Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Study uncovers new subtypes of advanced pancreatic cancer

Researchers at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research and the University Health Network have discovered detailed new information about the subtypes of pancreatic cancer. A better understanding of the disease groups may lead to new treatment options and improved clinical outcomes for this lethal disease.

13 Jan 2020

Leukemic cells are addicted to vitamin B6, research shows

Scientists have discovered that Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) grows by taking advantage of the B6 vitamin to accelerate cell division.

13 Jan 2020

Researchers identify new pathway as biological target for colon cancer

Researchers have found a way to help make chemotherapy more effective in treating colon cancer. They identified a new pathway (RICTOR/mTORC2) as a biological target for the disease.

13 Jan 2020

The International Consortium Claims Medical Breakthrough in Malaria Research

An international consortium led by researchers in Sweden and Switzerland has conducted a genome-wide study that the team is calling a “medical breakthrough” in malaria research.

13 Jan 2020

New mathematical model can efficiently model the expression of enzymes in living cells

All living things are made of carbon, and sugars, e.g. glucose, are a very common source of it. Consequently, most cells are good at eating sugars, using enzymes to digest them through a series of chemical reactions that transform the initial sugar into a variety of cell components, including amino acids, DNA building blocks, and fats.

13 Jan 2020

Scientists discover a new way to combine coding languages into single "bilingual" molecule

The nucleic acids of DNA encode genetic information, while the amino acids of proteins contain the code to turn that information into structures and functions. Together, they provide the two fundamental codes underlying all of life.

10 Jan 2020

Siah2 Gene Control could Help Treat Melanomas More Effectively

To develop improved cancer immunotherapies, it is essential to understand how cancers shut down the natural immune response to foreign antigens. This current study demonstrates how mice lacking the Siah2 gene, fail to develop BRAF-mutation carrying melanoma from the corresponding cells, completely rejecting them. This could help in boosting the anticancer effect of existing specific immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as anti-PD-1 drugs.

10 Jan 2020

21-gene recurrence score can aid in radiation decision-making, shows study

A new study shows that a test physicians commonly used to guide chemotherapy treatment for post-breast cancer surgery patients may also help them decide whether radiation therapy may be of benefit.

10 Jan 2020

Missing a key protein in the brain can cause autism-like behaviors

Scientists at Rutgers University-Newark have discovered that when a key protein needed to generate new brain cells during prenatal and early childhood development is missing, part of the brain goes haywire - causing an imbalance in its circuitry that can lead to long-term cognitive and movement behaviors characteristic of autism spectrum disorder.

9 Jan 2020

Common genetic defect in prostate cancer associated with worse prognosis

Like security screening to make sure nothing harmful makes its way into a crowded area, cells in the human body use checkpoints to control their growth and prevent harmful mutations from making their way into new cell populations and causing trouble.

9 Jan 2020

Scientists identify 'modifier gene' that determines severity of inherited kidney disease

Scientists have developed a new way to understand complex genetic diseases and have identified a gene that modifies the severity of inherited kidney disease, paving the way for personalised treatments.

9 Jan 2020

Nano-sized copper compounds together with immunotherapy can kill cancer cells

An interdisciplinary team of scientists from KU Leuven, the University of Bremen, the Leibniz Institute of Materials Engineering, and the University of Ioannina has succeeded in killing tumour cells in mice using nano-sized copper compounds together with immunotherapy. After the therapy, the cancer did not return.

9 Jan 2020

Scientists find way to combine two main coding languages into single 'bilingual' molecule

9 Jan 2020

Boosting the number of neurons improves learning and memory of old mice

We all will experience it at some point, unfortunately: The older we get the more our brains will find it difficult to learn and remember new things.

9 Jan 2020

New method uses MRI, machine learning to forecast genetic mutations in glioma tumors

Researchers at Osaka University have developed a computer method that uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and machine learning to rapidly forecast genetic mutations in glioma tumors, which occur in the brain or spine. The work may help glioma patients to receive more suitable treatment faster, giving better outcomes.

9 Jan 2020

Insect leaf-wounding produces healthier organic fruit

Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists found benefits of insect leaf-wounding in fruit and vegetable production. Stress responses created in the fruits and vegetables initiated an increase in antioxidant compounds prior to harvest, making them healthier for human consumption.

9 Jan 2020

Researchers discover genes that could explain the Browning ability of white fat

Our fat cells, technically referred to as adipocytes, play an essential role in regulating energy balance in our body.

9 Jan 2020

Prostate cancer deaths are on the rise, shows new ACS report

Despite most cancers seeing a drop in deaths, prostate cancer deaths are on the rise in the U.S. New reporting from the American Cancer Society shows that in 2020, the number of men who will die from prostate cancer will hit a record high over the last two decades, with an increase of 5 percent since just last year.

9 Jan 2020

Findings may lead to potential therapeutic strategies for rare neurodevelopmental disorder

The brain undergoes dramatic change during the first years of life. Its circuits readily rewire as an infant and then child encounters new sights and sounds, taking in the world and learning to understand it.

9 Jan 2020

Researchers identify synergistic cellular pathways that considerably amplify lifespan

Scientists at the MDI Biological Laboratory, in collaboration with scientists from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato, Calif., and Nanjing University in China, have identified synergistic cellular pathways for longevity that amplify lifespan fivefold in C. elegans, a nematode worm used as a model in aging research.

9 Jan 2020