Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Penn researchers track defective sperm epigenome linked to male infertility

One out of eight couples has trouble conceiving, with nearly a quarter of those cases caused by unexplained male infertility. For the past decade, research has linked that infertility to defective sperm that fail to "evict" proteins called histones from DNA during development.

16 Dec 2019

Tackling antibiotic resistance head-on with CRISPR

With modern advances in genetic engineering occurring almost every day, the latest discovery concerns antibiotic resistance. Using the powerful gene editor CRISPR, scientists reported the development of a gene-drive system that is 100 times as efficient as other current systems at inactivating a specific bacterial gene responsible for making the bacterium antibiotic-resistant and which is present as multiple copies within the same bacterial cell.

16 Dec 2019

Important discovery about male infertility could lead to new treatments

Using a new mouse model, Penn Medicine researchers have identified defects in the sperm epigenome that cause male infertility.

16 Dec 2019

Researchers identify rare genetic disorder

A team of South Australian researchers has cracked a rare gene variant for a disorder that sees a normal healthy child start to lose muscle tone and motor skills, ultimately losing the capacity to walk and use language.

16 Dec 2019

New gene technology shows 100-fold efficiency in targeting antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Taking advantage of powerful advances in CRISPR gene editing, scientists at the University of California San Diego have set their sights on one of society's most formidable threats to human health.

16 Dec 2019

The evidence for BRCA1/2 or any genetic testing in breast cancer patients

A new statement by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), published in the journal Genetics in Medicine, discusses the place of germline genetic testing in breast cancer patients.

15 Dec 2019

Researchers identify novel genes associated with severity of peanut allergy

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified novel genes associated with the severity of peanut allergy, as well as ways in which these genes interact with other genes during allergic reactions.

14 Dec 2019

Molecular subtyping of bladder tumors outperformed by standard pathology tests

While trying to develop a comparatively easy, inexpensive way to give physicians and their patients with bladder cancer a better idea of likely outcome and best treatment options, scientists found that sophisticated new subtyping techniques designed to do this provide no better information than long-standing pathology tests.

14 Dec 2019

Novel drug shows efficacy against advanced ROS1 and NTRK fusion-positive NSCLC

Pooled analysis of three phase 1 and 2 clinical trials published online ahead of print in the journal Lancet Oncology show that the drug entrectinib is effective and well-tolerated against advanced ROS1 and NTRK fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC).

14 Dec 2019

Perinatal exposure of rats to flame retardants changes the liver epigenome

Studies have shown that perinatal exposure of rats and mice to common flame retardants found in household items permanently reprograms liver metabolism, often leading later in life to insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

13 Dec 2019

Neuroscientists develop new method for uniquely targeted gene therapy

Neuroscientists at Lund University in Sweden have developed a new technology that engineers the shell of a virus to deliver gene therapy to the exact cell type in the body that needs to be treated. The researchers believe that the new technology can be likened to dramatically accelerating evolution from millions of years to weeks.

13 Dec 2019

Points to consider: Should germline genetic testing be offered to all patients with breast cancer?

Should germline genetic testing be offered to all patients with breast cancer? The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics addresses this important question in a new statement published in Genetics in Medicine, "Points to Consider: Is There Evidence to Support BRCA1/2 and Other Inherited Breast Cancer Genetic Testing for All Breast Cancer Patients? A Statement of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics."

13 Dec 2019

Researchers find many psychiatric disorders share the same gene variants

An international team of researchers has found that many psychiatric disorders share a common and specific set of gene variants.

13 Dec 2019

Horizon Discovery adds predesigned synthetic single guide RNA to its product range

Horizon Discovery Group plc, a global leader in the application of gene editing and gene modulation technologies, today announced the addition of predesigned synthetic single guide RNA (sgRNA) to its product range.

From Revvity 13 Dec 2019

CSIRO researchers find simple way to estimate lifespan of animals

Researchers at CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, have discovered a simple way to estimate how long a species lives.

13 Dec 2019

Human genetics evidence predictive of drug development success, study shows

A new drug candidate is more likely to be approved for use if it targets a gene known to be linked to the disease; a finding that can help pharmaceutical companies to focus their drug development efforts.

From PLOS ONE 13 Dec 2019

Gene drives are faster, more efficient to control mosquitoes that spread malaria

When controlling mosquitoes that spread malaria, gene drives, which force genetic changes to proliferate in a population, are faster and more efficient than simply releasing mosquitoes that are immune to the parasite, according to a new study published December 19th in PLOS Genetics by Anthony James at University of California, Irvine and colleagues.

13 Dec 2019

ACMG recommends evaluations of breast cancer patients before genetic testing

According to a statement on behalf of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) published Dec. 13 in the organization's official journal, Genetics in Medicine, there is insufficient evidence to recommend universal genetic testing for BRCA1/2 alone or in combination with multi-gene panels for all breast cancer patients.

13 Dec 2019

Precision epigenome editing can repair genetic syndrome of intellectual disability

Using a targeted gene epigenome editing approach in the developing mouse brain, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers reversed one gene mutation that leads to the genetic disorder WAGR syndrome, which causes intellectual disability and obesity in people.

13 Dec 2019

Research suggests contributory role of 'Asian glow' mutation and alcohol to Alzheimer’s

A new study from Stanford, published on December 12 in the journal Acta Neuropathologica Communications, suggests that an important enzyme that helps break down alcohol in the body is defective in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Understanding its relationship with alcohol and with genes that predispose to AD could help avert the latter in humans at risk.

12 Dec 2019