Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Researchers uncover strong evidence for genetic causes of cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common cause of physical disability in children. It has historically been considered to be caused by factors such as birth asphyxia, stroke and infections in the developing brain of babies.

3 Aug 2015

Animal study shows children exposed to famine grow smaller, become susceptible to metabolic diseases

Starvation early in life can alter an organism for generations to come, according to a new study in roundworms. The effects are what Duke University biologist Ryan Baugh terms a "bet-hedging strategy."

3 Aug 2015

BRCA gene mutations and ovarian cancer: an interview with Dr Matulonis, Harvard Medical School

The BRCA gene encodes for the BRCA proteins, BRCA1 and BRCA2. These proteins are very important in repairing DNA, which they do by correcting double-stranded breaks.

2 Aug 2015

FDA accepts Mundipharma EDO's Investigational New Drug Application for EDO-S101

Mundipharma EDO GmbH (Early Development in Oncology) is pleased to announce that the United States Food and Drug Administration has accepted the company's Investigational New Drug Application ("IND") for EDO-S101, a fusion molecule to treat relapsed/refractory haematologic malignancies and solid tumours.

31 Jul 2015

Reducing incorrect gene expression can extend lifespan of cells

Working with yeast and worms, researchers found that incorrect gene expression is a hallmark of aged cells and that reducing such "noise" extends lifespan in these organisms. The team published their findings this month in Genes & Development.

31 Jul 2015

Study focuses on regulation of neuronal plasticity

A team of scientists has linked changes in the structure of a handful of central brain neurons to understanding how animals adjust to changing seasons. Its findings enhance our understanding of the mechanisms vital to the regulation of our circadian system, or internal clock.

31 Jul 2015

New synthetic gene drives could one day improve human health and the environment

Gene drives are genetic elements - found naturally in the genomes of most of the world's organisms - that increase the chance of the gene they carry being passed on to all offspring, and thus, they can quickly spread through populations. Looking to these natural systems, researchers around the world, including some Wyss Institute scientists, are developing synthetic gene drives that could one day be leveraged by humans to purposefully alter the traits of wild populations of organisms to prevent disease transmission and eradicate invasive species.

31 Jul 2015

Researchers reconstruct ancient virus to improve gene therapy

Researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Schepens Eye Research Institute have reconstructed an ancient virus that is highly effective at delivering gene therapies to the liver, muscle, and retina. This discovery, published July 30 in Cell Reports, could potentially be used to design gene therapies that are not only safer and more potent than therapies currently available, but may also help a greater number of patients.

31 Jul 2015

DNA study reveals potential treatments to delay or prevent onset of Huntington's disease

Scientists from Cardiff University believe that a treatment to prevent or delay the symptoms of Huntington’s disease could now be much closer, following a major breakthrough.

31 Jul 2015

Researchers uncover master regulators that govern the fate of TFH cells

Follicular helper Tcells (TFH cells), a rare type of immune cell that is essential for inducing a strong and lasting antibody response to viruses and other microbes, have garnered intense interest in recent years but the molecular signals that drive their differentiation had remained unclear.

31 Jul 2015

Study shows link between liver-produced molecules, pneumonia susceptibility during sepsis

New evidence highlights the importance of the liver in immunity against bacterial pneumonia. The study is the first of its kind to directly show such a link between liver-produced molecules and pneumonia susceptibility during sepsis.

31 Jul 2015

DFG Senate Commission approves recommendations for developing clinical research at German universities

At the annual meeting of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) on 30 June 2015, the Senate of the largest research funding organisation approved recommendations for "Developing Clinical Research at German Universities Between 2015 and 2025" (available in German).

