Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Researchers replicate progression of inflammatory gene changes of kidney from mild to severe diabetic nephropathy

University of Louisville researchers have replicated the inflammatory gene changes of a human kidney as it progresses from mild to severe diabetic nephropathy, using a mouse model developed by a UofL researcher, according to an article published today in the journal Experimental Nephrology. Diabetic nephropathy is the foremost cause of kidney failure.

24 May 2011

Variant of obesity gene may increase breast cancer risk

New research aimed to better identify the genetic factors that lead to breast cancer has uncovered a link between the fat mass and obesity associated gene and a higher incidence of breast cancer.

24 May 2011

Mount Sinai researchers identify protein signaling hyperactivity in human sarcoma cells

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered a protein signaling pathway that becomes hyperactivated in human sarcoma cells, suggesting that medications to inhibit this pathway may be effective in the treatment of human sarcomas. The research is published in the current issue of the journal Cancer Cell.

24 May 2011

Scientists discover genetic regions that affect severity of cystic fibrosis

A team of international researchers, including Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, have discovered regions of the genome that affect the severity of the genetic disease cystic fibrosis, the most common lethal genetic disease affecting children in North America.

24 May 2011

'Survival protein' protects brain against effects of stroke

Johns Hopkins scientists say that a newly discovered "survival protein" protects the brain against the effects of stroke in rodent brain tissue by interfering with a particular kind of cell death that's also implicated in complications from diabetes and heart attack.

24 May 2011

New genetic testing technology for IVG embryos

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have devised a new technique, which helps couples that are affected by or are carriers of genetic diseases have in vitro fertilized babies free of both the disease in question and other chromosomal abnormalities. The results were reported in the April issue of Fertility and Sterility.

23 May 2011

Discovery of possible new strategy for treating neurologic disorders

23 May 2011

Expert review of respiratory medicine on pulmonary hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a rare, often incurable lung disorder that affects individuals of all ages, races and ethnic backgrounds. In the recent 4th World Conference on Pulmonary Hypertension held by the WHO, PH was classified into five groups based on its causes, highlighting both the magnitude of conditions associated with PH and how little we know of the etiology in many cases.

23 May 2011

Practical solutions for translational science from Randox Laboratories

The sole purpose of translational science is to transfer scientific discoveries made in ‘basic research’ to clinical reality, to improve the health of individuals and reduce suffering.

From Randox Laboratories Ltd. 23 May 2011

Scientists find new drug target in breast cancer

Researchers have identified a new protein involved in the development of drug resistance in breast cancer which could be a target for new treatments, they report today in the journal Nature Medicine.

23 May 2011

Viewpoints: IPAB debate; Medicare flap continues; WSJ on VT single payer

While I applaud Ryan for getting the conversation started, I cannot support his specific plan — and therefore will vote "no" on his budget. Why can't I go along with the Ryan Medicare plan?

23 May 2011

Sangamo announces presentations of ZFP Therapeutics data at ASGCT 2011

Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. announced today that data from clinical, preclinical and research-stage programs focused on the development of zinc finger DNA-binding protein Therapeutics were described in twenty presentations given by Sangamo scientists and collaborators at the 14th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy.

23 May 2011

New technique can detect minute traces of tumoral DNA in biological fluids

It will perhaps be possible, in the near future, to detect cancer by a simple blood or urine test. In fact, biologists from CNRS, Inserm, Paris Descartes and Strasbourg universities have developed a technique capable of detecting minute traces of tumoral DNA present in the biological fluids of patients suffering from cancer.

23 May 2011

New data from ProSavin Phase I/II trial in Parkinson's presented at ASGCT annual meeting

Oxford BioMedica, a leading gene therapy company, announces that new data from the on-going Phase I/II trial of ProSavin for the treatment of Parkinson's disease were presented at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy 14th Annual Meeting held in Seattle, USA by Professor Stephane Palfi, Principal Investigator at the Henri Mondor Hospital in Paris, on Saturday 21 May 2011.

23 May 2011

Researchers discover new genes that influence severity of cystic fibrosis

Johns Hopkins Institute for Genetic Medicine researchers working as part of the North American Cystic Fibrosis Consortium have discovered two regions of the genome that affect the severity of cystic fibrosis, a genetic condition that causes scarring throughout the body, affecting most notably the pancreas and lungs.

23 May 2011

Tumor necrosis factor can suppress inflammation, treat rheumatoid arthritis

A new study by rheumatologists at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York has shown that a powerful pro-inflammatory protein, tumor necrosis factor, can also suppress aspects of inflammation.

23 May 2011

New insights into bone diseases

A study by researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and collaborators at other institutions has provided new insights into the means by which bone cells produce new bone in response to mechanical stresses, such as exercise.

23 May 2011

Researchers identify new drug resistant protein in breast cancer

Researchers have identified a new protein involved in the development of drug resistance in breast cancer which could be a target for new treatments, they report today in the journal Nature Medicine.

23 May 2011

NIH allocated $400 million funding for pain research in 2010

An unprecedented level of federal funding for pain research, some $400 million, was allocated in 2010 by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through provisions of the American Recovery and Investment Act and the Affordable Care Act to help accelerate advances in pain research, prevention and treatment.

21 May 2011

Salk researchers successfully edit diseased gene in patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells

In principle, genetic engineering is simple, but in practice, replacing a faulty gene with a healthy copy is anything but. Using mutated versions of the lamin A gene as an example to demonstrate the versatility of their virus-based approach, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies successfully edited a diseased gene in patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells as well as adult stem cells.

21 May 2011