Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

UTHealth inaugurates new center for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases research

The University of Texas Health Science at Houston (UTHealth) announced the opening of a center devoted to researching and treating diseases associated with malfunctioning immune systems.

2 Sep 2011

Two ALS-associated genes work in tandem to support long-term survival of motor neurons

Although several genes have been linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), it is still unknown how they cause this progressive neurodegenerative disease. In a new study, Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have demonstrated that two ALS-associated genes work in tandem to support the long-term survival of motor neurons.

2 Sep 2011

Older dads have a higher risk of having kids with mental disorders: Study

According to a new study children of older fathers have genetic changes associated with autism and other brain disorders. As of now this is seen only in lab mice. Professor John McGrath of the Queensland University’s Brain Institute and colleagues report their findings today in the journal Translational Psychiatry.

31 Aug 2011

Gene variants can cut risk of Parkinson's disease

An international team of researchers led by neuroscientists at Mayo Clinic in Florida has found a genetic variation they say protects against Parkinson's disease. The gene variants cut the risk of developing the disease by nearly 20 percent in many populations.

31 Aug 2011

Parental stress strongly associated with DNA methylation in children

Researchers at the University of British Columbia and the Child & Family Research Institute have shown that parental stress during their children's early years can leave an imprint on their sons' or daughters' genes - an imprint that lasts into adolescence and may affect how these genes are expressed later in life.

31 Aug 2011

ZIOPHARM initiates ZIN ATI-001 Phase 1 clinical study in advanced melanoma

ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. today announced that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical study of ZIN ATI-001, a novel DNA-based therapeutic candidate, in patients with advanced melanoma.

30 Aug 2011

Viewpoints: Spotlight on insurance industry; local health costs rising; obesity debate

The GOP candidate's positions are not a vision of the future for the U.S. but of a discredited past. ... Perry's proposed fixes for the healthcare system - tort reform, individual ownership of health insurance, portability of plans for people who move or change jobs - would do nothing to slow the growth of healthcare costs or reduce the number of uninsured Americans.

30 Aug 2011

New chemical compounds show promise against set of protein-folding diseases

Collaborating researchers at Stanford University and The Scripps Research Institute have identified chemical compounds that show promise as potential therapeutics for a set of medical conditions caused by the abnormal clumping together of a protein known as transthyretin.

30 Aug 2011

HTG announces availability of qDiscovery miRNA WTA Version 16

HTG Molecular Diagnostics today announced the availability of the qDiscovery miRNA Whole Transcriptome Array (WTA) Version 16, a complete solution for microRNA (miRNA) analysis on any sample type or size.

30 Aug 2011

New insights into Lafora disease

Short-term energy storage in animal cells is usually achieved through the accumulation of glucose, in the form of long and branched chains, known as glycogen. But when this accumulation happens in neurons it is fatal, causing them to degenerate. This neuronal deterioration and death associated with glycogen accumulation is the hallmark of an extremely rare and progressive type of epilepsy known as Lafora disease (LD).

29 Aug 2011

Pfizer's Xalkori receives FDA approval to treat late-stage NSCLC patients with abnormal ALK gene

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Xalkori (crizotinib) to treat certain patients with late-stage (locally advanced or metastatic), non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) who express the abnormal anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene.

29 Aug 2011

Individuals with BAP1 gene mutation more likely to develop mesothelioma

Scientists have found that individuals who carry a mutation in a gene called BAP1 are susceptible to developing two forms of cancer - mesothelioma, and melanoma of the eye.

29 Aug 2011

AAO-HNSF's 2011 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO to convene in San Francisco

The 2011 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO of the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF), the largest meeting of ear, nose, and throat doctors in the world, will convene September 11-14, 2011, in San Francisco, CA.

29 Aug 2011

Low-cost device to help physicians detect and diagnose cancer

An engineering researcher and a global health expert from Michigan State University are working on bringing a low-cost, hand-held device to nations with limited resources to help physicians detect and diagnose cancer.

29 Aug 2011

LUNGevity Foundation applauds FDA's recent approval of XALKORI lung cancer drug

LUNGevity Foundation applauds the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) recent approval of XALKORI (crizotinib) to treat lung cancer. The drug, introduced by Pfizer, Inc. showed such promise in early trials that it was given "fast track" status by the FDA.

29 Aug 2011

CIRM approves stem cell research planning grants for five UC Davis teams

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state stem cell agency, today approved research planning grants for five UC Davis Health System teams that are working to develop human clinical trials to treat illnesses such as Huntington's disease, vascular disease, osteoporosis, HIV/AIDS and airway disease in children.

29 Aug 2011

FDA approves Abbott's Vysis ALK FISH test for NSCLC therapy selection

Abbott today announced it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a new molecular diagnostic test designed to detect rearrangements of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene in non-small-cell lung cancer.

29 Aug 2011

Pfizer receives FDA approval for XALKORI capsules to treat ALK-positive NSCLC

Pfizer Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved XALKORI (crizotinib) capsules, the first-ever therapy targeting anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that is ALK-positive as detected by an FDA-approved test.

29 Aug 2011

Severe combined immunodeficiency treated successfully with gene therapy

Gene therapy can offer a cure for a rare condition that causes children’s immune systems to fail. In this rare condition, known as Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), inherited genetic mutations mean that babies are unable to fight off infection, severely limiting their chances of surviving more than a few years. Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is a rare genetic disorder estimated to affect between 1 in 200,000 and 1 in 1,000,000 live births

26 Aug 2011

Protein that allows Ebola virus to attack cells discovered

A U.S. research team has discovered a protein called Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1), which they found was responsible for allowing Ebola virus to enter and replicate within cells.

26 Aug 2011