Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Heart cells adjacent to injured areas respond to damage resulting from heart attack

The heart of humans and mice does not completely recover after a heart attack. It now turns out that cells close to area of the heart attack respond to the damage resulting from the heart attack, and that this response is important for survival.

19 Sep 2019

Antibiotic resistance is transferring from humans to animals

Resistance to antibiotics could be moving from humans to animals, research by a Clemson University professor has shown. The research details results that demonstrate reverse zoonosis, a process by which humans infect other species of animal with diseases.

18 Sep 2019

Zylka lab receives NIH grant to advance treatments for neurodevelopmental disorders

The National Institutes of Health have awarded two separate grants totaling $6.1 million to Mark Zylka, PhD, director of the UNC Neuroscience Center. One of the grants was co-awarded to Ben Philpot, PhD, associate director of the center at the UNC School of Medicine.

18 Sep 2019

Psoriasis drug could be repurposed to treat osteosarcoma

A treatment for psoriasis could be repurposed to treat a rare but aggressive form of youth cancer, new findings from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research suggest.

18 Sep 2019

Concerns over GM mosquitoes released in Brazil

A field experiment that released genetically modified mosquitoes in Brazil to control natural populations of the insect may have had unintended consequences.

18 Sep 2019

Genetic mutation appears to help people fight off MRSA

Researchers have discovered that people who carry a certain genetic mutation may have a greater chance of fighting off MRSA infections.

18 Sep 2019

Researchers identify two groups of neurons related to Leigh Syndrome

Leigh Syndrome affects one in every 40,000 newborns and is produced by deficits in the mitochondria, which are in charge of providing the energy needed for cells to function correctly.

18 Sep 2019

Patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma may benefit from radiation, experience reduced side effects

Treating non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients with radiation therapy as an additional treatment while they wait for their CAR T cells to be manufactured may reduce the risk of CAR T therapy side effects once it is administered, according to a new study from researchers in the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

18 Sep 2019

Altered microbiome in fruit flies can drive evolutionary change

The expression "you are what you eat" has taken on new meaning. In an experiment in fruit flies, or Drosophila melanogaster, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have found that adding different species of microbes to the flies' food caused populations to diverge genetically, racking up significant genomic changes in just five generations.

18 Sep 2019

Study: Gene editing may correct genetic mutation responsible for Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rare but devastating genetic disorder that causes muscle loss and physical impairments.

18 Sep 2019

UT Southwestern researchers identify novel mechanism that regulates fat formation

In work suggesting new therapeutic targets to fight obesity, UT Southwestern researchers have identified a novel mechanism that regulates the creation of fat in mammals.

18 Sep 2019

Study shows how a toxin produced by algal blooms in saltwater may cause ALS

Can a computer be used to explain why an environmental toxin might lead to neurodegenerative disease? According to Penn State College of Medicine researchers, a computer generated-simulation allowed them to see how a toxin produced by algal blooms in saltwater might cause Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

17 Sep 2019

Scientists identify potential target for treating cardiac fibrosis

A research team led by scientists from the Consortium for Fibrosis Research & Translation at the University of Colorado School of Medicine has identified a potential target for treating heart failure related to fibrosis.

17 Sep 2019

Cancer cells survive chemotherapy by eating their neighboring tumor cells

Researchers from the Tulane University School of Medicine have discovered that some cancer cells survive chemotherapy by eating their neighboring tumor cells.

17 Sep 2019

Synthetic cell intercepts and deciphers hidden messages of the immune system

When immune cells detect harmful pathogens or cancer, they mobilize and coordinate a competent defense response.

17 Sep 2019

Pros and cons of gene editing technology

CRISPR technology has greatly facilitated gene editing. Associate Professor Thorsten Müller from Ruhr-Universität Bochum and Dr. Hassan Bukhari from Harvard Medical School discuss its pros and cons in a review article in the journal "Trends in Cell Biology" from 12 September 2019.

17 Sep 2019

Combination therapies can shrink lung tumors in mice and human cancer cells

Combining a new class of drug with two other compounds can significantly shrink lung tumors in mice and human cancer cells, finds a new study led by the Francis Crick Institute and The Institute of Cancer Research, London.

17 Sep 2019

Bone marrow-derived cells also travel to the womb to help pregnancy

Bone marrow-derived cells play a role in changes to the mouse uterus before and during pregnancy, enabling implantation of the embryo and reducing pregnancy loss, according to research published September 12 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology.

From PLOS ONE 17 Sep 2019

Strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease impairs function of human microglia

A study carried out with a new human stem cell-derived model reveals that the most prevalent genetic risk factor of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4), impairs the function of human brain immune cells, microglia. These findings pave the way for new, effective treatment approaches for AD. The results were published in Stem Cell Reports.

17 Sep 2019

Inherited genetic tendency appears to protect people from MRSA infections

An inherited genetic tendency appears to increase the likelihood that a person can successfully fight off antibiotic-resistant staph infections, according to a study led by Duke Health researchers.

17 Sep 2019