Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Inherited cancer gene mutation more common than formerly believed

A gene mutation responsible for the most common form of inherited colon cancer is older and more common than formerly believed, according to a recent study.

17 Apr 2008

Yeast cells used to screen for potential Lou Gehrig's disease drugs

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine are developing a novel approach to screen for drugs to combat neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, using yeast cells.

17 Apr 2008

Nanomagnets used to carry genes to fight tumours

A revolutionary cancer treatment using microscopic magnets to enable 'armed' human cells to target tumours has been developed by researchers funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

17 Apr 2008

Heavy drinkers and smokers develop Alzheimer's earlier

Heavy drinkers and heavy smokers develop Alzheimer's disease years earlier than people with Alzheimer's who do not drink or smoke heavily, according to research that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology 60th Anniversary Annual Meeting in Chicago, April 12-19, 2008.

17 Apr 2008

New type of drug shrinks primary breast cancer tumours significantly in just six weeks

A drug that targets the cell surface receptors that play an important role in many types of cancer can bring about significant tumour regression in breast cancer after only six weeks of use, a scientist told the 6th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-6) (Thursday 17 April).

17 Apr 2008

Breakthrough in migraine genetics

In a new study, published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, researchers were able for the first time to convincingly demonstrate a genomic locus to be linked to migraine susceptibility in two diverse populations.

17 Apr 2008

Discovery of critical detail of cellular defense against genetic mistakes

Researchers are closing in on a completed diagram of how human cells protect themselves against constant genetic mistakes that contribute to most diseases, according to a study to be published in the April 18 edition of the journal Cell.

17 Apr 2008

Australian team spots gene linked to blood vessel growth in tumours

The discovery by Australian Scientists of a gene that appears to be linked to blood vessel growth in tumours in mice, may one day lead to better treatments for cancer in people.

17 Apr 2008

New drug for melanoma riluzole shows promise

Rutgers Professor Suzie Chen has found that riluzole, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drug used to treat Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS), slows the growth of melanoma, the most aggressive form of malignant skin cancer.

16 Apr 2008

New vector carries big genes linked to inherited blindness

Some clinicians and researchers hope that individuals with inherited diseases (such as cystic fibrosis and recessive Stargardt disease, which causes progressive loss of sight) might one day be cured by providing them with a corrected version of their disease-causing faulty gene, i.e., by gene therapy.

16 Apr 2008

Two new clinical trials show promise for basal cell carcinoma and pancreatic cancer

Clinical researchers at Scottsdale Healthcare and TGen have announced the results of two clinical trials that show promise for patients battling cancer.

16 Apr 2008

Research improves understanding of acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have discovered evidence that a series of genetic mutations work together to initiate most cases of an aggressive and often-fatal form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

15 Apr 2008

New insight into the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration in Ataxia telangiectasia

An upcoming paper from Dr. David Wassarman (University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health) in the May 1 issue of G&D lends new insight into the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration in Ataxia telangiectasia.

15 Apr 2008

Stem cell marker controls two key cancer pathways

Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have discovered that a gene associated with human breast stem cells can stimulate development of mammary cells by activating two critical cancer pathways.

15 Apr 2008

Profoundly important discovery of differences in heart's precursor cells

Scientists have long thought that the cells that ultimately give rise to the heart all respond to the same cue before turning into the muscle tissue of this vital organ.

15 Apr 2008

Blood pressure drugs halt pancreatic cancer cell growth

Researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia are inching closer to understanding how common blood pressure medications might help prevent the spread of pancreatic cancer.

15 Apr 2008

New hope for blood disorder anaemia

A new understanding of how red blood cell production is controlled could lead to improvements in the treatment of the blood disorder anaemia, according to West Australian medical researchers.

13 Apr 2008

Stem cells and their role in malignant brain tumours

Speaking at the UK National Stem Cell Network Annual Science Meeting in Edinburgh, Professor Silvia Marino shows how the mechanisms normally involved in balancing different functions of stem cells may also contribute to cancer.

13 Apr 2008

Discovery of link between protein, prognosis in breast cancer

Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute researchers have found that a tumor protein present in an aggressive form of breast cancer is related to a poor prognosis.

13 Apr 2008

Cells lining the mouth tell the tale of lung damage caused by smoking

Cells lining the mouth reflect the molecular damage that smoking does to the lining of the lungs, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report today at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

13 Apr 2008