Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Mild electrical stimulation with heat shock exerts protective effect against nephrotic syndrome

A research team from Kumamoto University in Japan has found that the combination of weak pulsed electrical current and heat exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects in the kidneys, as well as a protective effect against nephrotic syndrome (NS) by inhibiting apoptosis (cell death) of kidney cells.

30 Nov 2020

Researchers find substantial regional variation in use of genomic testing for prostate cancer

Gene-expression testing provides better estimates of cancer aggressiveness and assist in treatment decision making for men with prostate cancer.

30 Nov 2020

Researchers identify the gene responsible for cellular aging

In a new study, published today in the journal Stem Cells, researchers reveal how they have identified the gene responsible for aging.

30 Nov 2020

Healthy diet plays vital role in warding off COVID-19

A researcher at the School of Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, explored nutrition's role in boosting the immune system to combat COVID-19 infection.

29 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2 spike protein shows slow but stable evolution, study finds

A new preprint published in November 2020 describes the seven different clades into which the virus has diversified.

27 Nov 2020

Novel cannabis plant extracts could protect against COVID-19

Researchers in Canada have conducted a study suggesting that novel Cannabis sativa extracts may decrease levels of the host cell receptor that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) uses to gain viral entry to target tissues.

26 Nov 2020

Combining cell engineering with machine learning to design living medicines for cancer

Finding medicines that can kill cancer cells while leaving normal tissue unscathed is a Holy Grail of oncology research.

26 Nov 2020

CARD8 protein regulates inflammatory process in atherosclerosis, study shows

The protein CARD8 regulates several inflammatory proteins in people with atherosclerosis. This is shown in a new study by örebro researchers published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports.

26 Nov 2020

New gene therapy approach offers promise for treating eye disease

Scientists from Trinity College Dublin have developed a new gene therapy approach that offers promise for one day treating an eye disease that leads to a progressive loss of vision and affects thousands of people across the globe.

26 Nov 2020

Researchers discover blood gene signatures that can predict COVID-19 severity

A team of scientists from the University of Chicago, NCH Healthcare System and the University of South Florida has identified a specific set of genes associated with a poor prognosis of COVID-19.

26 Nov 2020

Fruit fly study reveals the effects of microgravity on the heart

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have shown that fruit flies that spent several weeks on the International Space Station (ISS)—about half of their lives—experienced profound structural and biochemical changes to their hearts.

25 Nov 2020

Specific SARS-CoV-2 genomic variations are associated with higher COVID-19 deaths

A team of scientists from South Korea and the United States has conducted an interesting study to investigate whether mutations in the genome of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can affect the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The study findings reveal that mutations in the viral spike protein and RNA polymerase complex can increase the risk of COVID-19 mortality.

25 Nov 2020

Genetic risk of pre-eclampsia linked to blood pressure and BMI, study reveals

An international study, coordinated by experts from the University of Nottingham, has revealed that the genetic risk of pre-eclampsia – a potentially dangerous condition in pregnancy – is related to blood pressure and body mass index.

25 Nov 2020

Scientists use 3D mapping techniques to unravel mystery of blood stem cells

Princess Margaret scientists have revealed how stem cells are able to generate new blood cells throughout our life by looking at vast, uncharted regions of our genetic material that hold important clues to subtle biological changes in these cells.

25 Nov 2020

New insights on telomere length changes and DNA damage responses during space flight

The historic NASA Twins Study investigated identical twin astronauts Scott and Mark Kelly and provided new information on the health effects of spending time in space.

25 Nov 2020

Genomic analysis provides clues about SARS-CoV-2 ancestry and transmission

Researchers in the UK conducting a genomic analysis of severe acute respiratory virus syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and SARS-like coronaviruses in the bat and pangolin have identified strong host-associated divergences that could provide clues about the ancestry and interspecies transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

25 Nov 2020

Computational model can help predict cellular drug targets against COVID-19

A computational model of a human lung cell has been used to understand how SARS-CoV-2 draws on human host cell metabolism to reproduce by researchers at the University of Warwick.

25 Nov 2020

UB researchers uncover new functions in ataxin 3 gene that causes Machado-Joseph disease

Ataxia is a minority disease with genetic origins, known for its neuromuscular alterations due to the selective loss of neurons in the cerebellum, the organ of our nervous systems which controls movement and balance.

25 Nov 2020

Regulation of fat production is abnormal in obesity, shows study

Gut hormones play an important role in regulating fat production in the body. One key hormone, released a few hours after eating, turns off fat production by regulating gene expression in the liver, but this regulation is abnormal in obesity, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found in a new study.

25 Nov 2020

Long-range regulation of tumor suppressor genes plays key role in cancer

Enhancers are regulatory elements that play an important role in cancer.Researchers from Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the state's only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, identified a novel enhancer.

25 Nov 2020