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Study expands and deepens biological and genetic links between CVD and schizophrenia

A new study, to be published in the Feb. 7, 2013 issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics, expands and deepens the biological and genetic links between cardiovascular disease and schizophrenia. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of premature death among schizophrenia patients, who die from heart and blood vessel disorders at a rate double that of persons without the mental disorder.

1 Feb 2013

Gene variant boosts ulcer susceptibility in NSAID users

A single nucleotide polymorphism in the cytochrome P450 2C gene cluster influences the risk for peptic ulcer disease in people taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, a study reveals.

31 Jan 2013

ParseCNV software can detect disease-causing copy number variations

A novel software tool, developed at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, streamlines the detection of disease-causing genetic changes through more sensitive detection methods and by automatically correcting for variations that reduce the accuracy of results in conventional software.

22 Jan 2013

Studies suggest a new approach to treating HIV

A team of researchers based at Johns Hopkins has decoded a system that makes certain types of immune cells impervious to HIV infection.

22 Jan 2013

Winning the genetic body odor lottery could save on deodorant

Research shows that people who have two copies of the minor allele of a single nucleotide polymorphism found in the ABCC11 gene could save money on deodorant as they are genetically odorless.

21 Jan 2013

Susceptibility genes for bovine digital dermatitis found

Researchers have identified genetic variants that influence susceptibility to bovine digital dermatitis, an infectious condition that causes lameness of the hindfoot.

9 Jan 2013

Researchers identify four new genetic regions associated with Behcet's disease

Researchers have identified four new regions on the human genome associated with Behcet's disease, a painful and potentially dangerous condition found predominantly in people with ancestors along the Silk Road.

7 Jan 2013

PSCA gene’s rs2294008 variant on T nucleotide may increase risk of bladder cancer

Patients who have inherited a specific common genetic variant develop bladder cancer tumors that strongly express a protein known as prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA), which is also expressed in many pancreatic and prostate tumors, according to research at the National Institutes of Health.

4 Jan 2013

West African human population genomes provide important clues about evolution of HIV

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may have affected humans for much longer than is currently believed. Alfred Roca, an assistant professor in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois, thinks that the genomes of an isolated West African human population provide important clues about how the disease has evolved.

20 Dec 2012

Scientists discover new gene mechanism that appears to regulate triglyceride levels

Scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University have discovered a new gene mechanism that appears to regulate triglyceride levels.

15 Dec 2012

Medivir commences cohort 2 simeprevir and sofosbuvir phase II combination trial in HCV GT1

Medivir AB, announced today the initiation of cohort 2 in the interferon-free phase II trial combining simeprevir with sofosbuvir (GS7977) based on a safety and efficacy planned interim analysis of cohort 1 including prior null responder HCV genotype 1 infected patients without advanced hepatic fibrosis.

13 Dec 2012

Study finds many patients with family history of LINE-1 hypomethylated colorectal cancer

When people with a family history of colorectal cancer develop the disease, their tumors often carry a molecular sign that the cancer could be life-threatening and may require aggressive treatment, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists report in a new study.

13 Dec 2012

Oncogene-induced senescence could play a key role in future cancer therapy

Cell aging, or cellular senescence, has an important role in the natural physiological response to tumor development. Activated oncogenes are able to induce senescence, and recent findings have suggested that oncogene-induced senescence (OIS) could play a key role in future cancer therapy.

12 Dec 2012

UNM study to understand why and how DNA repair mechanisms go awry in cancer cells

DNA, like houses and cars, needs ongoing maintenance. Rays of ultraviolet sunlight, chemical pollutants and normal biochemical processes in the cell can damage it. Cells routinely repair this damage before making proteins or copying DNA for cell division. The repairs are remarkably accurate in normal cells but cancer cells make far more mistakes in fixing their DNA.

11 Dec 2012

Noncoding DNA sequence required for epidermal differentiation

The differentiation of human epidermis is controlled and stabilized by a long noncoding RNA termed terminal differentiation-induced noncoding RNA acting through a post-transcriptional mechanism, the results of an innovative US study indicate.

7 Dec 2012

Vitamin D receptor polymorphism may protect against osteoporosis

A polymorphism in the vitamin D receptor gene significantly influences risk for osteoporosis, suggest results from a meta-analysis of 26 studies.

3 Dec 2012

Seven U of M faculty named American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows

Seven faculty at the University of Minnesota have been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Election as an AAAS Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers, and recognizes scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.

30 Nov 2012

Novel SIRT2 inhibitor protects against neuronal damage in animal models of Huntington's

Treatment with a novel agent that inhibits the activity of SIRT2, an enzyme that regulates many important cellular functions, reduced neurological damage, slowed the loss of motor function and extended survival in two animal models of Huntington's disease.

30 Nov 2012

Majority of parents with autistic child show interest in having genetic tests

The vast majority (80 percent) of parents with at least one child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) would pursue genetic testing if a test were available that could identify risk in a younger sibling, citing the desire for earlier identification of children at risk, earlier evaluation and intervention, closer monitoring and lessened anxiety.

29 Nov 2012

Methylome modifications offer new measure of a person's biological age

Women live longer than men. Individuals can appear or feel years younger - or older - than their chronological age. Diseases can affect our aging process. When it comes to biology, our clocks clearly tick differently.

22 Nov 2012