30 Jul 2015

Novel 3D human skin tissue model could help detect presence of known skin sensitizers in medical device extracts

New research shows that exposing a 3D human skin tissue model to extracts of medical device materials can detect the presence of sensitizers known to cause an allergic response on contact in some individuals. Conventional skin sensitization testing of medical devices relies on animal testing, whereas human skin models could replace animal methods, according to an article in the new journal Applied In Vitro Toxicology, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

30 Jul 2015

Balancing cellular aging and cancer risk through biotechnology

In a way, trying to repair age-related heart damage and trying to fight cancer are opposite problems. Your heart cells' ability to regenerate themselves and proliferate into new, young cells degrades as you get older.

30 Jul 2015

Detailed molecular analyses reveal new treatment options for aggressive childhood leukemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) leukemia is the most common type of cancer in children. It can occur in various forms, differing not only by specific changes in the genetic material of the leukemia cells but also by their response to therapies. Now, an international team of scientists from Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hannover, Heidelberg, Kiel, and Zurich have succeeded in decoding the molecular characteristics of an as yet incurable subtype of leukemia, paving the way for new therapeutic approaches.

30 Jul 2015

New study reports creation of genetic porcine model of cancer

With many types of cancers, early detection offers the best hope for survival. However, research into new early-detection screenings, as well as possible interventional radiology and surgical treatments, has been hindered by the lack of a large animal model that would accurately reflect the types of cancers seen in human cells.

30 Jul 2015

Study shows how genetic changes lead to differences in form and function of species

Ten thousand years ago, a golden grain got naked, brought people together and grew to become one of the top agricultural commodities on the planet.

30 Jul 2015

Blocking the expression of certain gene reduces excessive fat in patients

By blocking the expression of a certain gene in patients, University of Montreal researchers have contributed to the demonstration of great decreases in the concentration of triglycerides in their blood, even in various severe forms of hypertriglyceridemia and regardless of the base values or the treatment the patient usually receives.

30 Jul 2015

Protecting gastrointestinal system during radiation or chemotherapy allows patients to tolerate cancer treatments

The stem cells in our gut divide so fast that they create a completely new population of epithelial cells every week. But this quick division is also why radiation and chemotherapy wreak havoc on the gastrointestinal systems of cancer patients - such therapies target rapidly dividing cells.

30 Jul 2015

Discovery could put individuals with relapsing UTIs on fast track for new therapeutic regimen

It's one thing to grow bacteria in a test tube, perform a screen in the lab, and find a mutation in the pathogen's genes. It's a whole other thing, and much rarer, to find the exact same mutation in nature--in this case, in E. coli in urine samples from some 500 patients suffering from relapsing urinary tract infections.

30 Jul 2015

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Researchers uncover strong evidence for genetic causes of cerebral palsy

Animal study shows children exposed to famine grow smaller, become susceptible to metabolic diseases

BRCA gene mutations and ovarian cancer: an interview with Dr Matulonis, Harvard Medical School

FDA accepts Mundipharma EDO's Investigational New Drug Application for EDO-S101

Reducing incorrect gene expression can extend lifespan of cells

Study focuses on regulation of neuronal plasticity

New synthetic gene drives could one day improve human health and the environment

Researchers reconstruct ancient virus to improve gene therapy

DNA study reveals potential treatments to delay or prevent onset of Huntington's disease

Researchers uncover master regulators that govern the fate of TFH cells

Study shows link between liver-produced molecules, pneumonia susceptibility during sepsis

DFG Senate Commission approves recommendations for developing clinical research at German universities

Novel 3D human skin tissue model could help detect presence of known skin sensitizers in medical device extracts

Balancing cellular aging and cancer risk through biotechnology

Detailed molecular analyses reveal new treatment options for aggressive childhood leukemia

New study reports creation of genetic porcine model of cancer

Study shows how genetic changes lead to differences in form and function of species

Blocking the expression of certain gene reduces excessive fat in patients

Protecting gastrointestinal system during radiation or chemotherapy allows patients to tolerate cancer treatments

Discovery could put individuals with relapsing UTIs on fast track for new therapeutic regimen

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