Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Scientists discover way of shrinking tumours in cancers

Australian and American scientists have found a way of shrinking tumours in certain cancers - a finding that provides hope for new treatments.

29 Sep 2010

CRP levels vary between ethnically-diverse populations: Study

C-reactive protein (CRP) levels vary between ethnically-diverse populations, and are only partly due to known differences in heart risk among these groups.A single risk level of CRP at 2 mg/L may over or under estimate the need for statin medication in different ethnic groups, especially if other risk factors are not considered.

29 Sep 2010

Scientists identify genetic contribution to sense of smell

Scientists at the Monell Center have used a well-known example of individual differences to identify a genetic contribution to the sense of smell. Most people detect a distinct sulfurous odor in their urine shortly after eating asparagus. However, there are some who seemingly do not notice the unpleasant odor.

29 Sep 2010

Researchers discover new diagnostic test for prostate cancer

Researchers in England say they have discovered a set of biomarkers that can distinguish prostate cancer from benign prostate disease and healthy tissue with 90 percent accuracy.

From Oxford Gene Technology 29 Sep 2010

Research: SorCS1 gene is linked to Alzheimer's disease, Type 2 diabetes

A research team led by Mount Sinai School of Medicine has identified the mechanism behind a single gene linked to the causes of both Alzheimer's disease and Type 2 diabetes.

29 Sep 2010

Triple-negative breast cancer patients may have unique biomarker to receive targeted therapy: Research

Patients with triple negative breast cancer, one of the hardest subtypes to treat, may have a unique biomarker that would enable them to receive more targeted therapy, according to data presented at the Fourth AACR International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development.

29 Sep 2010

HUYA, Quintiles announce agreement to develop HBI-8000 cancer drug

HUYA Bioscience International, the leader in U.S.-China pharmaceutical co-development, and Quintiles, the only fully integrated biopharmaceutical services company offering clinical, commercial, consulting and capital solutions worldwide, today announced an agreement to co-develop a new cancer drug, HBI-8000, sourced in China by HUYA.

29 Sep 2010

SGC releases 1000th high resolution protein structure

The Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), an international public private partnership that aims to determine three dimensional structures of medically important proteins, announced today the release into the public domain of its 1000th high resolution protein structure.

29 Sep 2010

Researchers find genetic variants that cause arthritis in breast cancer patients taking aromatase inhibitors

Mayo Clinic researchers and their international colleagues have discovered genetic variants that lead to severe arthritis for a subset of women when taking aromatase inhibitors to treat their breast cancer. This serious side effect is so painful that many women halt their lifesaving medication. The findings appear today in the online issue of Journal of Clinical Oncology.

28 Sep 2010

Optogenetics helps to restore optimal movement in people with physical disabilities

Researchers at Stanford University were able to use light to induce normal patterns of muscle contraction, in a study involving bioengineered mice whose nerve-cell surfaces are coated with special light-sensitive proteins.

28 Sep 2010

GenMark’s eSensor technology selected for Warfarin clinical study

GenMark Diagnostics, Inc., a provider of automated, multiplex molecular diagnostic testing systems, announced today that their eSensor Warfarin Sensitivity Test has been selected for use in a new pivotal Warfarin clinical study the WARFARIN Trial.

28 Sep 2010

Study may provide new developing approaches to treat age-related osteoporosis

Aging disrupts the balance between bone formation and bone destruction, resulting in osteoporosis, which is characterized by reduced bone mass and increased risk of fracture. Recent data have suggested that this imbalance is a result of a decrease in formation of bone forming osteoblast cells from mesenchymal cells upon aging.

28 Sep 2010

Scientists identify gene associated with common migraines

An international study led by scientists at Universit- de Montr-al and University of Oxford, has identified a gene associated with common migraines. Their findings show that a mutation in the KCNK18 gene inhibits the function of a protein called TRESK. TRESK normally plays a key role in nerve cell communication. Published today in Nature Medicine, this study may have implications for people who suffer from recurrent headaches, which include more than six million Canadians.

28 Sep 2010

Genomics obtains worldwide rights to The Garvan Institute of Medical Research's methylation DNA biomarkers

Clinical Genomics Pty. Ltd (Sydney, Australia) and The Garvan Institute of Medical Research (Sydney, Australia) today announced that they have entered into a license agreement in relation to novel biomarkers discovered by scientists at the Garvan Institute. Under the terms of the agreement, Clinical Genomics obtains worldwide exclusive rights to the Garvan's proprietary cancer associated methylation DNA biomarkers for the diagnosis and or treatment of colorectal cancer.

28 Sep 2010

Celiac disease on the rise in adults: Study

According to a new study published Monday in the Annals of Medicine, cases of intestinal disorder known as Celiac disease are on the rise with many adults developing the disease.

28 Sep 2010

GBS pathogen suppresses immune cell function in newborn infants: Research

Group B Streptococcus (GBS), a bacterial pathogen that causes sepsis and meningitis in newborn infants, is able to shut down immune cell function in order to promote its own survival, according to researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

27 Sep 2010

Progenika receives CE Mark approval to market LPLchip in Europe

Progenika Biopharma S.A., a pioneer in the field of personalized medicine, announced today that it has obtained the CE Mark allowing the sale in Europe of its LPLchip(R), the first DNA chip to detect mutations in the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene.

27 Sep 2010

Researchers synthesize molecule to block abnormal protein in cancer cells

In the quest to arrest the growth and spread of tumors, there have been many attempts to get cancer genes to ignore their internal instruction manual. In a new study, a team led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists has created the first molecule able to prevent cancer genes from "hearing" those instructions, stifling the cancer process at its root.

27 Sep 2010

Alzheimer's treatments may prove effective if started in middle-aged people: Study

Memory lapses that occur with normal aging are a source of worry for many who fear Alzheimer's disease. Now a new Mayo Clinic-led study published in the July 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that the carriers of a common genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease begin to have memory declines in their mid-50s, far earlier than previously thought.

27 Sep 2010

Researchers find stress-activating factors can control genes

Stress has become one of the major disease states in the developed world. Researchers from Dr.Klaus Hansen's group at BRIC, University of Copenhagen, have just shown that external factors can stress our cells through the control of our genes. "We found that stress-activating factors can control our genes by turning on certain genes that were supposed to be silenced.

27 Sep 2010