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Sifting through the junk with ENCODE

The first large-scale results from the ENCylopedia Of DNA Elements Consortium have shed light on possible functions of large areas of the genome previously thought of as “junk DNA.”

10 Sep 2012

Researchers identify genetic variations linked with onset of Barrett's oesophagus

Genetic variations that are linked with the onset of Barrett's oesophagus (BE), a pre-cancerous condition of the lower end of the gullet, have been identified for the first time. The discovery of variations in regions on two chromosomes makes it possible to develop screening tests for people at high risk of developing the disease.

10 Sep 2012

Study sheds new light on why most bone marrow transplant patients suffer acute GVHD

A team of scientists led by a bone marrow transplant researcher at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has shed new light on why most bone marrow transplant patients who receive tissue-matched cells from unrelated donors still suffer acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).

6 Sep 2012

Medivir strengthens hepatitis C platform

Medivir AB, announced today that it has acquired preclinical research stage assets from Novadex Pharmaceuticals AB. The acquisition includes intellectual property and prodrug technologies in order to further strengthen Medivir's hepatitis C platform and know how.

5 Sep 2012

Researchers identify several genetic factors linked to C-reactive protein

African Americans have higher blood levels of a protein associated with increased heart-disease risk than European Americans, despite higher "good" HDL cholesterol and lower "bad" triglyceride levels. This contradictory observation now may be explained, in part, by a genetic variant identified in the first large-scale, genome-wide association study of this protein involving 12,000 African American and Hispanic American women.

31 Aug 2012

Glaucoma and cell death: an interview with Dr. Vivek Gupta

Glaucoma is normally caused by increased pressure of aqueous humour fluid in the eye. A defining feature of this disease is destruction of a particular type of cells in the retina called retinal ganglion cells and excavation of the optic disc region.

31 Aug 2012

Dabigatran exposure may RE-LY on genetics

Researchers have found that variants in the ABCB1 and CES1 genes are associated with increased dabigatran plasma levels in patients taking the oral anticoagulant.

30 Aug 2012

DNA synthesis in the 3’ and 5’ direction possible using new template-directed method

When a cell divides, it passes on genetic information by producing copies of its DNA. Chemists have also learned to copy DNA. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, a German team has now introduced a new copying technique that uses a single strand of DNA as the “master copy”, like a cell, but does not require enzymes.

30 Aug 2012

People with guanine version of rs55705857 SNP more likely to develop gliomas

People who carry a "G" instead of an "A" at a specific spot in their genetic code have roughly a six-fold higher risk of developing certain types of brain tumors, a Mayo Clinic and University of California, San Francisco study has found. The

27 Aug 2012

Bristol-Myers Squibb terminates BMS-986094 Phase II development for treatment of hepatitis C

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company announced today that the Company has discontinued development of BMS-986094 (formerly known as INX-189), a nucleotide polymerase (NS5B) inhibitor that was in Phase II development for the treatment of hepatitis C.

24 Aug 2012

Genetic key to severe malaria resistance uncovered

Researchers have identified two genetic variants linked with human resistance to severe malaria.

21 Aug 2012

New silicon chips help identify patients with lupus

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Intel Corp. have collaborated to synthesize and study a grid-like array of short pieces of a disease-associated protein on silicon chips normally used in computer microprocessors.

21 Aug 2012

Two papers may help identify gene variants that contribute to OCD or Tourette syndrome

Two papers that will appear in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, both receiving advance online release, may help identify gene variants that contribute to the risks of developing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or Tourette syndrome (TS). Both multi-institutional studies were led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators, and both are the first genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in the largest groups of individuals affected by the conditions.

15 Aug 2012

Folate, excision biomarkers not predictive for small-cell lung cancer response

Biomarkers associated with the folate metabolism and excision repair pathways are not sufficiently prognostic to aid chemotherapy decisions for patients with extensive-stage disease small-cell lung cancer, results of a phase III trial show.

8 Aug 2012

Mutations in Ras gene alone may not cause tumours

Despite a huge amount of research effort, the molecular mechanisms that underlie the transition from a "normal" cell to a cancerous cell are only poorly understood. After the discovery of the first cancer-causing genes or oncogenes and the finding that they are mutated forms of normal cellular genes, it was widely believed that a single mutation was enough to cause cancer.

6 Aug 2012

Gilead Sciences second quarter total revenues increase 13% to $2.41 billion

Gilead Sciences, Inc. announced today its results of operations for the quarter ended June 30, 2012.

26 Jul 2012

ANCA-associated vasculitis not a single clinical entity

Study findings show distinct subtypes of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis, distinguished by the target of autoantigen reactivity.

25 Jul 2012

Study identifies genetic markers that influence protein involved in regulating oestrogen, testosterone levels

A research study led by the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Exeter, and Boston University School of Medicine, in collaboration with a global consortium, has identified genetic markers that influence a protein involved in regulating oestrogen and testosterone levels in the bloodstream.

21 Jul 2012

Study identifies genetic markers that influence sex hormone-binding globulin

A research study led by Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, in collaboration with a global consortium, has identified genetic markers that influence a protein involved in regulating estrogen and testosterone levels in the bloodstream.

21 Jul 2012

Statistical method uses evolutionary information to enhance identification of disease-associated alleles

A book containing misprints may cause annoyance for the reader, but typos in an individual's genetic blueprint (DNA) can mean serious disease or even death. The search for genetic correlates for the wide range of diseases plaguing humankind has inspired a wealth of research falling under the heading of genome-wide association studies (GWAS).

19 Jul 2012