Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Microbiologists identify potential target in cattle to prevent E. coli strain

Microbiologists at UT Southwestern Medical Center, working with the Department of Agriculture, have identified a potential target in cattle that could be exploited to help prevent outbreaks of food-borne illnesses caused by a nasty strain of Escherichia coli.

13 May 2010

Researchers develop new technology to manage prostate cancer treatment

Researchers at Queen's University have developed a new way of performing lab tests that could improve the way doctors manage prostate cancer treatment. It will allow them to identify with unprecedented accuracy losses of a gene called PTEN that is associated with an aggressive group of prostate cancers.

13 May 2010

Genetic variations do not improve ability to predict risk of AD: Study

Although genome-wide analysis identified two genetic variations associated with Alzheimer disease, these variations did not improve the ability to predict the risk of AD, according to a study in the May 12 issue of JAMA.

12 May 2010

Sanford-Burnham Scientific Symposium provides wealth of information on microRNAs, RNAi

Investigators from around the country came to Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) on Friday, May 7, to share their knowledge of the burgeoning young field of microRNAs. These small non-coding nucleic acids turn off proteins and have been implicated in viral infection, cancer, cardiovascular disease, HIV and numerous other conditions.

12 May 2010

Key mechanisms for delivery of LNP-encapsulated siRNAs to the liver

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today the publication of pre-clinical research in the journal Molecular Therapy revealing key mechanisms related to the systemic delivery of RNAi therapeutics using lipid nanoparticles (LNPs).

12 May 2010

Updated data from Vical's Phase 2 trial of high-dose Allovectin-7 in metastatic melanoma patients

Vical Incorporated announced the publication in the June issue of Melanoma Research of updated data from the company's Phase 2 trial of high-dose (2 mg) Allovectin-7® in patients with metastatic melanoma. A separate article in the May issue of Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy reviewed results from the Phase 2 trial and previous clinical studies of Allovectin-7®.

12 May 2010

Mutations in STRAD-alpha gene can cause PMSE syndrome in Amish children: Penn researchers

So often the rare informs the common. Penn researchers investigating a regulatory protein involved in a rare genetic disease have shown that it may be related to epileptic and autistic symptoms in other more common neurological disorders.

12 May 2010

Genetic tests represent future of cancer care for women

Important progress is being made in women's health through the use of genetic tests, particularly those that help women detect and treat cancer.

12 May 2010

Response Genetics, GSK sign non-exclusive license agreement for BRAF mutational analysis technology

Response Genetics, Inc., a company focused on the development and sale of molecular diagnostic tests for cancer, today announced it has signed a non-exclusive license agreement with GlaxoSmithKline ("GSK"). Under the terms of the agreement, GSK gains certain rights to Response Genetics' proprietary PCR analysis technology and diagnostic expertise to assess BRAF gene mutations in human tumor samples. Payments will be made to Response Genetics upon achivement of agreed-to milestones.

12 May 2010

OriGene Technologies, ISB to create proteotypic PeptideAtlas and SRM/MRM mass spectrometry standard database

OriGene Technologies, Inc., a leading gene-centric life sciences company, and the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB), announce plans to create a proteotypic PeptideAtlas and develop an SRM/MRM (single reaction monitoring, multiple reaction monitoring) mass spectrometry standard database for 5,000 human proteins. The new collaboration will apply ISB's novel systems biology mass spectrometry expertise to OriGene's large collection of full length human proteins.

12 May 2010

Adult patients with sickle cell disease may develop cognitive problems: Study

Sickle cell disease may affect brain function in adults who have few or mild complications of the inherited blood disease, according to results of the first study to examine cognitive functioning in adults with sickle cell disease.

12 May 2010

Unotron keyboards prevent sample contamination, germ spread at UNC Gene Therapy Center

The Gene Therapy Center at the University of North Carolina (UNC) asserts that Unotron's ruggedly designed, airtight SpillSeal® technology offers an optimal solution for use where a sterile environment is critical. Unotron, creator of hermetically-sealed, dishwasher safe, medical grade washable computer keyboards, scroll wheel mice, and smartcard readers, announced today that its keyboards provided to the UNC Gene Therapy Center offer an optimal solution for preventing contamination to samples and the spread of the germs.

11 May 2010

Potential new drug therapies for treatment of tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) has been present in humans since ancient times. The origins of the disease date back to the first domestication of cattle, and skeletal remains show prehistoric humans (4,000 B.C.) had TB. Although relatively rare in the United States, it is the single leading bacterial cause of death worldwide. Approximately 8 million people are infected each year and 2 million people die from TB.

11 May 2010

Gene variations may increase risk of developing schizophrenia: Study

By analyzing the genomes of patients with schizophrenia, genetics researchers have discovered numerous copy number variations—deletions or duplications of DNA sequences—that increase the risk of developing schizophrenia. Significantly, many of these variations occur in genes that affect signaling among brain cells.

11 May 2010

New multicenter trial achieves 71% survival in AML children

More individualized therapy and better supportive care helped push the survival for children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) to 71 percent three years after diagnosis, according to new research led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators and reported in the medical journal The Lancet Oncology. The survival rate of 71 percent is 20 percent better than previously reported U.S. rates and is similar to the success achieved in a 2009 Japanese study, said Jeffrey Rubnitz, M.D., Ph.D., a member of the St. Jude Oncology department.

11 May 2010

SNP biomarker could reduce guesswork associated with prescribing drugs

A tiny gene mutation in human liver cells could one day influence how high or low a dose patients need of about half of the clinically used drugs on the market, new research suggests.

11 May 2010

Research may aid in developing new cancer therapies

Immortality and uncontrolled cell division are the fundamental differences between cancer cells and normal cells.

11 May 2010

Iris Biotechnologies receives two new Canadian patents

Iris BioTechnologies Inc., a life sciences company focused on providing patients, doctors, and clinicians with improved methods of identifying effective treatment solutions, and recipient of the Frost and Sullivan 2008 Technology Innovation Award in Pharmacogenomics, today announced two new Canadian patents.

11 May 2010

FDA grants EUA for IQuum's Liat Influenza A/2009 H1N1 Assay

IQuum, Inc. today announced it has been granted an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Liat™ Influenza A/2009 H1N1 Assay. The assay detects and differentiates 2009 H1N1 influenza viral RNA starting from collected nasopharyngeal swab samples in less than 30 minutes.

10 May 2010

More genetic sites associated with increase in breast cancer risk discovered

Scientists have found five new regions of the genome that increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer by between six and 16 per cent, according to a study in Nature Genetics today (Sunday)1.

10 May 2010