Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Cannabis exposure during pregnancy has measurable impact on placental and fetal growth

A new study from researchers at Western University and Queen's University definitively shows that regular exposure to THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, during pregnancy has significant impact on placental and fetal development.

17 Jan 2020

CALCR neurons may influence long-term control of food intake and body weight

Ever eaten something, gotten sick and then didn't want to eat that food again because of how it made you feel? That's because a signal from the gut to the brain produced that sickness, creating a taste aversion.

17 Jan 2020

Editor's Pick: Life Science Interviews from 2019

In this article, our editors look back at their favorite life science interviews from 2019.

17 Jan 2020

Finding has major ramifications for ongoing drug development against MLL-rearranged leukemia

A massive research effort over more than a quarter century has tried to make personalized blood stem cells for use in treating leukemias, among many other uses.

17 Jan 2020

UT Southwestern study identifies new vulnerability in kidney tumors

A UT Southwestern researcher led a team that identified a new vulnerability in kidney tumors, the 10th most common cause of cancer death in men and women.

17 Jan 2020

Discovery of mechanism by which Zika virus enters brain cells

Two independent studies published by Cell Press on January 16, 2020, report that the mechanism by which Zika virus enters brain cells has been identified and even more, exploited to prevent Zika infection and to kill cancer cells instead.

16 Jan 2020

Genetically engineered mosquitoes halt Dengue spread

A new study published in the journal PLOS Pathogens in January 2020 reports the development of mosquitoes that have been genetically modified to resist infection by several types of the dengue virus. This is the first time ever that all types of the virus have been targeted by the engineering of the mosquito DNA. Covering all virus types is essential to achieve proper disease control.

16 Jan 2020

"Jumping genes" within eggs determine their survival

Females are born with a finite supply of eggs and with age the genetic quality of the eggs decline say researchers from Carnegie Institute. The study from researchers Marla Tharp, Safia Malki, and Alex Bortvin was published in the latest issue of Nature Communications. The study was titled, “Maximizing the ovarian reserve in mice by evading LINE-1 genotoxicity.”

16 Jan 2020

Scientists discover how B-cells in tumor cells promote a favorable immunotherapy response

The white blood cells are potent fighters that protect the body against foreign invaders, including pathogens and cancer cells. Scientists have found that the presence of B cells, which are powerhouses, in tumor cells, combat the disease from within.

16 Jan 2020

Cell adhesion essential for cells to survive stress

Cell-to-cell contacts are necessary for the survival of human cells under protein-damaging conditions and stress.

16 Jan 2020

3D structure of DNA is 'rewired' in hormone-resistant ER+ breast cancers

Epigenetic changes occur in the DNA of breast cancer cells that have developed a resistance to hormone therapy, an effective treatment for ER+ breast cancer, which accounts for 70% of all diagnoses.

16 Jan 2020

Research shows how the body tries to eliminate egg cells of poorest quality

A woman's supply of eggs is finite, so it is crucial that the quality of their genetic material is ensured. New work from Carnegie's Marla Tharp, Safia Malki, and Alex Bortvin elucidates a mechanism by which, even before birth, the body tries to eliminate egg cells of the poorest quality.

16 Jan 2020

Study shows how extracellular vesicles help melanoma cells to spread

A new study from Finland sheds fresh light on how melanoma cells interact with other cells via extracellular vesicles they secrete.

16 Jan 2020

MDI Biological Laboratory will use African turquoise killifish model to study aging

The study of therapies and interventions to expand healthy human lifespan has been limited by a lack of animal models: traditional vertebrate models such as the mouse live too long to get rapid results, while the most popular model, a roundworm called C.elegans that lives for only three weeks, is rungs away from humans on the evolutionary ladder.

16 Jan 2020

Study identifies molecular 'bridge' between ALS-causing genes

The enzyme Gemin3 was identified as the molecular 'bridge' between genes whose mutation or disruption causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, according to a new study in Nature's Scientific Reports from scientists at the University of Malta.

16 Jan 2020

Harmful genetic mutations in healthy donors' stem cells may create problems in AML patients

A stem cell transplant - also called a bone marrow transplant - is a common treatment for blood cancers, such as acute myeloid leukemia.

16 Jan 2020

'Methylation clock' gene found to have functional role in aging of the eye

A lengthy-named gene called Elongation of Very Long Chain Fatty Acids Protein 2 or ELOVL2 is an established biomarker of age.

16 Jan 2020

OGT launches high-quality NGS panel for research into Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Oxford Gene Technology, A Sysmex Group Company, is excited to announce the launch of its SureSeq CLL + CNV Panel — the company’s latest high-quality, next-generation sequencing offering for research into Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia.

From Oxford Gene Technology 16 Jan 2020

BPA activates immune response in mice that persists for at least three generations

Some plastic food and beverage containers still contain bisphenol A, which can mimic the hormone estrogen. Although experts say that small amounts of BPA detected in foods are unlikely to cause problems, some people worry that constant low-level exposures could have health effects, especially for developing fetuses, infants and children.

16 Jan 2020

B cell count tells how certain cancers will respond to immunotherapy

Some melanomas, sarcomas and renal cell carcinomas, but not all, have been found to respond dramatically to new drugs called immune checkpoint blockers, which exploit the body’s known capability to mount an immune response against the foreign antigen-bearing tumor cells.

15 Jan 2020