Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Tet1 helps erase epigenetic imprints from genome ahead of egg, sperm development

A protein called Tet1 is partly responsible for giving primordial germ cells a clean epigenetic slate before developing into sperm and egg cells, according to a new study by researchers at Boston Children's Hospital.

4 Dec 2013

Tackling orphan diseases: an interview with Damian Marron, CEO, TxCell

The exact definition of orphan diseases varies depending on where you are in the world. In the EU it's defined as a prevalence of less than 1 in 2,000, which equates to about 250,000 patients across the EU.

4 Dec 2013

Study sheds new light on neuropsychiatric disorders

Trauma can scar people so indelibly that their children are affected. History provides examples of generations traumatized by war and starvation, whose children experience altered physiology.

4 Dec 2013

Genetic mutation linked to excess risk of lethal prostate cancer in obese patients

Obesity is associated with a worse prostate cancer prognosis among men whose tumors contain a specific genetic mutation, suggest results from a new study led by Harvard School of Public Health, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital researchers.

4 Dec 2013

Researchers identify resistance protein that allows bacteria to survive chlorhexidine

Researchers have identified a resistance protein that allows bacteria to survive chlorhexidine, a disinfectant commonly used in wipes, cleansers and mouthwashes in hospitals.

4 Dec 2013

Findings could have important implications for personalized treatment of colon cancer

A common observation in oncology is the phenomenon that a patient with a tumor receives a drug and responds very well, but after a few months the cancer comes back and is now resistant to previously administered chemotherapy. What happened? Many mechanisms contribute to explain this effect called "acquired resistance", but today the group Manel Esteller, Director of Epigenetics and Cancer Biology at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, ICREA researcher and Professor of Genetics at the University of Barcelona, describes in the official Journal of the National Cancer Research Center in the United States, The Journal of The National Cancer Institute, the existence of epigenetic differences that explain the lack of response of the tumor recurs.

4 Dec 2013

Cognitive behavioral therapy for PTSD affects underlying biology of the disorder

A new paper published in Biological Psychiatry suggests that cognitive behavioral therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder not only reduces symptoms but also affects the underlying biology of this disorder.

4 Dec 2013

Presence of ERG protein in biopsied prostate tissue increases likelihood of cancer development

Researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College have shown that the presence of a particular protein in biopsied prostate tissue substantially increases the likelihood that cancer will develop in that organ. The discovery will likely help physicians decide how closely to monitor men potentially at risk for the cancer -- among the most confusing and controversial dilemmas in health care.

4 Dec 2013

A new approach for treating colorectal cancer

Scientists and surgeons at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre have discovered a promising new approach to treating colorectal cancer by disarming the gene that drives self-renewal in stem cells that are the root cause of disease, resistance to treatment and relapse.

4 Dec 2013

Scientists receive $12.5M NIH grant to continue research on targeted therapies for melanoma

Despite recent advances in therapy, melanoma remains the deadliest, most aggressive form of skin cancer as incidence rates continue to climb. Now, a team of melanoma scientists from The Wistar Institute and the University of Pennsylvania received a $12.5 M, five-year program project grant (P01) from the National Institutes of Health to continue trailblazing research on targeted therapies in melanoma.

4 Dec 2013

New research suggests that Alzheimer's gene may begin to affect brains in childhood

People who carry a high-risk gene for Alzheimer's disease show changes in their brains beginning in childhood, decades before the illness appears, new research from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health suggests.

3 Dec 2013

Scientists identify enzyme that could lead to better treatment of Alzheimer's disease

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have identified an enzyme that can halt or possibly even reverse the build-up of toxic protein fragments known as plaques in the brains of mice with Alzheimer's disease. The research appeared in a recent edition of the scientific journal Nature Communications.

3 Dec 2013

Prenatal alcohol exposure impacts brain development and change behavior

Prenatal exposure to alcohol severely disrupts major features of brain development that potentially lead to increased anxiety and poor motor function, conditions typical in humans with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, according to neuroscientists at the University of California, Riverside.

