Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Gene variant linked to ability of Tibetans to cope with low-oxygen conditions identified

A new study pinpoints the genetic changes that enable Tibetans to thrive at altitudes where others get sick.

8 Jun 2010

Researchers discover RAF oncogene that may drive aggressive forms of prostate cancer

The Prostate Cancer Foundation announced today that researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have discovered the RAF oncogene that drives fatal melanomas may also drive the aggressive forms of prostate cancer in the clinic.

8 Jun 2010

Hormone involved in iron metabolism can save mice from deadly acute inflammation: Scientists

In a surprising discovery that someday may lead to new treatments for many inflammatory diseases, University of Utah scientists found that a hormone involved in iron metabolism can save mice from deadly acute inflammation.

8 Jun 2010

Form of epigenetics may play role in pulmonary arterial hypertension: Researchers

A rare but fatal disease of blood vessels in the lung may be caused in part by aberrant silencing of genes rather than genetic mutation, new research reports. Pulmonary arterial hypertension, a syndrome characterized by gradual blockage of blood vessels in the lungs, has been linked to genetic causes in a small percentage of patients. But University of Chicago researchers have now found that a form of epigenetics - the modification of gene expression - causes the disease in an animal model and could contribute to the disease in humans.

8 Jun 2010

Quintiles announces comprehensive suite of PI3K biomarker assays

Quintiles today announced a comprehensive suite of biomarker assays to help biopharmaceutical companies investigate the phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) cancer survival pathway, the focus of numerous anti-cancer therapies under development. Understanding the PI3K pathway is essential in developing new medicines to inhibit or block this pathway, thereby cutting off a metabolic function needed for certain cancers to survive.

8 Jun 2010

Protein p53 becomes activated to control creation of ova and spermatozoids: Study

Protein 53 is very important in protecting against cancer given that it prevents cancer-causing mutations from accumulating and its inactivation is closely linked to the proliferation of tumour cells. UAB lecturer Ignasi Roig participated in the study. Formed by an international research team, the study served to discover that this protein played an unexpected physiological role: it also becomes activated during the formation process of ova and spermatozoids.

8 Jun 2010

Genetic mutations help predict risk of prostate cancer in younger men: Researchers

Prostate cancer has become more common in younger men, and it's often more aggressive in these men. A new study from researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center has found that a series of genetic mutations could help detect this early onset prostate cancer.

8 Jun 2010

Lawsuit to be launched over breast cancer gene patent

BRCA1 and BRCA2 are two genes that have been identified to hold a key to women’s susceptibility to get breast or ovarian cancer. Changes also known as mutations in these genes are significant in women who go on to develop breast or ovarian cancer. Melbourne-based company Genetic Technologies Limited (GTL) has the exclusive license from American biotechnology company Myriad Genetics to carry out testing for the genes in Australia. Myriad holds a patent for these genes.

7 Jun 2010

Targeted therapy that benefits patients with metastatic colon cancer fails to help patients with stage III cancer

To the surprise of researchers at Mayo Clinic who led a national clinical trial, a targeted therapy that provides benefit to patients with metastatic colon cancer has failed to help patients with less advanced, stage III cancer. In fact, patients who used the agent, cetuximab, with chemotherapy had outcomes slightly inferior to patients treated with chemotherapy alone.

7 Jun 2010

Celera applies CE mark to real-time PCR test for detection of variant in KIF6 gene

Celera Corporation today announced that it has signed a Declaration of Conformity and applied the CE mark to a real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test for detection of a variant in the KIF6 gene, allowing the test to be marketed in the European Union and other geographic areas that recognize the CE Mark.

7 Jun 2010

Thesis examines infections caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum in lambs

Erik Georg Granquist's thesis examines infections caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum in lambs. This bacterium is the cause of the disease tick-borne fever in ruminants and granulocytic anaplasmosis in humans. The bacterium is transmitted by ticks and is the indirect cause of considerable animal welfare problems and financial losses in Norwegian sheep farming.

7 Jun 2010

Managing Myeloma launches MTR tool to help practitioners treat patients with multiple myeloma

Managing Myeloma is pleased to announce the launch of the Myeloma Treatment Resource at the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago. The MTR, developed by the Managing Myeloma multidisciplinary scientific advisors, is a compilation of convenient, unique tools and resources essential for practitioners treating patients with multiple myeloma.

