Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Body weight change in older women may aid in diagnosis, management of Alzheimer's disease

Researchers led by Deborah Gustafson, PhD, MS, professor of neurology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, have shown that women with a gene variant (APOEe4 allele) associated with Alzheimer's disease experience a steeper decline in body mass index (BMI) after age 70 than those women without the version of the gene, whether they go on to develop dementia or not.

6 Oct 2015

U of T study provides hope for treating ALS and FTD

It's the most common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), but until now scientists weren't sure how a specific gene caused these devastating diseases. Now researchers from the University of Toronto are one step closer to solving this incredibly complex puzzle, offering hope for treatment.

6 Oct 2015

Novel computational strategy may help identify genetic variants that cause disease in children

The team behind the Deciphering Developmental Disorders (DDD) Study, one of the world's largest nationwide rare disease genome-wide sequencing initiatives, have developed a novel computational approach to identify genetic variants that cause disease in young children.

6 Oct 2015

Paradigm failure is primary reason for lack of progress in cancer research, says cancer biologist

A recent publication, which received sustained media attention, claimed that most cancers are just “bad luck”. Its authors stated that only about one-third of cancer mutations are caused by known lifestyle or environmental factors.

6 Oct 2015

Songbirds may help researchers find cure for Huntington’s disease

Many neurological disorders can rob someone of the ability to speak clearly, causing them to stutter, mispronounce words, and struggle to put together coherent sentences. However, the molecular and neurological dysfunctions that cause these symptoms aren't well understood. Recent work at The Rockefeller University may give researchers a new tool to better study these vocal and speech impairments, particularly in Huntington's disease.

6 Oct 2015

Genetic polymorphisms may serve as prognostic markers for lung cancer

Genetic polymorphisms associated with cancer progression lead to variations in gene expression and may serve as prognostic markers for lung cancer. Researchers at the Hiroshima University and Saitama Medical University found that in patients with lung cancer, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) may regulate gene and protein expression and be associated with poor prognosis.

6 Oct 2015

Key neurotransmitter receptor may be a potential target for individualised Autism Spectrum Disorder treatment

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have uncovered a significant—and potentially treatable—relationship between a chemical that helps transmit signals in the brain and genetic mutations present in a subset of individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

5 Oct 2015

Clinical data from spinal muscular atrophy program presented at 20th International WMS Congress

PTC Therapeutics, Inc., today announced that clinical data from the company's joint development program with Roche and the SMA Foundation in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) were presented at the 20th International Congress of the World Muscle Society (WMS) in Brighton, U.K.

5 Oct 2015

Calcitonin-gene related peptide antibody inhibition shows migraine prevention promise

TEV-48125, a monoclonal anti-calcitonin-gene related peptide antibody, is well tolerated and effective in the prevention of high-frequency episodic migraine and chronic migraine, findings from two phase IIb studies show.

2 Oct 2015

Beta-catenin shows treatment target potential for TKI-resistant CML

Nuclear β-catenin could be a treatment target for patients whose chronic myeloid leukaemia is resistant to tyrosine kinase inhibitors independent of additional BCR–BL1 mutations, US researchers suggest.

1 Oct 2015

Researchers identify new gene locus that may protect children from developing malaria in Africa

Published today in Nature, the findings detail a new gene locus that can explain why, in communities where everyone is constantly exposed to malaria, some children develop severe malaria and others don't. Now, researchers can be sure that this particular stretch of our DNA plays a crucial role in the progression of the disease.

1 Oct 2015

Researchers discover five new genetic variants associated with brain cancer

The biggest ever study of DNA from people with glioma - the most common form of brain cancer - has discovered five new genetic variants associated with the disease.

1 Oct 2015

New research sheds light on how retina sets its own biological rhythm using neuropsin

Researchers at Johns Hopkins and the University of Washington report new research that sheds light on how the retina sets its own biological rhythm using a novel light-sensitive pigment, called neuropsin, found in nerve cells at the back of the eye.

1 Oct 2015

Study suggests link between human endogenous retroviral genes and ALS

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health discovered that reactivation of ancient viral genes embedded in the human genome may cause the destruction of neurons in some forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

1 Oct 2015

New reference catalogue may help guide future studies of genetics, evolution and disease

Missing a gene may be less problematic than you'd think. This is one of the conclusions that emerge from the most extensive catalogue of structural variations - changes in large sections of a person's DNA sequence - to date.

1 Oct 2015

UH researcher investigates two new avenues for detection, treatment of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy and second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the U.S. The challenge with prostate cancer is that the standard treatment methods in the advanced stage of the disease lose effectiveness after about one to two years, leading to recurrence and, ultimately, death. A University of Houston researcher and his team are working to change that.

30 Sep 2015

Unlocking the genes behind antibiotic resistance: an interview with Professor Romesberg

Bacteria are very, very diverse. This is why their susceptibility to different antibiotics can be very different. It also makes the tools they have to evolve resistance in many cases different.

30 Sep 2015

New study finds that serum miRNA profiles change as myeloma progresses

Virtually all patients who develop myeloma have an asymptomatic disease called monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) in the years before the onset of myeloma. The five-year relative survival rate for myeloma is 69% for patients diagnosed with stage I or localized disease, compared with 45% for patients with advanced cancer.

30 Sep 2015

Leading cancer researchers address eight 'big questions'

Leading cancer researchers address eight of the "big questions" facing the field as part of the inaugural issue of Trends in Cancer, published by Cell Press.

30 Sep 2015

Study raises hope for reducing life-threatening respiratory problems in infants

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have a lead on reducing life-threatening respiratory problems in infants born to women who develop the liver disorder intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP).

30 Sep 2015

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Body weight change in older women may aid in diagnosis, management of Alzheimer's disease

U of T study provides hope for treating ALS and FTD

Novel computational strategy may help identify genetic variants that cause disease in children

Paradigm failure is primary reason for lack of progress in cancer research, says cancer biologist

Songbirds may help researchers find cure for Huntington’s disease

Genetic polymorphisms may serve as prognostic markers for lung cancer

Key neurotransmitter receptor may be a potential target for individualised Autism Spectrum Disorder treatment

Clinical data from spinal muscular atrophy program presented at 20th International WMS Congress

Calcitonin-gene related peptide antibody inhibition shows migraine prevention promise

Beta-catenin shows treatment target potential for TKI-resistant CML

Researchers identify new gene locus that may protect children from developing malaria in Africa

Researchers discover five new genetic variants associated with brain cancer

New research sheds light on how retina sets its own biological rhythm using neuropsin

Study suggests link between human endogenous retroviral genes and ALS

New reference catalogue may help guide future studies of genetics, evolution and disease

UH researcher investigates two new avenues for detection, treatment of prostate cancer

Unlocking the genes behind antibiotic resistance: an interview with Professor Romesberg

New study finds that serum miRNA profiles change as myeloma progresses

Leading cancer researchers address eight 'big questions'

Study raises hope for reducing life-threatening respiratory problems in infants

eBook: Using iPSCs models for human disease research and drug discovery eBook

Redefining control and consistency in anaerobic microbiome workflows

AI in Healthcare: How generative tools are transforming clinical practice

The future of automation: Machine learning–driven hepatocyte and organoid counting