Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Study links sucrase defects to increased IBS risk and severe symptoms

Sucrase-isomaltase (SI) is an intestinal enzyme critical for the digestion of dietary carbohydrates, particularly sucrose and starch.

17 Feb 2025

Study sheds new light on brain evolution

In a new study published in Science, a Belgian research team explores how genetic switches controlling gene activity define brain cell types across species.

17 Feb 2025

New gene switch may lead to precise treatments for metabolic diseases

ETH researchers have developed a new gene switch that can be activated using a commercially available nitroglycerine patch applied to the skin.

17 Feb 2025

Stanford researchers identify key variants linked to inherited cancer risk

Thousands of single changes in the nucleotides that make up the human genome have been associated with an increased risk of developing cancer.

17 Feb 2025

Breakthrough technology enables mRNA delivery across the blood-brain barrier

Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have developed a lipid nanoparticle system capable of delivering messenger RNA (mRNA) to the brain via intravenous injection, a challenge that has long been limited by the protective nature of the blood-brain barrier.

17 Feb 2025

Gene therapy shows promise in treating SCN1B-linked epileptic encephalopathies

Dravet syndrome and other developmental epileptic encephalopathies are rare but devastating conditions that cause a host of symptoms in children, including seizures, intellectual disability, and even sudden death.

14 Feb 2025

Lack of regulation in sperm donation sparks concerns in Africa

Poor regulation and lack of transparency in Africa's fertility industry leave sperm donors and recipients vulnerable to exploitation and unethical practices, including relatives unwittingly having children together, fertility experts warn.

14 Feb 2025

New discovery on mitochondrial protein could transform Charcot-Marie-Tooth treatment

Researchers from Cologne, Bochum, Padova and Angers have discovered a novel connection between mitochondrial function, protein quality control and cellular health, whose failure could be the leading cause in the currently incurable neurological disease Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT).

14 Feb 2025

A step toward precision medicine: New drug targets for heart failure

Researchers identify several promising drug targets for heart failure and its clinical subtypes.

14 Feb 2025

DNA’s organization influences the risk of smoking-induced lung cancer

The study from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, led by Prof. Sheera Adar and her graduate student Elisheva Heilbrun-Katz from The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada in the Faculty of Medicine in collaboration with Prof. Raluca Gordan from Duke University and the University of Massachusetts, has uncovered how the structure and chemical modifications of DNA affect the damage caused by cigarette smoke and the body’s ability to repair it.

14 Feb 2025

Hospital sink drains found to harbor dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria

We hope to be cured when we stay in hospital. But too often, we acquire new infections there. Such 'healthcare-associated infections' (HAI) are a growing problem worldwide, taking up an estimated 6% of global hospital budgets.

14 Feb 2025

Interferon pathway activation identified as key driver in OPLL pathogenesis

Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) is a progressive spinal disease characterized by ectopic bone formation in the spine, leading to severe neurological symptoms due to spinal cord compression. This condition is more prevalent in Asian countries and has been associated with various genetic and hormonal factors.

14 Feb 2025

Engineering safe and effective vaccinia virus vectors for next-generation vaccines

Announcing a new article publication for Zoonoses journal. Vaccinia virus (VACV) confers cross-protective immunity against the variola virus, the causative agent of smallpox, and has therefore been extensively exploited as a preventive vaccine. Despite the global eradication of smallpox in the 1980s, research efforts involving VACV have continued due to the potential threat of the variola virus being used as a bioweapon, which poses grave risks to human health.

14 Feb 2025

Researchers identify genetic cause of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor Genetics and collaborating institutions provided a long-awaited and rare genetic diagnosis in a child with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a type of developmental epileptic encephalopathy (DEE), associated with a severe, complex form of epilepsy and developmental delay.

14 Feb 2025

New insight into gut stem cell aging

A recent study led by Associate Professor Takuya Yamamoto and Researcher May Nakajima-Koyama has revealed that maintaining a delicate balance between interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling is essential for preserving the intestinal stem cell population during aging.

13 Feb 2025

New biomarker can accurately predict outcomes in meningiomas and breast cancers

Using a new technology and computational method, researchers from Fred Hutch Cancer Center and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have uncovered a biomarker capable of accurately predicting outcomes in meningioma brain tumors and breast cancers.

13 Feb 2025