Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Researchers establish a gene expression profile associated with cachexia in cancer patients

It is estimated that as many as 80% of advanced-stage cancer patients may develop cachexia, a potentially fatal metabolic syndrome characterized by extreme weight loss and muscle wasting, but scientists do not yet fully understand why it is more frequently associated with certain kinds of tumor than others, or why not all cancer patients develop it.

3 Mar 2020

Inhibiting specific protein could make radiation therapy for colon cancer more effective

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis appear to have discovered a way to make radiation therapy for colorectal cancer more effective by inhibiting a protein found in cancer cells in the gut.

3 Mar 2020

Two common Staph bacteria living on human skin exacerbate Netherton syndrome

Netherton syndrome, a rare skin disease caused by a single genetic mutation, is exacerbated by the presence of two common Staphylococcal bacteria living on human skin, one of which was previously thought to only offer protective properties, report University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers.

3 Mar 2020

Blocking immune T-cell regulator may help boost tumor killing, study shows

Immune system T-cells are more able to destroy skin cancer cells when a T-cell regulator called SLAMF6 is missing, a new study in eLife shows.

3 Mar 2020

Study identifies a protein and signaling pathway that may contribute to sudden cardiac death

By studying the sick hearts removed from four patients undergoing heart transplants, researchers have identified a protein and a signaling pathway that may contribute to sudden death in an inherited form of heart disease.

3 Mar 2020

Scientists find link between immune system and high blood pressure in patients with CKD

Detecting threats, sending out response molecules, and altering gene expression--our immune system works tirelessly day and night to protect us from invading pathogens and maintain general health and wellbeing.

3 Mar 2020

Researchers identify major landmarks of peripheral artery disease recovery

Novel biomedical advances that show promise in the lab often fall short in clinical trials. For researchers studying peripheral artery disease, this is made more difficult by a lack of standardized metrics for what recovery looks like.

2 Mar 2020

Mayo study recommends genetic testing to all women diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 66

A study by researchers at Mayo Clinic published this week in the Journal of Clinical Oncology suggests that all women with a breast cancer diagnosis under the age of 66 be offered germline genetic testing to determine if they have a gene mutation known to increase the risk of developing other cancers and cancers among blood relatives.

2 Mar 2020

WFIRM scientists develop miniature organ model to test drug toxicity

Scientists at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicinehave developed the world's most sophisticated laboratory model of the human body, creating a system of miniaturized organs that can be used to detect harmful and adverse effects of drugs before they are prescribed to patients.

2 Mar 2020

Study reveals the neural basis of sensory hypersensitivity in people with autism

Many people with autism spectrum disorders are highly sensitive to light, noise, and other sensory input. A new study in mice reveals a neural circuit that appears to underlie this hypersensitivity, offering a possible strategy for developing new treatments.

2 Mar 2020

Functioning amyloid found in healthy brain

Scientists from St Petersburg University worked with their colleagues from the St Petersburg branch of the Vavilov Institute of General Genetics.

2 Mar 2020

Length of pregnancy related to chemical DNA changes in newborns

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have together with an international team mapped the relationship between length of pregnancy and chemical DNA changes in more than 6,000 newborn babies.

2 Mar 2020

New genetic tool developed to label specific genes in human organoids

Researchers from the group of Hans Clevers at the Hubrecht Institute have developed a new genetic tool to label specific genes in human organoids, or mini organs.

2 Mar 2020

Potential genetic test for earlier Alzheimer's diagnosis

A new study published in the journal Epigenetics in February 2020 reports that changes in the methylation status of the Presenilin 1 (PSEN1) gene could help diagnose Alzheimer's disease (AD) earlier. This study shows for the first time that methylation of this gene is a common feature in AD.

1 Mar 2020

Researchers explore the role of SLC25A32 in cancer cell proliferation

Oncotarget Volume 11 Issue 8 reported that while it is known that cancer cells require one-carbon and FAD-dependent mitochondrial metabolism to sustain cell proliferation, the role of SLC25A32 in cancer cell growth remains unexplored.

28 Feb 2020

Novel technique helps trace individual chromosomes during embryonic development

The spatial arrangement of genetic material within the cell nucleus plays an important role in the development of an organism.

28 Feb 2020

Gene therapy regenerates functional new neurons in mouse models of HD

Huntington's disease (HD) is a rare disease characterized by abnormal chorea movement and caused by Huntingtin (Htt) gene mutation and neurodegeneration in a brain area called striatum.

28 Feb 2020

New discovery may be useful for developing novel cancer treatments

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have discovered that our cells replicate their DNA much more loosely than previously thought.

28 Feb 2020

Readers and tweeters dive into debate over ‘Medicare for All’

Your criticism about former Vice President Joe Biden’s "Medicare for All" cost estimates is spot-on but leaves out important savings.

28 Feb 2020

Research reveals key role of a protein in rare Batten disease

Professor Stéphane Lefrançois, a researcher at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), is working on Batten disease, a neurodegenerative genetic disease that primarily affects children. His research focuses on the most common form of the disease - Batten CLN 3 - which is caused by mutations in the protein of the same name and for which there is still no cure.

28 Feb 2020