Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

UBC doctoral candidate discovers a mechanism for silencing retroviruses

A University of British Columbia doctoral candidate has discovered a previously unknown mechanism for silencing retroviruses, segments of genetic material that can lead to fatal mutations in a cell's DNA.

8 Apr 2010

Smoking may increase risk of MS in people who have established risk factors for MS

A new study shows that smoking may increase the risk of multiple sclerosis in people who also have specific established risk factors for MS. The research is found in the April 7, 2010, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

8 Apr 2010

Researchers identify major indicator of heart failure and aortic aneurysms

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine researchers have identified a major indicator of two deadly diseases of the heart and blood vessels: heart failure and aortic aneurysm. The absence of the Kruppel-like Factor 15, when combined with stress, leads to both heart failure and aortic aneurysms.

8 Apr 2010

USPTO allows Alnylam Pharmaceuticals' new claims from Woppmann et al. patent series

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today that the United States Patent Office (USPTO) has allowed a patent (Application No. 10/560,336) for the Woppmann et al. patent series, entitled "Double-stranded ribonucleic acid with increased effectiveness in an organism." The newly allowed patent includes 31 claims broadly covering compositions and methods, including pharmaceutical compositions, for small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), the molecules that mediate RNAi.

8 Apr 2010

UNC Charlotte researcher improves lives of families and children affected by birth defects

Birth defects remain a leading cause of death in the first year of life. According to the March of Dimes, every 3 to 4 minutes a baby is born with a birth defect in the United States. About 1 in every 33 infants is affected by birth defects.

8 Apr 2010

Researchers find new genomic approach to identify smokers at risk of lung cancer

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine in collaboration with investigators at the University of Utah, have discovered a new approach for identifying smokers at the highest risk for developing lung cancer. The findings, which appear in the April 7th issue of Science Translational Medicine, will allow the researchers to use a genomic approach to prevent lung cancer in these individuals and to personalize cancer chemoprophylaxis and therapy.

8 Apr 2010

Phase II clinical trial of Avastin and Tarceva in patients with glioblastoma multiforme

Patients suffering from recently diagnosed malignant brain tumors called glioblastoma multiforme or a rare variant called gliosarcoma may be eligible to participate in a Phase II clinical trial at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center that combines two innovative drugs.

8 Apr 2010

EndoChoice announces acquisition of Pathworks Anatomic Pathology Laboratory

EndoChoice, Inc. announced today that it has acquired Pathworks Anatomic Pathology Laboratory. Founded in 1989, Pathworks is a College of American Pathologists (CAP) accredited national reference laboratory located in Atlanta, GA. Robert Smith, MD, founder of the laboratory, will assume the Medical Director position of EndoChoice Pathology, a wholly-owned subsidiary of EndoChoice, Inc.

8 Apr 2010

Researchers discover two genetic regions that influence birth weight

New research uncovers two genetic regions that influence birth weight. One of the regions is also associated with type 2 diabetes, which helps to explain why small babies have higher rates of diabetes in later life.

8 Apr 2010

Scientists discover how mechanical stress promotes new bone growth

For osteoporosis patients unable to exercise, help may be on the way. That's because scientists have discovered precisely how mechanical stress, such as exercise, promotes new bone growth. This opens the door to entirely new therapies that can trick bones into thinking they are getting a workout. The research report describing this advance is published online in The FASEB Journal.

8 Apr 2010

DNA barcoding-sequencing of gene in sand flies identifies two species carrying Leishmania naiffi

In the first survey of sand flies in Panama to use genetic barcoding, scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and Gorgas Memorial Laboratories identified 20 sand fly species from Barro Colorado Island. Two species carried Leishmania naiffi, a parasite that causes cutaneous leishmaniasis: persistent, itchy skin lesions. Three species carried Wolbachia, a bacterial parasite of insects that could contribute to a strategy to control the flies and limit disease transmission.

7 Apr 2010

StockPreacher.com: GenVec's revenues for 2009 decline by 8%

StockPreacher.com announces an investment report featuring GenVec Inc. The report includes financial, comparative and investment analyses, and industry information you need to know to make an educated investment decision.

7 Apr 2010

CAV1 gene variation contributes to kidney transplant failure: JAMA

Among kidney transplant donors, variation of a gene that is an inhibitor of the development of fibrous connective tissue is significantly associated with an increased risk of graft failure, according to a study in the April 7 issue of JAMA.

7 Apr 2010

Researchers commence Phase 2 research study to test CERE-110 for AD

Researchers at Banner Sun Health Research Institute are about to start the first Phase 2 research study to test a gene transfer agent for Alzheimer's disease. AD is a degenerative and ultimately fatal disorder affecting as many as five million Americans and that number is expected to soar to more than 11 million by 2040.

7 Apr 2010

MDA, FFSHR award $200,000 grant for developing FSH dystrophy therapy

The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), headquartered in Tucson, Ariz., and Friends of FSH Research (FFSHR), based in Kirkland, Wash., has jointly awarded a two-year, $200,000 grant to Dr. Joel Chamberlain, a research assistant professor of medical genetics at the University of Washington. The grant, equally funded by the two organizations, will enable the laboratory led by Dr. Chamberlain to study RNA interference as an investigative and therapeutic tool for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.

7 Apr 2010

Defective protein responsible for SCA5 disease cuts synaptic terminals and snarls traffic inside neurons

The neurodegenerative disease spinocerebellar ataxia type 5 (SCA5) damages nerve cells in two ways. University of Minnesota researchers now report that the defective protein responsible for the disease cuts the number of synaptic terminals and snarls traffic inside neurons.

7 Apr 2010

LCA: Few possess genetic mutation necessary for positive outcome from gene therapy

Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is a congenital retinal dystrophy present in approximately 1 of 80,000 births. It is estimated that about 3,000 people in the United States are living with LCA and will likely become blind in their lifetimes. Recently, there has been progress in gene therapy for this condition.

7 Apr 2010

Blocking POLQ gene activity can increase ability of radiotherapy to destroy tumours

Cancer Research UK scientists have identified a gene that once blocked could increase the effectiveness of radiotherapy on tumours, according to research published in Cancer Research today (Thursday).

7 Apr 2010

Research may help scientists understand the mechanism behind cellular differentiation

Multipotent stem cells have the capacity to develop into different types of cells by reprogramming their DNA to turn on different combinations of genes, a process called "differentiation."

6 Apr 2010

Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center reviews top cancer stories

Surgeon Jeremy Richmon, M.D., at Johns Hopkins is using robotic assistance to cut away tumors of the tongue and tonsils. Conventional surgery leaves disfiguring neck and jaw scars, but the robotic procedure leaves no scar except for inside the mouth, and he says, patients retain good function of speech and swallowing.

5 Apr 2010

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

UBC doctoral candidate discovers a mechanism for silencing retroviruses

Smoking may increase risk of MS in people who have established risk factors for MS

Researchers identify major indicator of heart failure and aortic aneurysms

USPTO allows Alnylam Pharmaceuticals' new claims from Woppmann et al. patent series

UNC Charlotte researcher improves lives of families and children affected by birth defects

Researchers find new genomic approach to identify smokers at risk of lung cancer

Phase II clinical trial of Avastin and Tarceva in patients with glioblastoma multiforme

EndoChoice announces acquisition of Pathworks Anatomic Pathology Laboratory

Researchers discover two genetic regions that influence birth weight

Scientists discover how mechanical stress promotes new bone growth

DNA barcoding-sequencing of gene in sand flies identifies two species carrying Leishmania naiffi

StockPreacher.com: GenVec's revenues for 2009 decline by 8%

CAV1 gene variation contributes to kidney transplant failure: JAMA

Researchers commence Phase 2 research study to test CERE-110 for AD

MDA, FFSHR award $200,000 grant for developing FSH dystrophy therapy

Defective protein responsible for SCA5 disease cuts synaptic terminals and snarls traffic inside neurons

LCA: Few possess genetic mutation necessary for positive outcome from gene therapy

Blocking POLQ gene activity can increase ability of radiotherapy to destroy tumours

Research may help scientists understand the mechanism behind cellular differentiation

Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center reviews top cancer stories

eBook: Using iPSCs models for human disease research and drug discovery eBook

How microRNA is transforming science: From discovery to diagnostics

Advancing benzodiazepine detection

The Surgeon-Scientist Pioneering Regenerative Engineering