3 Dec 2013

Lexicon announces top-line results from initial Phase 2 study of LX1033 for treatment of IBS-d

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced top-line results from an initial Phase 2 study exploring the use of LX1033 in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. LX1033 is an investigational drug that inhibits serotonin synthesis in the gastrointestinal tract. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that has been shown to play a role in the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

3 Dec 2013

New genetics promises to change faulty genes of future generations by using "designer sperm”

Bethesda, MD-Get ready: The "new genetics" promises to change faulty genes of future generations by introducing new, functioning genes using "designer sperm." A new research report appearing online in The FASEB Journal, shows that introducing new genetic material via a viral vector into the sperm of mice leads to the presence and activity of those genes in the resulting embryos.

3 Dec 2013

Researchers create computer algorithm to identify specific genes involved in breast cancer growth

Researchers from the University of Alberta and Alberta Health Services have created a computer algorithm that successfully predicts whether estrogen is sending signals to cancer cells to grow into tumours in the breast. By finding this hormone receptor, known as estrogen receptor positive, physicians can prescribe anti-estrogen drug therapies, improving patient outcomes.

3 Dec 2013

Newly identified protein could prove promising new drug target for AIDS

Researchers have identified a protein that causes loss of function in immune cells combatting HIV. The scientists report in a paper appearing online Dec. 2 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation that the protein, Sprouty-2, is a promising target for future HIV drug development, since disabling it could help restore the cells' ability to combat the virus that causes AIDS.

2 Dec 2013

Multiplicom launches MID kit for Illumina MiSeq and MASTR kits for MODY, ADH and HCM

Multiplicom NV, a specialist in the development, production and commercialization of innovative molecular genetic tests based on massively parallel sequencing, today announces that it is launching a CE/IVD labeled MID kit for Illumina MiSeq together with three new germline mutation detection MASTRTM kits enabling the identification of individuals at risk for maturity onset diabetes of the young, autosomal dominant hypercholesterolemia, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

2 Dec 2013

USC scientists show gene-environment interaction augments risk for developing autism

Exposure to air pollution appears to increase the risk for autism among people who carry a genetic disposition for the neurodevelopmental disorder, according to newly published research led by scientists at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

2 Dec 2013

Researchers discover promising new approach for colorectal cancer treatment

2 Dec 2013

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Tet1 helps erase epigenetic imprints from genome ahead of egg, sperm development

Tackling orphan diseases: an interview with Damian Marron, CEO, TxCell

Study sheds new light on neuropsychiatric disorders

Genetic mutation linked to excess risk of lethal prostate cancer in obese patients

Researchers identify resistance protein that allows bacteria to survive chlorhexidine

Findings could have important implications for personalized treatment of colon cancer

Cognitive behavioral therapy for PTSD affects underlying biology of the disorder

Presence of ERG protein in biopsied prostate tissue increases likelihood of cancer development

A new approach for treating colorectal cancer

Scientists receive $12.5M NIH grant to continue research on targeted therapies for melanoma

New research suggests that Alzheimer's gene may begin to affect brains in childhood

Scientists identify enzyme that could lead to better treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Prenatal alcohol exposure impacts brain development and change behavior

Lexicon announces top-line results from initial Phase 2 study of LX1033 for treatment of IBS-d

New genetics promises to change faulty genes of future generations by using "designer sperm”

Researchers create computer algorithm to identify specific genes involved in breast cancer growth

Newly identified protein could prove promising new drug target for AIDS

Multiplicom launches MID kit for Illumina MiSeq and MASTR kits for MODY, ADH and HCM

USC scientists show gene-environment interaction augments risk for developing autism

Researchers discover promising new approach for colorectal cancer treatment

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

Todd Bauman and Chris Povich

Scaling organ‑chip technology for human‑relevant drug discovery

Unlocking drug amorphization: Continuous, solvent-free twin screw granulation