Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Researchers discover gene linked to healthy aging in worms

People with the same lifespan do not necessarily have the same quality of life. As we live longer, extending quality of life -- "healthspan" -- is gaining importance.

12 Jul 2019

How cell-free DNA can be targeted to prevent spread of tumors

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is DNA found in trace amounts in blood, which has escaped degradation by enzymes.

12 Jul 2019

Alternate cell growth pathway could open door to new treatments for metastatic cancers

While researchers have a basic understanding of how primary cancer cells grow, less is known about metastasis, the deadly process by which cancers spread.

12 Jul 2019

An injection of nanoparticles for spinal cord injuries

Researchers from the University of Michigan used nanopaticles injection to prevent the immune cells of the body from impairing the healing of injured brain and spinal cord. They call this an “EpiPen” or emergency rescue drug for the brain and spinal cord when they suffer trauma.

11 Jul 2019

Metabolic enzyme tied to obesity and fatty liver disease

A team of researchers at the Clemson University found that Cyp2b gene, which metabolizes endo and xenobiotics, may be linked to age-onset obesity and dyslipidemia, especially in males.

11 Jul 2019

Researchers identify gene mutations linked to leukemia in children with Down's syndrome

Researchers at the University of Oxford, in collaboration with colleagues from Hannover Medical School and Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, have discovered the specific gene mutations that are required for the development of leukemia in children with Down's syndrome.

11 Jul 2019

Study offers clues about how to prevent brain inflammation in Alzheimer's

A new study by scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital offers clues about how to prevent inflammation of brain tissue, which promotes Alzheimer's disease

11 Jul 2019

Ancient epigenetic change deactivates some genes linked to cancer

An epigenetic change, a form of DNA control, that deactivates some genes linked to cancer late in human development has been conserved for more than 400 million years, new research led by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research suggests.

11 Jul 2019

New drug for acute migraine shows promising results in a large-scale trial

A drug belonging to a new generation of acute migraine headache treatments was found to eliminate pain and reduce bothersome symptoms for people with migraine in a large-scale trial reported in the July 11 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

11 Jul 2019

Comprehensive cell atlas of the human liver

The liver is one of the largest and most versatile organs of the human body. It turns sugars, proteins, and fats from our food into substances useful for the body and releases them to the cells.

11 Jul 2019

Bacteria in the birth canal linked to lower risk of ovarian cancer

A new study shows that something as simple as a cervical swab might have the potential to help hundreds of women who are at extremely high risk of ovarian cancer because they have a mutation in the BRCA1 gene.

11 Jul 2019

Research reveals genetic cause of deadly digestive disease in children

Nearly 10 years ago, a group of Israeli clinical researchers emailed Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) geneticist Len Pennacchio to ask for his team's help in solving the mystery of a rare inherited disease that caused extreme, and sometimes fatal, chronic diarrhea in children.

11 Jul 2019

Adults with family history of Alzheimer’s have learning impairments, study finds

Adults with a first-degree relative with Alzheimer's disease perform more poorly on online paired-learning tasks than adults without such a family history, and this impairment appears to be exacerbated by having diabetes or a genetic variation in the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene linked to the disease.

10 Jul 2019