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Research confirms genetic link to advanced fatty liver disease

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found that patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) who carry an allele of the PNPLA3 gene have an increased risk of developing advanced disease, including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, and cirrhosis. A second study supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) validates these findings and further concludes that in pediatric patients, the same allele is associated with earlier disease presentation. Both studies are available in the September issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).

17 Aug 2010

Alnylam publishes research findings of Sort1 gene role in cardiovascular disease development

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today the publication of new research findings in the journal Nature describing the discovery and validation of the role of the gene Sort1 in the development of cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction (MI). This work was done with collaborators at University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) School of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and the Broad Institute. The collaborative effort combined genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and RNAi technology to identify and validate novel genes as targets for new therapies for heart disease.

6 Aug 2010

Researchers identify gene associated with susceptibility to chronic pain caused by nerve injury

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and elsewhere have succeeded in identifying for the first time a gene associated with susceptibility to chronic pain caused by nerve injury in humans, signaling a significant step toward better understanding and treating of the condition.

6 Aug 2010

Gene associated with susceptibility to chronic pain caused by nerve injury identified

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and elsewhere have succeeded in identifying for the first time a gene associated with susceptibility to chronic pain caused by nerve injury in humans, signalling a significant step toward better understanding and treating of the condition.

5 Aug 2010

Researchers identify genetic mutation for Uner Tan Syndrome

A team of researchers from leading universities in Turkey and the United States have reported that they have identified the genetic mutation responsible for the Uner Tan Syndrome (UTS) using advanced genetic capture and sequencing technologies from Roche. The combined genomic technologies enabled the team of scientists to identify the causative mutation of this debilitating disease after years of mystery.

30 Jul 2010

Bullied children are at risk for developing emotional problems

Bullying victimization is common among children of school age, although its consequences are often anything but benign. The recent death of a Massachusetts teen by suicide prompted state lawmakers to pass one of the most far-reaching anti-bullying laws within the U.S. Whether such legislative actions result in measurable decreases in physical or emotional distress among school peers remains to be seen.

23 Jul 2010

Cellectis bioresearch introduces new technology to develop cell-based assays for HTS studies

Cellectis bioresearch, a specialist in genome customization and a subsidiary of Cellectis, today announced the publication of a scientific study describing a novel method, based on meganuclease-driven targeted integration, for the generation of stable cell lines compatible with high throughput screening (HTS).The study demonstrated Cellectis bioresearch's technology to be faster, more reliable and efficient in deriving cell-based assays for HTS studies than classical methods.

20 Jul 2010

Study identifies a region in human genome that is linked to FSGS

An in-depth study of a family with multiple generations affected by kidney disease has identified a previously unknown location for a gene abnormality causing focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

9 Jul 2010

Epeius Biotechnologies receives notice of allowance from USPTO for gene delivery platform

Epeius Biotechnologies Corporation, an emerging leader in the field of targeted genetic medicine, received a notice of allowance from the USPTO for another crucial patent covering its leading tumor-targeted gene delivery platform. The issuance of this high-value patent protection for targeting metastatic disease follows on the heels of two major patent issuances covering tumor-targeted gene delivery and precision-targeted cancer immunotherapy, respectively.

7 Jul 2010

Genetic variation can predict how people infected with hepatitis C react to treatment: Scientists

A small genetic change can predict how people infected with hepatitis C react to treatment, paving the way to personalised therapy for this difficult to treat disease, the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics will hear today (Sunday 13 June). Dr. Zoltan Kutalik, from the Department of Medical Genetics, University of Lausanne, Switzerland, will tell delegates that individuals with this change, in a gene encoding for the antiviral cytokine (cell-signalling molecule) interferon lamda, reacts less well to treatment.

14 Jun 2010

New genetic discoveries from Autism Genome Project

An international consortium of researchers working under the auspices of Autism Speaks, the world's largest autism science and advocacy organization, has announced new genetic discoveries from the second phase of its collaborative study: the Autism Genome Project. The results were published today in the journal Nature, one of the world's most respected peer-reviewed scientific publications.

10 Jun 2010

Gene variant linked to ability of Tibetans to cope with low-oxygen conditions identified

A new study pinpoints the genetic changes that enable Tibetans to thrive at altitudes where others get sick.

8 Jun 2010

Scientists identify new susceptibility genes in genome-wide association study of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Scientists from Singapore, China and USA have identified three new susceptibility genes in a genome-wide association study of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The study, led by the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), a biomedical research institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), and the Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Centre, identified genetic risk factors of NPC that advance the understanding of the important role played by host genetic variation in influencing the susceptibility to this cancer.

31 May 2010

Weill Cornell Medical College commences construction of 18-story, $650 million Medical Research Building

Weill Cornell Medical College today celebrated the start of construction on its new Medical Research Building, a state-of-the-art facility that will more than double the institution's existing research space. The 18-story, $650 million building is the centerpiece of Weill Cornell's $1.3 billion Discoveries that Make a Difference Campaign, the country's largest for a medical college. A total of $1 billion has been raised toward this goal in a record time of less than four years.

27 May 2010

Genetic variations do not improve ability to predict risk of AD: Study

Although genome-wide analysis identified two genetic variations associated with Alzheimer disease, these variations did not improve the ability to predict the risk of AD, according to a study in the May 12 issue of JAMA.

12 May 2010

Researchers identify new genetic link to systemic scleroderma

An international research consortium including scientists from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) has identified a new genetic link to the systemic form of scleroderma. Researchers believe a thorough understanding of the genetic nature of the disease is crucial to developing a cure.

30 Apr 2010

Sigma Life Science announces global release of CompoZr Targeted Integration Kit

Sigma® Life Science, the innovative biological products and services brand of Sigma-Aldrich®, today announced an extension to its award-winning CompoZr® product offering with the global release of the CompoZr Targeted Integration Kit, AAVS1. This kit provides a powerful method for the controlled transgene integration and expression of any gene in any human cell line using Sigma-Aldrich's proprietary CompoZr Zinc Finger Nuclease (ZFN) technology.

20 Apr 2010

Gene duplications can lead to functional diversity in organisms

New information about early Native Americans' horticultural practices comes not from hieroglyphs or other artifacts, but from a suite of four gene duplicates found in wild and domesticated sunflowers.

5 Apr 2010

Epeius Biotechnologies' tumor-targeted vaccine technology for cancer immunotherapy receives patent protection

Epeius Biotechnologies Corporation, an emerging leader in the field of targeted genetic medicine, received a notice of allowance from the USPTO for a crucial patent covering its leading tumor-targeted vaccine technology for cancer immunotherapy. The issuance of this valuable patent protection for tumor targeted immunotherapy follows on the heels of two international patents covering targeted gene medicine in the U.S. and Europe, respectively, and places Epeius Biotech at the forefront of these emerging fields of clinical medicine with best-of-breed solutions and incontrovertible proofs-of-principle in the clinic.

16 Mar 2010

Genetic variant increases risk of lung cancer for light and heavy smokers, say researchers

Individuals with a certain type of genetic susceptibility to lung cancer face a greatly increased risk for the deadly disease with even a small exposure to cigarette smoke, a study team that includes researchers from the University of Cincinnati has concluded.

10 Mar 2010