Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

New, faster and cheaper method to uncover genetic variants in single cells

Researchers led by the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg and the Center for Bioinformatics at Saarland University in Saarbrücken, Germany, have developed a cheaper and faster method to check for genetic differences in individual cells, which outperforms existing techniques with respect to the information received.

23 Dec 2019

NIH awards $1.2 million grant for studying biomolecular interactions to inform better drug design

Biomolecules -- carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids -- form the foundation of life and are responsible for carrying out every process that occurs in our bodies.

23 Dec 2019

IU researchers identify potential target to improve functional recovery after spinal cord injury

Researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine have made several novel discoveries in the field of spinal cord injuries. Most recently, the team led by Xiao-Ming Xu, PhD, has been working to determine how to activate movement after a spinal cord injury at the ninth thoracic level, where nerve fibers from the brain down to the spinal cord are interrupted.

22 Dec 2019

McGill study finds new role of apolipoprotein E4 gene in Alzheimer’s disease

For years, physicians have been aware that patients carrying the apolipoprotein E4 (APOEε4) gene are at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. New research from McGill University has now found the gene plays an even greater role in dementia.

21 Dec 2019

Study uncovers a previously unknown subtype of muscle stem cells

Scientists have discovered a new subtype of muscle stem cells. These cells have the ability to build and regenerate new muscles, making them interesting targets for the development of gene therapies.

21 Dec 2019

Genomic data can accurately and reliably predict stroke risk

Estimates based on genomic data predict stroke risk with an accuracy similar to, or greater than those based on clinical risk factors. This result implies that persons at high risk might benefit from more rigorous preventive measures.

21 Dec 2019

Artificial intelligence can detect AML with high reliability

Artificial intelligence can detect one of the most common forms of blood cancer - acute myeloid leukemia (AML) - with high reliability.

20 Dec 2019

Kobe scientists develop mathematical model to predict cancer drug side effects

A research team at Kobe University Hospital have further illuminated the likelihood of cancer drug side effects that can occur due to genetic mutations in the drug-metabolizing enzyme.

20 Dec 2019

Could high cholesterol lead to motor neuron disease?

Researchers suggest that motor neuron disease may be linked to an abnormal build-up of cholesterol and other lipids within cellular compartments.

20 Dec 2019

p53 may play a more important role in kidney cancer than previously thought

The p53 gene, which researchers had thought was less relevant in kidney cancer, may play an important role after all – a discovery that could lead to new treatments.

20 Dec 2019

Combined datasets can expedite the discovery and development of new cancer drugs

A comprehensive map of genes necessary for cancer survival is one step closer, following the validation of the two largest CRISPR-Cas9 genetic screens in 725 cancer models, across 25 different cancer types.

20 Dec 2019

Jefferson researcher probes kidney cancer's genes for interactions with p53 pathway

p53 is the most famous cancer gene, not least because it's involved in causing over 50% of all cancers. When a cell loses its p53 gene -- when the gene becomes mutated -- it unleashes many processes that lead to the uncontrolled cell growth and refusal to die, which are hallmarks of cancer growth.

20 Dec 2019

Links between most human diseases and genetics are shaky at best

In most cases, your genes have less than five per cent to do with your risk of developing a particular disease, according to new research by University of Alberta scientists.

20 Dec 2019

Scientists explain how a common virus causes havoc on bone marrow, organ transplant patients

For the first time, scientists have discovered the molecular mechanism behind how a common virus can wreak havoc on bone marrow and organ transplant patients, according to a paper published in the journal Cell & Host Microbe.

19 Dec 2019

Penn researchers use MRI scans to predict 10-year breast cancer recurrence

Diverse diseases like breast cancer can present challenges for clinicians, specifically on a cellular level. While one patient's tumor may differ from another's, the cells within the tumor of a single patient can also vary greatly.

19 Dec 2019

New antibody shows promise in active lupus

A new trial involving the use of an antibody called anifrolumab reports improvement in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) after 52 weeks of treatment. The research, titled 'Trial of Anifrolumab in Active Systemic Lupus Erythematosus', is published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

19 Dec 2019

Connection between herpes virus and Alzheimer’s refuted

A new study has shown that unlike previous claims, there is no association between getting herpes infections and developing Alzheimer’s disease. The study from the researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine was titled, “Are HHV-6A and HHV-7 really more abundant in Alzheimer’s disease?” and was published in the journal Neuron.

19 Dec 2019

Caffeine may offset some negative health effects of obesogenic diet

A new study in rats suggests that caffeine may offset some of the negative effects of an obesogenic diet by reducing the storage of lipids in fat cells and limiting weight gain and the production of triglycerides.

19 Dec 2019

Edematous severe acute malnutrition linked to DNA modification

A group led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine has identified significant differences at the epigenetic level - the chemical tags in DNA that help regulate gene expression - between two clinically distinct forms of acute childhood malnutrition known as edematous severe acute malnutrition (ESAM) and non-edematous SAM (NESAM).

19 Dec 2019

Study reveals new role for a triple-negative breast cancer target

Unlike almost every other organ, the mammary gland does not develop until after birth. And it's unusually dynamic, shape-shifting during menstrual cycles, puberty, pregnancy, and lactation.

19 Dec 2019