Epigenetics News and Research

Latest Epigenetics News and Research

Son's vulnerability for alcohol use disorders could be shaped by father

Even before conception, a son's vulnerability for alcohol use disorders could be shaped by a father who chronically drinks to excess, according to a new animal study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

5 Jun 2014

Study uncovers marijuana's potential to treat autoimmune diseases

A team of University of South Carolina researchers led by Mitzi Nagarkatti, Prakash Nagarkatti and Xiaoming Yang have discovered a novel pathway through which marijuana can suppress the body's immune functions. Their research has been published online in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

3 Jun 2014

New data on Gilotrif and investigational compounds to be presented at 50th ASCO annual meeting

Boehringer Ingelheim today announced that new data will be presented from 7 abstracts for Gilotrif (afatinib) and investigational compounds, including nintedanib and BI 836845, from its oncology pipeline at the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago, IL, on May 30 – June 3, 2014.

31 May 2014

Agena Bioscience expands ultrasensitive somatic mutation detection technology

Agena Bioscience, Inc., which recently acquired the Bioscience business of Sequenom, Inc., today announced expansion of the UltraSEEK™ technology, the first ultrasensitive somatic mutation detection technology for high-throughput and definitive interrogation of rare mutations that occur at less than 1% abundance in matched tissue, circulating plasma, and tumor samples.

31 May 2014

Agena Bioscience acquires Sequenom’s Bioscience business

Agena Bioscience, Inc., a portfolio company of Telegraph Hill Partners (THP), today acquired the Bioscience business of Sequenom, Inc., which sells the MassARRAY® System for mass spectrometry-based detection of nucleic acids in research and clinical laboratories.

31 May 2014

Female mice deprived of dietary zinc before conception experience fertility problems

Female mice deprived of dietary zinc for a relatively short time before conception experienced fertility and pregnancy problems and had smaller, less-developed fetuses than mice that ingested zinc during the same times, according to researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

30 May 2014

Initial biopsy with epigenetic test rules out prostate cancer up to 88%

A multicenter team of researchers report that a commercial test designed to rule out the presence of genetic biomarkers of prostate cancer may be accurate enough to exclude the need for repeat prostate biopsies in many — if not most — men.

29 May 2014

Researchers design commercial test to rule out presence of genetic biomarkers of prostate cancer

29 May 2014

Dieting may decrease chances for metastases in triple negative breast cancers

Calorie restriction, a kind of dieting in which food intake is decreased by a certain percentage, has been touted as way to help people live longer.

26 May 2014

New laser method provides a better understanding on how genes are controlled, regulated

Almost every one of our cells has an entire copy of our genome. But only differing subsets of genes are active and expressed in any given cell.

21 May 2014

Scientists uncover early steps of totipotency in sperm precursors

In the body, a skin cell will always be skin, and a heart cell will always be heart. But in the first hours of life, cells in the nascent embryo become totipotent: they have the incredible flexibility to mature into skin, heart, gut, or any type of cell.

20 May 2014

Researchers examine how basic biology of aging drives chronic disease

A new collection of articles appearing in The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences examine how the basic biology of aging drives chronic disease.

16 May 2014

A potential epigenetic 'on-off' switch for cancer

A team of Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) researchers have proposed that an "on and off" epigenetic switch could be a common mechanism behind the development of different types of cancer. Epigenetics is the phenomena whereby genetically identical cells express their genes differently, resulting in different physical traits.

15 May 2014

Introduction to Solid State ChIP technology

A new instructional video from Porvair Sciences explains exactly how to conduct a ChIP assay for epigenetic research starting from a confluent monolayer of human cells.

From Chromatrap® - Porvair Sciences Ltd 14 May 2014

Researchers identify new molecular circuit that controls longevity in yeast and complex organisms

Ancient philosophers looked to alchemy for clues to life everlasting. Today, researchers look to their yeast.

9 May 2014

Study provides potential target for cutting off growth of cancer stem cells

A subset of immune cells directly target colon cancers, rather than the immune system, giving the cells the aggressive properties of cancer stem cells.

9 May 2014

New technique expands number of functional cord blood stem cells for transplantation

Adults suffering from diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood-related disorders may benefit from life-saving treatment commonly used in pediatric patients. Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified a new technique that causes cord blood (CB) stems cells to generate in greater numbers making them more useful in adult transplantation.

8 May 2014