Gene

A gene is a unit of heredity in a living organism. It normally resides on a stretch of DNA that codes for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. All living things depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains.

What are Genes?

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the chemical information database that carries the complete set of instructions for the cell as to the nature of the proteins produced by it, its life span, maturity, function and death. Genes are the working subunits of DNA. Each gene contains a particular set of instructions, usually coding for a particular protein or for a particular function.

Gene History

Gene Concepts

Absence of key gene causes severe hearing loss

A gene called GAS2 plays a key role in normal hearing, and its absence causes severe hearing loss, according to a study led by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

7 May 2021

CFTR modulator can be safe, well-tolerated for younger children with common form of cystic fibrosis

Children ages two to five who have the most common form of cystic fibrosis (CF), caused by two copies of the F508 gene mutation, have not had any modulator treatments available to them until recently.

7 May 2021

Researchers identify genetic cause of a rare neurological disorder

In a paper published today in Nature Communications, an international group of collaborators led by researchers at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh have identified a genetic cause of a rare neurological disorder marked by developmental delay and loss of coordination, or ataxia.

7 May 2021

Immunosuppression in COVID-19 promotes emergence of multiple immune escape mutants

An interesting new study describes the emergence of several such variants from a chronically immunosuppressed COVID-19 patient, who remained infected for over 170 days before clearing the virus.

7 May 2021

Imbalance in gut microbiota could play a key role in progression of inflammatory skin disorder

Findings presented at today’s EADV 2021 Spring Symposium suggest that an imbalance in gut microbiota (dysbiosis), could play a significant role in the progression of inflammatory skin disease, Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS).

7 May 2021

Novel biomarker discovered to identify male COVID-19 patients at greatest risk for ICU admission

Researchers have discovered a novel biomarker to identify male COVID-19 patients most at risk for ICU admission.

7 May 2021

High-throughput system can regulate gene expression for treating sickle cell disease, beta thalassemia

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have developed an integrated, high-throughput system to better understand and possibly manipulate gene expression for treatment of disorders such as sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia. The research appears today in the journal Nature Genetics.

7 May 2021

Researchers describe the key facet of sexual determination in mammalian models

Early in human development, during the first trimester of gestation, a fetus may have XX or XY chromosomes that indicate its sex. Yet at this stage a mass of cells known as the bipotential gonad that ultimately develops into either ovaries or testes has yet to commit to its final destiny.

7 May 2021

Molecular clues explain why some neurons are more susceptible than others in Alzheimer’s disease

In the brain of a person with Alzheimer's disease, neurons degenerate and die, slowly eliminating memories and cognitive skills. However, not all neurons are impacted equally.

7 May 2021

A single archaeal enzyme can produce a spectacular range of natural and non-natural cardiolipins

Cells of all life forms are surrounded by a membrane that is made of phospholipids. One of these are the cardiolipins, which form a separate class due to their unique structure.

7 May 2021

Bubonic plague had long-term impact on human immune genes, indicates study

Scientists examining the remains of 36 bubonic plague victims from a 16th century mass grave in Germany have found the first evidence that evolutionary adaptive processes, driven by the disease, may have conferred immunity on later generations of people from the region.

7 May 2021

Study may lead to personalized treatments for cystic fibrosis

Some 2,103 mutations have been identified in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), the most common fatal genetic disease in Canada, and together they pose huge challenges for patients and researchers, including those affiliated with Université de Montreal and its teaching hospital, the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM).

7 May 2021

Israeli study shows real-world efficacy of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine

Researchers have conducted an analysis of nationwide surveillance data from Israel demonstrating the real-world effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech’s BNT162b2 vaccine at protecting against infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

6 May 2021

Study provides a better understanding of the complex interplay of ncRNAs with gene regulation

Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland have discovered previously unknown non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) involved in regulating the gene expression of vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF), the master regulators of angiogenesis.

6 May 2021

Embryo gene editing in IVF can have potential major impacts on humanity

A global conference on human fertility has been warned of huge societal and ethical challenges regulating advances in gene editing in assisted reproduction.

6 May 2021

Black swan DNA could offer insight into how humans respond to bird flu

In a world-first, scientists from The University of Western Australia have assembled the entire DNA of the black swan, which could offer insight into how the bird, and even humans, respond to bird flu and other pandemics in the same family of viruses.

6 May 2021

Researchers study sex-specific gene mutation linked to autism

After reviewing a database of gene mutations in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a team of Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) researchers decided to study a specific gene mutation that likely caused ASD in a girl.

6 May 2021

Study reveals a new form of muscular dystrophy associated with pathogenic changes in JAG2 gene

In about a quarter of patients with hereditary diseases, the cause of the disease remains unclear even after extensive genetic testing. One reason is that we still do not know enough about the function of many genes. Of the 30,000 known genes, just a little more than 4,000 have been found to be associated with hereditary diseases.

6 May 2021

Monocytes promote viral control during SARS-COV-2 infection

In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv by Vanderheiden et al. (May 4th, 2021) the contribution of monocytes in promoting protective immunity from SARS-CoV-2 is investigated in a murine model, suggesting that CCR2 plays the role of an inflammation modulator in early infection.

6 May 2021

Nanoscope presents optical gene delivery, OCT-guided electrophysiology platforms at ARVO annual meeting

Nanoscope Technologies LLC, a biotechnology company developing gene therapies for treatment of retinal diseases, is featuring multiple scientific presentations highlighting its groundbreaking research on optical gene delivery for vision restoration and OCT-guided electrophysiology platforms for characterization of retinal degeneration and assessment of efficacy of cell-gene therapy at the 2021 ARVO annual (virtual) meeting, May 1-7.

5 May 2021

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Gene

Overview

Gene History

Gene Concepts

Latest Gene News and Research

Absence of key gene causes severe hearing loss

CFTR modulator can be safe, well-tolerated for younger children with common form of cystic fibrosis

Researchers identify genetic cause of a rare neurological disorder

Immunosuppression in COVID-19 promotes emergence of multiple immune escape mutants

Imbalance in gut microbiota could play a key role in progression of inflammatory skin disorder

Novel biomarker discovered to identify male COVID-19 patients at greatest risk for ICU admission

High-throughput system can regulate gene expression for treating sickle cell disease, beta thalassemia

Researchers describe the key facet of sexual determination in mammalian models

Molecular clues explain why some neurons are more susceptible than others in Alzheimer’s disease

A single archaeal enzyme can produce a spectacular range of natural and non-natural cardiolipins

Bubonic plague had long-term impact on human immune genes, indicates study

Study may lead to personalized treatments for cystic fibrosis

Israeli study shows real-world efficacy of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine

Study provides a better understanding of the complex interplay of ncRNAs with gene regulation

Embryo gene editing in IVF can have potential major impacts on humanity

Black swan DNA could offer insight into how humans respond to bird flu

Researchers study sex-specific gene mutation linked to autism

Study reveals a new form of muscular dystrophy associated with pathogenic changes in JAG2 gene

Monocytes promote viral control during SARS-COV-2 infection

Nanoscope presents optical gene delivery, OCT-guided electrophysiology platforms at ARVO annual meeting

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