Knockout News and Research

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Lack of ARHGAP33 molecule causes neuropsychiatric disorders-related abnormal higher brain functions

A research group led by Osaka University and the University of Tokyo found that the intracellular protein trafficking is important for higher brain functions such as learning and memory. The research group showed that a molecule, ARHGAP33 regulates synaptic functions and behaviors via intracellular protein trafficking and that the lack of ARHGAP33 causes neuropsychiatric disorder-related impaired higher brain functions.

29 Mar 2016

Defective PTCHD1 gene in brain creates symptoms associated with autism and ADHD

Evidence is mounting that a gene called PTCHD1 helps the brain sort between important sights and sounds — and distractions. This gene is active in a brain region that attaches more attention to a conversation with your boss, for instance, than to an air conditioner buzzing in the background.

24 Mar 2016

Deleting microRNA-155 prevents diet-induced obesity in female mice

Researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center seeking a way to combat the growing epidemic of obesity have found that deleting microRNA-155 in female mice prevents diet-induced obesity.

23 Mar 2016

TRPV2 could be a target for obesity therapy

Brown adipose tissue (BAT), a major site for mammalian non-shivering thermogenesis, could be a target for prevention and treatment of human obesity. Transient receptor potential vanilloid 2 (TRPV2), a Ca2+-permeable cation channel, plays vital roles in the regulation of various cellular functions.

14 Mar 2016

Absence of PEMT enzyme leads to development of fatty liver disease and tumours in thin patients

Researchers observe protection against obesity and insulin resistance but at the cost of prominent fatty liver disease in mice lacking the PEMT enzyme and patients with low levels of PEMT.

7 Mar 2016

Study highlights use of 10x Genomics' GemCode technology platform for genomic analysis

10x Genomics, a company focused on improving and broadening the application of genomic information across healthcare and other industries, today announced the publication of a study that was enabled by the company's GemCode™ technology platform, a powerful new approach that allows researchers to discover previously inaccessible genomic information.

From 10x Genomics, Inc. 4 Mar 2016

Newly developed process improves efficiency of CRISPR gene editing technology

Scientists have developed a process that improves the efficiency of CRISPR, an up-and-coming technology used to edit DNA.

3 Mar 2016

Variations in Tie2 gene play significant role in patient responses to infections

Major infections such as influenza and bacterial sepsis kill millions of people each year, often resulting fro dangerous complications that impair the body's blood vessels. But the reasons why some patients experience these dramatic responses to infections -- and others don't -- have been unclear.

16 Feb 2016

Immune killer cells use microptosis pathway to kill intracellular parasites

The immune system's killer cells deliver a tightly controlled, 3-phase knockout punch that kills intracellular parasites through a novel pathway that an international team led by researchers from the Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine (PCMM) at Boston Children's Hospital have named "microptosis."

20 Jan 2016

YAP protein appears to play vital role in helping control inflammation inside the brain

Inside the brain, a protein called YAP, best known for its ability to help right-size our developing hearts and livers, appears to have the different but equally important task of helping control inflammation.

23 Dec 2015

New study suggests that musclin may promote muscle health

A new study in mice shows that exercise causes muscle to release a peptide that builds the muscle's capacity for energy production and increases physical endurance, allowing for longer and more intense exercise.

17 Dec 2015

CAP2 gene responsible for cardiac conduction disease in mice

The presence or absence of the CAP2 gene causes sudden cardiac death in mice, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. In particular, the absence of the gene interrupts the animal's ability to send electrical signals to the heart to tell it to contract, a condition called cardiac conduction disease.

15 Dec 2015

Scientists discover genetic causes of Goldenhar syndrome

Some children are born with cleft palates and, of those children, some have an asymmetrical face and a malformed ear. A team of scientists led by Berlin-based researcher Enno Klußmann of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine has taken an important step towards discovering the genetic causes of this condition, known as Goldenhar syndrome.

30 Nov 2015

Research identifies liver pathway that contributes to negative effects of high-fat, high-cholesterol junk food diet

It's no secret that a high-fat, high-cholesterol "junk food" diet has been linked to major health problems, including high blood cholesterol and the buildup of plaques in the arteries, known as atherosclerosis.

13 Nov 2015

Patrolling monocytes may play anti-cancer role in the lung

One goal of immunotherapy is to rally a patient's often over-burdened immune cells to effectively attack a tumor. Among foot soldiers on the immune front line is a subpopulation of white blood cells called "patrolling monocytes," whose job is to cruise the bloodstream, cart off cellular debris, and block invasion of a less benign population of inflammatory cells.

23 Oct 2015

DelMar reports positive data from preclinical study of VAL-083 for treatment of ovarian cancer

DelMar Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of new cancer therapies, announced that yesterday it presented positive preclinical data demonstrating the promising potential of its lead product candidate VAL-083 (dianhydrogalactitol) as a treatment for ovarian cancer.

19 Oct 2015

Set of genes identified in human genome essential for survival, proliferation of human cell lines

Using two complementary analytical approaches, scientists at Whitehead Institute and Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have for the first time identified the universe of genes in the human genome essential for the survival and proliferation of human cell lines or cultured human cells.

16 Oct 2015

AMO Pharma raises $25 million in private equity financing

AMO Pharma Limited, a privately held biopharmaceutical company focusing on debilitating diseases with limited or no treatment options, announced today that the company has raised $25 million in private equity financing from Woodford Investment Management.

30 Sep 2015

New Penn Medicine research shows vital role of Esrp1 and Esrp2 genes in skin, organ development

Knocking out one or both crucial regulatory genes caused cleft lip, skin barrier defects, and a host of other developmental problems in mice, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, hinting that abnormalities in these molecular pathways could underlie many birth defects that are presently not well understood. The two closely related regulatory genes are active in the normal development of mammals and govern how RNAs produced from the genes are joined to make final versions of the encoded protein, a process called alternative splicing.

16 Sep 2015

Researchers discover new gene that could be a potential therapeutic target for muscle wasting

It is estimated that half of all cancer patients suffer from a muscle wasting syndrome called cachexia. Cancer cachexia impairs quality of life and response to therapy, which increases morbidity and mortality of cancer patients. Currently, there is no approved treatment for muscle wasting but a new study from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre and University of Alberta could be a game changer for patients, improving both quality of life and longevity.

15 Sep 2015