 Sep 2018

Under the sea, in an octopus' garden on ecstacy - neuroresearch

A new study has found that when octopuses are intoxicated with MDMA, they act like humans who are high on the same drug. This has led to speculations that humans and octopuses could have an evolutionary link.

21 Sep 2018

New research finds that MHC-II molecules have more influence on tumors than MHC-I

Cancer immunotherapy -- efforts to boost a patient's own immune system, allowing it to better fight cancer cells on its own -- has shown great promise for some previously intractable cancers.

21 Sep 2018

New study focuses on two-way gene switches controlling gene activity

Led by ICREA research professors at the Centre for Genomic Regulation, Luciano Di Croce and Marc A. Marti-Renom, the study focused on a set of genes with what's known as bivalent promoters - two-way genetic 'control switches' that are poised either to turn on in early development and rapidly drive high levels of gene activity, or to switch off and shut down the gene completely.

20 Sep 2018

TGen and PNOC take part in launch of NIH-supported Kids First Data Resource Portal

As part of a national initiative to solve children's diseases, the Translational Genomics Research Institute and the Pacific Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium are participating in the launch of the Kids First Data Resource Portal, which is supported by the National Institutes of Health .

19 Sep 2018

Tweaking nuclear pores could provide new avenue to battle against cancer

If the cell nucleus is like a bank for DNA, nuclear pores are the security doors around its perimeter. Yet more security doors aren't necessarily better: some cancer cells contain a dramatic excess of nuclear pores.

19 Sep 2018

Brigham Genomic Medicine program unravels 30 medical mysteries

A table in a recently published paper tells the story of 30 families who have, sometimes after years of searching, finally received an answer about the condition that has plagued one or more family members.

18 Sep 2018

KKH develops new test to enable faster diagnosis of critically ill children with rare diseases

A multi-disciplinary team at KK Women's and Children's Hospital has developed a test to enable faster diagnosis of rare diseases to help critically ill children.

17 Sep 2018

Investigators pinpoint exact stage of retinoblastoma development in children

Investigators at Children's Hospital Los Angeles have been able to pinpoint the exact stage of development of the human retina, when cells can grow out of control and form cancer-like masses.

14 Sep 2018

Case Western Reserve professor wins $2 million grant to study colorectal cancer

Lan Zhou, MD, PhD, associate professor of pathology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, has received a five-year, $2 million grant from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health to study human colorectal cancer.

14 Sep 2018

Researchers find new way to differentiate between active and inactive viruses

Human herpesviruses such as HHV-6 can remain dormant in cells for many years without being noticed. When reactivated, they can cause serious clinical conditions. Researchers from Würzburg have now found a way of differentiating between active and inactive viruses.

14 Sep 2018

New discovery overturns centuries of thought about nature of kidney stones

A geologist, a microscopist and a doctor walk into a lab and, with their colleagues from across the nation, make a discovery that overturns centuries of thought about the nature and composition of kidney stones.

14 Sep 2018

UTA scientist to provide new insights on the role of 'jumping genes'

A biology researcher at The University of Texas at Arlington will be using the high-tech tools provided by the North Texas Genome Center to shed light on the role of 'jumping genes'.

14 Sep 2018