7 Jun 2010

Exelixis reports updated interim data from trials of XL765 small molecule inhibitor of PI3K and mTOR

Exelixis, Inc. today reported updated interim data from three ongoing trials of XL765 (SAR245409), an orally available small molecule inhibitor of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) and mTOR. Activation of the PI3K pathway is a frequent event in human tumors, promoting cell proliferation, survival, and resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

7 Jun 2010

Vitiligo is associated with variations in genes that play role in body's natural defenses: Scientists

Scientists including researchers from the University of Florida have discovered additional evidence that generalized vitiligo — a disease that typically causes patches of white skin on the face, neck and extremities that pop star Michael Jackson may have experienced — is associated with slight variations in genes that play a role in the body's natural defenses.

7 Jun 2010

Study identifies potential link between Gilbert's Syndrome, childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Scientists from the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University School of Medicine, both in Detroit, and the Children's Hospital of Michigan/Detroit Medical Center, presented preliminary data that identified a potential link between Gilbert's Syndrome and the development of a specific subtype of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The findings were announced today at the 2010 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting.

7 Jun 2010

Multiple study data on Agendia's MammaPrint, BluePrint, and ColoPrint assays to be presented at 2010 ASCO

Agendia, a world leader in molecular cancer diagnostics, today announced that researchers from Agendia and leading academic centers in the U.S. and Europe will present data from multiple studies concerning Agendia's assays MammaPrint(R), BluePrint(TM), and ColoPrint(TM) at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, June 4 - 8, 2010, at McCormick Place in Chicago. MammaPrint, the company's lead product, is the only FDA-cleared breast cancer recurrence test.

5 Jun 2010

NHLBI stops trial evaluating new approach to reduce risk of recurrent stroke in children with sickle cell anemia

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has stopped a clinical trial evaluating a new approach to reduce the risk of recurrent stroke in children with sickle cell anemia and iron overload because of evidence that the new treatment was unlikely to prove better than the existing treatment.

5 Jun 2010

$2M federal grant to double computing power at Southwest Foundation For Biomedical Research

The "computer ranch" at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research (SFBR), one of the world's largest clusters of computers for human gene research, will more than double in size this summer, thanks to a $2 million federal grant that will speed the pace of discovery at the Foundation's AT&T Genomics Computing Center.

5 Jun 2010

WRNp controls key step in pluripotent stem cell differentiation: Study

A gene shown to play a role in the aging process appears to play a role in the regulation of the differentiation of embryonic stem cells, according to researchers from the Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and the Department of Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University.

5 Jun 2010

Positive results from Phase 2, open-label ENCORE 303 trial to be presented at ASCO 2010

Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage epigenetics oncology company, reported final results from the Phase 2, open-label ENCORE 303 trial in post-menopausal women with advanced, estrogen receptor positive breast cancer who were progressing on aromatase inhibitor therapy.

5 Jun 2010

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Gene variant linked to ability of Tibetans to cope with low-oxygen conditions identified

Researchers discover RAF oncogene that may drive aggressive forms of prostate cancer

Hormone involved in iron metabolism can save mice from deadly acute inflammation: Scientists

Form of epigenetics may play role in pulmonary arterial hypertension: Researchers

Quintiles announces comprehensive suite of PI3K biomarker assays

Protein p53 becomes activated to control creation of ova and spermatozoids: Study

Genetic mutations help predict risk of prostate cancer in younger men: Researchers

Lawsuit to be launched over breast cancer gene patent

Targeted therapy that benefits patients with metastatic colon cancer fails to help patients with stage III cancer

Celera applies CE mark to real-time PCR test for detection of variant in KIF6 gene

Thesis examines infections caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum in lambs

Managing Myeloma launches MTR tool to help practitioners treat patients with multiple myeloma

Exelixis reports updated interim data from trials of XL765 small molecule inhibitor of PI3K and mTOR

Vitiligo is associated with variations in genes that play role in body's natural defenses: Scientists

Study identifies potential link between Gilbert's Syndrome, childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Multiple study data on Agendia's MammaPrint, BluePrint, and ColoPrint assays to be presented at 2010 ASCO

NHLBI stops trial evaluating new approach to reduce risk of recurrent stroke in children with sickle cell anemia

$2M federal grant to double computing power at Southwest Foundation For Biomedical Research

WRNp controls key step in pluripotent stem cell differentiation: Study

Positive results from Phase 2, open-label ENCORE 303 trial to be presented at ASCO 2010

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