Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

New explanation for how regulatory networks of genes evolved

When ancient retroviruses slipped bits of their DNA into the primate genome millions of years ago, they successfully preserved their own genetic legacy.

15 Nov 2007

WaferGen and University of Pittsburgh to collaborate on SmartChip

WaferGen Biosystems, Inc. has announced that it has established a research collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Medical School to have it serve as the alpha test site for WaferGen's SmartChip Real-Time PCR System.

14 Nov 2007

Gene variants behind pancreatic stone formation

Stone formation is an important feature of chronic pancreatitis, especially tropical calcific pancreatitis (TCP), where the stones are large in size, highly irregular in shape and cause enormous tissue destruction.

14 Nov 2007

Telomerase enzyme structure provides significant new target for anti-cancer therapies

Inappropriate activation of a single enzyme, telomerase, is associated with the uncontrollable proliferation of cells seen in as many as 90 percent of all of human cancers. Since the mid-1990s, when telomerase was first identified in human tumors, scientists have eyed the enzyme as an ideal target for developing broadly effective anti-cancer drugs.

14 Nov 2007

GPRC5A gene found to be a tumor-suppressor for lung cancer

The GPRC5A gene, which is under-expressed in human lung cancer cells, suppresses lung tumors in mouse models and could provide a key to attacking lung cancer in humans, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report in the Nov. 21 edition of The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

14 Nov 2007

Tumor-suppressor gene for lung cancer identified

14 Nov 2007

Neurofibromatosis 1 gene drives pivotal decision in early brain development

A gene linked to pediatric brain tumors is an essential driver of early brain development, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found.

14 Nov 2007

Abnormal glutamine repeats interfere with key transcription factor, leading to neurodegeneration

Although repeating sequences of three nucleotides encoding some of the bodies' 20 amino acids are a normal part of protein composition, abnormal expansion of trinucleotide repeats is the known cause of multiple inherited neurodegenerative disorders, including Huntington disease.

14 Nov 2007

Potential new targeted treatments for Lupus

New research provides clues about the causes of lupus symptoms and suggests specific new targeted treatment strategies, according to Nilamadham Mishra, M.D., from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, in presentations this week at the American College of Rheumatology in Boston.

13 Nov 2007

CellCyte Genetics receives patent on stem cell delivery method

CellCyte Genetics Corporation has announced that is has received notice of the issuance of a U.S. patent (U.S. Patent No. 7,282,222) for its unique methods and compositions approach to deliver and direct stem cells to target organs in the body.

13 Nov 2007

New genetic lineage of Ebola virus discovered in great apes

The Zaire species of Ebolavirus (ZEBOV) remains the most virulent of the various known species. It alone is responsible for 88% of human deaths from haemorrhagic fever recorded since Ebola's discovery in 1976.

13 Nov 2007

Life-threatening gene defect related to thoracic aortic disease discovered

A research team led by scientists at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston has identified a defective gene that affects vascular smooth-muscle cells in people who suffer from hereditary thoracic aortic disease, which can kill victims with little warning in the prime of their lives.

13 Nov 2007

Lexicon files investigational NDA for LX2931 in rheumatoid arthritis

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that it has submitted an investigational new drug (IND) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for LX2931, an oral drug candidate for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune conditions.

13 Nov 2007

Factor key to severity of community-associated methicillin-resistant staph infections identified

Newly described proteins in drug-resistant strains of the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium attract and then destroy protective human white blood cells - a key process ensuring that S. aureus survives and causes severe disease, according to scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.

13 Nov 2007

Omega-3 rich oils lower risk of memory problems, omega-6 rich oils may increase risk

A diet rich in fish, omega-3 oils, fruits and vegetables may lower your risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, whereas consuming omega-6 rich oils could increase chances of developing memory problems, according to a study published in the November 13, 2007, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

13 Nov 2007

New genetic schizophrenia link found

Schizophrenia is a debilitating psychiatric illness. Its cause is currently poorly understood, and there is no known cure.

13 Nov 2007

Inflammation causes insulin resistance not obesity

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine have discovered that inflammation provoked by immune cells called macrophages leads to insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes.

6 Nov 2007

Your Apo E genotype plays part in likelihood of Alzheimer's and heart disease

We all carry the Apo E gene. It plays a key role in the development of Alzheimer's Disease and heart disease, along with a host of chronic ailments.

6 Nov 2007

Fat cells release a protein that aids insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells

The body's fat cells help the pancreas do its job of secreting insulin, according to research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

6 Nov 2007

EU project confirms Europe's excellence in migraine research

An EU-funded project on migraines has not only taken researchers a step closer to understanding the causes of these incapacitating attacks, but has created a critical mass, reinforcing Europe's reputation of excellence in this field, and reassuring migraine sufferers that their condition is being taken seriously.

6 Nov 2007