Mutation News and Research

RSS

Gene causing progressive form of hair loss identified

A team of investigators from Columbia, Rockefeller and Stanford Universities has identified a new gene involved in hair growth, as reported in a paper in the April 15 issue of Nature. This discovery may affect future research and treatments for male pattern baldness and other forms of hair loss.

15 Apr 2010

Gene defect promotes aggressive forms of ovarian cancer

CANCER RESEARCH UK scientists have discovered how mistakes in a key gene drive the early stages of aggressive ovarian cancers. This could improve diagnosis of aggressive forms of the disease and lead to new treatments, according to a study published in the Journal of Pathology this month.

15 Apr 2010

New data from Pfizer Oncology's pipeline to be presented at AACR 2010

Pfizer Oncology announced today that it will present new data from the company's pipeline, including two novel, dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitors (PF-04691502 and PKI-587, also known as PF-05212384); crizotinib (PF-02341066), an ALK inhibitor that also inhibits c-MET; and PF-04605412, an anti-α5β1 inhibitor.

15 Apr 2010

Researchers identify new strategy for treating acute myeloid leukemia

Researchers have identified a self-feeding "vicious circle" of molecules that keeps acute leukemia cells alive and growing and that drives the disease forward.

15 Apr 2010

Researchers develop new method to identify genetic variation in active genes

Researchers at Uppsala University have developed a new method for identifying genetic variation, including mutations, in active genes. Hopes are strong that the method represents an important research tool that will lead to the development of new diagnostic tests.

15 Apr 2010

Research team to receive AACR Team Science Award

The fourth annual American Association for Cancer Research Team Science Award will be given to Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center Thoracic Oncology Research Team at the AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010. This research team is comprised of interdisciplinary investigators from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School.

15 Apr 2010

Australian scientists sequence genome of pancreatic cancer

The International Cancer Genome Consortium which includes researchers from 22 countries is mapping the genomes of different types of cancers. A genome is essentially a blueprint of a human’s DNA. The genetic data of each individual is different and so is the genetic data of the cancer in the individual. The Australian scientists are sequencing the genomes of people suffering from pancreatic cancer.

15 Apr 2010

TD2, Horizon Discovery announce strategic alliance to advance personalized medicine

A strategic alliance announced today between TGen Drug Development (TD2) and Horizon Discovery Limited will significant advance personalized medicine.

13 Apr 2010

New Supramap web-based application to track and stop disease outbreaks

Pathogens can now be easily tracked in time and space as they evolve, an advance that could revolutionize both public health and inform national security in the fight against infectious diseases. Developed by researchers that include scientists at the American Museum of Natural History, Supramap is a new, powerful, web-based application that maps genetic mutations like those among the different strains of avian influenza onto the globe.

13 Apr 2010

Gene mutations may predispose individuals to schizophrenia, says new study

An international study led by Universit- de Montr-al scientists suggests that gene mutations may predispose some individuals to schizophrenia and provides new clues about the causes of this ambiguous disorder.

13 Apr 2010

Accumulation of mutated protein may explain damaging cellular behavior in Huntington's disease

In a step towards a possible treatment for Huntington's disease, scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have shown for the first time that the accumulation of a mutated protein may explain damaging cellular behavior in Huntington's disease. Their research is described in the April 11 online edition of Nature Neuroscience.

12 Apr 2010

FDA issues complete response letter regarding the NDA for OMAPRO

ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals announces that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Office of Oncology Drug Products has issued a complete response letter regarding the new drug application for OMAPRO for the treatment of adults with chronic myeloid leukemia who have failed prior therapy with imatinib and have the Bcr-Abl T315I mutation.

12 Apr 2010

Terrible tragedy for Alzheimer's suffering mother and family

In an bizarre situation a 31 year old Australian woman called Rebecca Doig, who gave birth to a healthy girl last week does not even remember giving birth to the child. The little girl called Emily has never been taken into her mother’s arms and it seems never will.

12 Apr 2010

Recql5 identified as a tumor suppressor in GI tract

Recql5 is a member of the mammalian RecQ helicase family. Genetic mutations that result in loss of RecQ helicase activity give rise to disorders that are associated with cancer predisposition and premature aging, such as Bloom, Werner, and Rothmund-Thomson syndromes. This class of enzymes is best known for their role in maintaining the integrity of the genome to prevent oncogenic mutations.

9 Apr 2010

World's largest autism science and advocacy organization awards 16 new research grants

Autism Speaks, the world's largest autism science and advocacy organization, today announced the awarding of 16 new research grants totaling $5,223,743 over the next three years.

9 Apr 2010

Phase 1 SAD study of PSI-938 for HCV initiated

Pharmasset, Inc. announced today that dosing has initiated in a phase 1, single ascending dose study in healthy volunteers with PSI-938, a third generation purine nucleotide analog polymerase inhibitor of hepatitis C virus. Pharmasset recently filed an Investigational New Drug Application with the Food and Drug Administration.

8 Apr 2010

UBC doctoral candidate discovers a mechanism for silencing retroviruses

A University of British Columbia doctoral candidate has discovered a previously unknown mechanism for silencing retroviruses, segments of genetic material that can lead to fatal mutations in a cell's DNA.

8 Apr 2010

Researchers develop new mouse model of VUR to study chronic kidney disease in children

Kidney damage associated with chronic reflux is the fourth leading cause of chronic kidney disease and is the most common cause of severe hypertension in children. Doctors and researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital have developed a new mouse model of vesicoureteral reflux, a common childhood condition that can lead to chronic kidney disease in children.

7 Apr 2010

MDA, FFSHR award $200,000 grant for developing FSH dystrophy therapy

The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), headquartered in Tucson, Ariz., and Friends of FSH Research (FFSHR), based in Kirkland, Wash., has jointly awarded a two-year, $200,000 grant to Dr. Joel Chamberlain, a research assistant professor of medical genetics at the University of Washington. The grant, equally funded by the two organizations, will enable the laboratory led by Dr. Chamberlain to study RNA interference as an investigative and therapeutic tool for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.

7 Apr 2010

LCA: Few possess genetic mutation necessary for positive outcome from gene therapy

Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is a congenital retinal dystrophy present in approximately 1 of 80,000 births. It is estimated that about 3,000 people in the United States are living with LCA and will likely become blind in their lifetimes. Recently, there has been progress in gene therapy for this condition.

7 Apr 2010