Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Targeted therapy can provide benefits to lung cancer patients with specific gene mutations

A targeted therapy called capmatinib can provide significant benefits to patients who have advanced lung cancer with specific gene mutations, according to recently published results from a phase two clinical trial.

8 Sep 2020

Investigational drug may reduce protein buildup and neurological decline linked to ALS, FTD

An investigational drug that targets an instigator of the TDP-43 protein, a well-known hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), may reduce the protein's buildup and neurological decline associated with these disorders, suggests a pre-clinical study from researchers at Penn Medicine and Mayo Clinic.

8 Sep 2020

Acne drug could be a potential treatment for dilated cardiomyopathy

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a leading cause of heart failure, affecting 1 in 250 people. The disease is characterised by an increase in size of the left ventricle of the heart.

8 Sep 2020

Ghrelin may help protect the elderly population from muscle loss

The hormone, ghrelin, may help protect the elderly population from muscle loss, according to a study being presented at e-ECE 2020. The study found that administering a particular form of ghrelin to older mice helped to restore muscle mass and strength.

8 Sep 2020

Personalized determination of genetic factors may improve treatment for polycythaemia vera

Polycythaemia vera is a chronic malignant disease of the haematopoietic system and is treated with interferon-alpha-based drugs, in most cases with long-lasting success. However, in some cases this therapy is unsuccessful for reasons that are not yet understood.

8 Sep 2020

Study links brain astrocyte dysfunction to Parkinson’s disease pathology

A new study using induced pluripotent stem cell technology links astrocyte dysfunction to Parkinson’s disease pathology.

8 Sep 2020

Novel markers may predict patient response to immune checkpoint inhibitors

For many individuals with different types of cancer, immune checkpoint inhibitors can effectively boost their immune system to fight their disease, but not all patients benefit from these medications.

7 Sep 2020

PI3K/mTOR and topoisomerase inhibitors suggested as candidates to reduce expression of ACE2

A recent study published in the preprint server medRxiv in September 2020 shows that the already approved drug families called P13K/mTOR and topoisomerase inhibitors may be useful in reducing individual susceptibility to the virus.

7 Sep 2020

Viruses play a key evolutionary role in mammals' ability to reproduce and survive

As the world scrambles to control the growing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, new research in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology shows viruses also play a key evolutionary role in mammals' ability to reproduce and survive.

7 Sep 2020

Prescribing treatments according to genetic differences could benefit children with asthma

Selecting treatments according to genetic differences could help children and teenagers with asthma, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress.

7 Sep 2020

Consortium compiles recommendations for measuring HIV reservoir size in cure-directed studies

Spearheaded by scientists at The Wistar Institute, top worldwide HIV researchers from the BEAT-HIV Martin Delaney Collaboratory to Cure HIV-1 Infection by Combination Immunotherapy compiled the first comprehensive set of recommendations on how to best measure the size of persistent HIV reservoirs during cure-directed clinical studies.

7 Sep 2020

New insights into how the brain can induce diabetes remission in rodents

In rodents with type 2 diabetes, a single surgical injection of a protein called fibroblast growth factor 1 can restore blood sugar levels to normal for weeks or months. Yet how this growth factor acts in the brain to generate this lasting benefit has been poorly understood.

7 Sep 2020

Polygenic risk score can predict risk of drug-induced liver injury

Scientists who were working on a way to determine the viability of batches of tiny liver organoids have discovered a testing method that may have far broader implications.

7 Sep 2020

Novel RNA vaccine from Arcturus Therapeutics protects mice against SARS-CoV-2

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in September 2020 reports a novel RNA vaccine platform that shows robust protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in mice and performs much better than a conventional mRNA vaccine. This could allow single-dose immunization, allowing progress towards global vaccination.

6 Sep 2020

Seasonal influenza and COVID-19 risk

In a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv, researchers from Laval University and McGill University in Canada reviewed evidence from 18 relevant studies on a possible interaction between influenza vaccines on non-influenza respiratory disease (NIRD).

6 Sep 2020

Fly brain structure governed by lineage-dependent repulsion mechanism between neurons

The brain's structure has columnar features, which are hypothesized to arise from nerve cells (neurons) stemming from the same parent cell, initially forming radial units. How exactly this process unfolds at the molecular level remains unexplained, however.

5 Sep 2020

Activation of fatty acid receptor causes masculinization of Japanese rice fish

A research collaboration based at Kumamoto University (Japan) has found that activation of PPARα, a fatty acid receptor that detects fatty acids in cells and regulates physiological functions, causes masculinization of Japanese rice fish (medaka).

5 Sep 2020

Oxytocinergic and vasopressinergic substances in the brain are involved in guiding social behavior

Research conducted by the University of Valencia (UV) and the Jaume I University of Castellón (UJI), among other institutions, has found alterations to the structure of the brain's nonapeptidergic systems, social behavior and the production of pheromones, traits that reveal sexual dimorphism, in male mice with a lack of the Mecp2 gene.

4 Sep 2020

Spike-based priming leads to high neutralizing activity in animal models

A new report by researchers at the University of Melbourne and published on the preprint server bioRxiv in September 2020 reports on the use of a two-protein two-dose vaccine regimen and its immunogenicity in two animal models.

4 Sep 2020

Researchers identify biomarkers associated with bacterial infection mortality

David Gonzalez's "a-ha" moment came when a physician-colleague, George Sakoulas, MD, shared with him one of the biggest problems faced in clinical practice: How long it takes to diagnose a patient.

4 Sep 2020

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Targeted therapy can provide benefits to lung cancer patients with specific gene mutations

Investigational drug may reduce protein buildup and neurological decline linked to ALS, FTD

Acne drug could be a potential treatment for dilated cardiomyopathy

Ghrelin may help protect the elderly population from muscle loss

Personalized determination of genetic factors may improve treatment for polycythaemia vera

Study links brain astrocyte dysfunction to Parkinson’s disease pathology

Novel markers may predict patient response to immune checkpoint inhibitors

PI3K/mTOR and topoisomerase inhibitors suggested as candidates to reduce expression of ACE2

Viruses play a key evolutionary role in mammals' ability to reproduce and survive

Prescribing treatments according to genetic differences could benefit children with asthma

Consortium compiles recommendations for measuring HIV reservoir size in cure-directed studies

New insights into how the brain can induce diabetes remission in rodents

Polygenic risk score can predict risk of drug-induced liver injury

Novel RNA vaccine from Arcturus Therapeutics protects mice against SARS-CoV-2

Seasonal influenza and COVID-19 risk

Fly brain structure governed by lineage-dependent repulsion mechanism between neurons

Activation of fatty acid receptor causes masculinization of Japanese rice fish

Oxytocinergic and vasopressinergic substances in the brain are involved in guiding social behavior

Spike-based priming leads to high neutralizing activity in animal models

Researchers identify biomarkers associated with bacterial infection mortality

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

Real-time Raman monitoring for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion

Synthetic Psychedelics: A Growing Public Health Concern

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging