Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Researchers uncover interspecies communication between gut bacteria and host

Bacteria in the gut do far more than help digest food in the stomachs of their hosts, they can also tell the genes in their mammalian hosts what to do.

22 Feb 2019

New identified biomarker predicts patients who might benefit from HER2-targeted agents

In an effort to further individualize therapy and avoid over-treating patients, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center report a new study using PET scans has identified a biomarker that may accurately predict which patients with one type of HER2-positive breast cancer might best benefit from standalone HER2-targeted agents, without the need for standard chemotherapy.

22 Feb 2019

Frog-skin bacteria more diverse in cold and variable temperature regions, finds study

Amphibians are victims of lethal skin-disease epidemics. In the first global-scale study, researchers from 31 universities and research centers, including the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), collected skin bacteria from more than 2,300 healthy frogs and salamanders from 12 countries to describe microbes on a wide range of host animals to improve knowledge of the distribution of frog-skin bacteria, known to be important in maintaining amphibian health.

22 Feb 2019

New device allows scientists to reproduce blow effects on the heart in lab

A blow to the chest can have highly contrasting effects. For instance, some baseball players have died after being hit in the chest by a baseball, while patients undergoing fatal cardiac tachyarrhythmias have been saved by an appropriately timed thump to the chest.

22 Feb 2019

A comprehensive, multinational review of peppers around the world

A comprehensive and multinational review of peppers/chilis (Capsicum species) with academic and scientific input from points across the globe, such as Argentina, Brazil, Taiwan, Mexico, Italy, Hungary, Austria, and the United States sets out to explore various aspects of interest concerning this horticulturally important crop.

22 Feb 2019

Mitochondrial proteotoxicity appears to be epicentre of molecular pathogenesis

Researchers at the University of Helsinki uncovered the mechanisms for a novel cellular stress response arising from the toxicity of newly synthesized proteins.

22 Feb 2019

Phase 1 data reinforce safety profile of new drug for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) have few treatment options. Medications currently available or in development either target only a subset of DMD patients with a particular genetic mutation or cause significant side effects.

21 Feb 2019

Genetic defect linked to pediatric liver disease identified

Researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, in collaboration with several other institutions, have discovered a genetic defect linked to Biliary atresia, the most common pediatric cause of end-stage liver disease, and the leading indication for liver transplantation in children.

21 Feb 2019

Drug increases melanin production in some people with albinism

A small pilot clinical study at the National Eye Institute suggests that the drug nitisinone increases melanin production in some people with oculocutaneous albinism type 1B, a rare genetic disease that causes pale skin and hair and poor vision.

21 Feb 2019

Researchers discover several genes linked to increased use of alcohol and tobacco

The use of alcohol and tobacco is closely linked to several diseases, and is a contributing factor in many deaths.

21 Feb 2019

Intense exercise, fasting and hormones can enhance waste-protein removal, study shows

The body's ability to adapt to changing conditions and shifting physiologic demands is essential to survival. To do so, each cell must be able to dispose of damaged or unnecessary proteins--a quality-control mechanism critical for cellular performance and for the health of the entire organism.

21 Feb 2019

New intracellular delivery system using gold nano-stars

Researchers from Russian Academy of Sciences developed a new method for star-shaped nanoparticles synthesis based on laser irradiation.

21 Feb 2019

Researchers discover DNA modification that enhances our ability to extinguish fear

Researchers at The University of Queensland have discovered a DNA modification that enhances our ability to extinguish fear.

21 Feb 2019

Why melanoma tumors in the brain may be worse?

Melanoma tumors that have spread to the brain are equipped to thwart immunotherapies and targeted therapies that succeed against tumors growing in other sites.

20 Feb 2019

Researchers uncover mechanisms that prevent tooth replacement in mice

Most reptiles and fish have multiple sets of teeth during their lifetime. However, most mammals, such as humans, have only one set of replacement teeth and some mammals, like mice, have only a single set with no replacement.

20 Feb 2019

Peripheral nerve injury can trigger the onset and spread of ALS, shows study

A growing collection of anecdotal stories raises the possibility that nerve injury in an arm or a leg can act as a trigger for the development amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS -- a progressive neurodegenerative disease also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, named after the famous New York Yankee who died of it in 1941.

20 Feb 2019