Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Rare, aggressive subtype of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia has surprisingly few mutations

The St. Jude Children's Research Hospital--Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project reports that a highly aggressive form of leukemia in infants has surprisingly few mutations beyond the chromosomal rearrangement that affects the MLL gene. The findings suggest that targeting the alteration is likely the key to improved survival.

9 Mar 2015

Naturally occurring melatonin may help us fall asleep

If you walk into your local drug store and ask for a supplement to help you sleep, you might be directed to a bottle labeled "melatonin." The hormone supplement's use as a sleep aid is supported by anecdotal evidence and even some reputable research studies.

9 Mar 2015

Unregulated Internet marketing of cancer-related gene tests poses challenges for consumers, physicians

Websites that market personalized cancer care services often overemphasize their purported benefits and downplay their limitations, and many sites offer genetic tests whose value for guiding cancer treatment has not been shown to be clinically useful, according to a new study from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

6 Mar 2015

Myriad Publishes myPath™ Melanoma Pivotal Validation Study in the Journal of Cutaneous Pathology

Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYGN) today announced the Journal of Cutaneous Pathology published data from a pivotal clinical validation study that showed the myPath™ Melanoma test is highly effective at differentiating benign skin moles from malignant melanoma with greater than 90 percent diagnostic accuracy. Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer and more than 76,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed each year in the United States.

6 Mar 2015

Researchers present new findings about 'key players' involved in brain inflammation

Inflammatory processes occur in the brain in conjunction with stroke and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Researchers from Lund University and Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, in close cooperation with a group led by Professor José L. Venero at the University of Seville, have presented new findings about some of the 'key players' in inflammation.

6 Mar 2015

CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology targets every gene in the genome in animal cancer model

For the first time, CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology has been employed in a whole organism model to systematically target every gene in the genome.

6 Mar 2015

Obesity drug under clinical trials could help treat anxiety

Did you know that our body produces its own marijuana-like compound to protect us against anxiety? A study led by Ottawa researchers, published today in Neuron, reveals a new biological pathway that regulates this system and suggests that a drug currently in clinical trials to treat obesity might also provide an attractive way to combat anxiety disorders.

6 Mar 2015

Non-viral gene therapy provides relief for diabetics with constant foot pain

Walking barefoot on sand "felt like walking on glass" for Keith Wenckowski, who has lived with type-one diabetes for more than two decades.

6 Mar 2015

RBFox2 protein plays critical role in heart failure

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified a key piece in the complex molecular puzzle underlying heart failure - a serious and sometimes life-threatening disorder affecting more than 5 million Americans.

5 Mar 2015

Philips, UC Irvine partner to explore effectiveness of spectral imaging in breast density measurement

Royal Philips today announced its collaboration with the University of California, Irvine, to explore how spectral breast imaging can improve breast density measurement, potentially aiding clinicians in more accurately gauging breast cancer risks and monitoring changes over time.

5 Mar 2015

Pediatric Cancer Genome Project identifies genetic basis of three pediatric melanoma subtypes

The St. Jude Children's Research Hospital—Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project found that melanoma in some adolescent and adult patients involves many of the same genetic alterations and would likely respond to the same therapy.

5 Mar 2015

UIC researchers identify genetic variation that increases MS risk in women

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have identified a genetic variation that in women significantly increases their risk of developing multiple sclerosis.

5 Mar 2015

Study shows how mutations that cause Alzheimer's disease lead to neurodegeneration, dementia

A study from researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital reveals for the first time exactly how mutations associated with the most common form of inherited Alzheimer's disease produce the disorder's devastating effects.

5 Mar 2015

Researchers discover retina protein crucial for vision

Research led by Nicolas Bazan, MD, PhD, Boyd Professor and Director of the LSU Health New Orleans Neuroscience Center of Excellence, discovered a protein in the retina that is crucial for vision. The paper reports, for the first time, the key molecular mechanisms leading to visual degeneration and blindness.

5 Mar 2015

Finding may help advance experimental approach to improving public health

Scientists have discovered a new way to manipulate how cells function, a finding that might help advance an experimental approach to improving public health: DNA vaccines, which could be more efficient, less expensive and easier to store than traditional vaccines.

5 Mar 2015

GeneSight test better predicts antidepressant outcomes for patients with depression

The combinatorial, multi-gene GeneSight test has been found to better predict antidepressant treatment outcomes for patients with depression, and their use of health care resources, than any of the individual genes that comprise the test, according to a peer-reviewed analysis by investigators from the Mayo Clinic and Assurex Health, and published online by The Pharmacogenomics Journal.

5 Mar 2015

Lexicon updates drug development progress, reports 2014 financial results

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing breakthrough treatments for human disease, today updated its drug development progress and reported financial results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2014.

4 Mar 2015

Kansas State researchers preparing for next potential influenza strain

As seasonal influenza cases decrease across the United States, Kansas State University researchers are preparing for the next potential virulent strain of flu.

4 Mar 2015

UCLA life scientists develop new method to find genetic markers for many diseases

UCLA life scientists have created an accurate new method to identify genetic markers for many diseases -- a significant step toward a new era of personalized medicine, tailored to each person's DNA and RNA.

4 Mar 2015

CHOPS syndrome sheds light on key biological processes during human development

Analyzing a puzzling multisystem disorder in three children, genetic experts have identified a new syndrome, shedding light on key biological processes during human development. The research also provides important information to help caregivers manage the disorder, and may offer clues to eventually treating it.

3 Mar 2015

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Rare, aggressive subtype of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia has surprisingly few mutations

Naturally occurring melatonin may help us fall asleep

Unregulated Internet marketing of cancer-related gene tests poses challenges for consumers, physicians

Myriad Publishes myPath™ Melanoma Pivotal Validation Study in the Journal of Cutaneous Pathology

Researchers present new findings about 'key players' involved in brain inflammation

CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology targets every gene in the genome in animal cancer model

Obesity drug under clinical trials could help treat anxiety

Non-viral gene therapy provides relief for diabetics with constant foot pain

RBFox2 protein plays critical role in heart failure

Philips, UC Irvine partner to explore effectiveness of spectral imaging in breast density measurement

Pediatric Cancer Genome Project identifies genetic basis of three pediatric melanoma subtypes

UIC researchers identify genetic variation that increases MS risk in women

Study shows how mutations that cause Alzheimer's disease lead to neurodegeneration, dementia

Researchers discover retina protein crucial for vision

Finding may help advance experimental approach to improving public health

GeneSight test better predicts antidepressant outcomes for patients with depression

Lexicon updates drug development progress, reports 2014 financial results

Kansas State researchers preparing for next potential influenza strain

UCLA life scientists develop new method to find genetic markers for many diseases

CHOPS syndrome sheds light on key biological processes during human development

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

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Todd Bauman and Chris Povich