Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Gene variant in Andean populations could help predict blood cancer treatment outcomes

Two researchers from Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U) have discovered a gene variant found in high-altitude Andean populations that they believe could be a new biomarker for predicting the severity of diseases and treatment responses for certain types of blood cancer.

14 Dec 2024

Researchers discover key genetic mechanism behind craniofacial development

An international team of researchers has identified a key genetic mechanism that regulates the formation and migration of cranial neural crest cells, which are essential for developing facial structures.

14 Dec 2024

Machine learning model predicts CDK4/6 inhibitor effectiveness in metastatic breast cancer

A machine learning (ML) model incorporating both clinical and genomic factors outperformed models based solely on either clinical or genomic data in predicting which patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer would have better outcomes from adding CDK4/6 inhibitors to endocrine therapy as first-line treatment, according to results presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), held December 10-13, 2024.

14 Dec 2024

Targeted gene therapy shuts down cancer cells' energy centers

Researchers are shining a light on cancer cells' energy centers – literally – to damage these power sources and trigger widespread cancer cell death.

14 Dec 2024

Adjuvant anthracycline- plus taxane-based chemotherapy regimen improves survival in high-risk breast cancer patients

Patients with early-stage, node-negative, hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2- negative breast cancer who have a high risk of recurrence based on the OncotypeDX genomic test had better outcomes when treated with adjuvant anthracycline- plus taxane-based chemotherapy regimens compared with those receiving adjuvant taxane-based chemotherapy regimens alone, according to results presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), held December 10-13, 2024.

14 Dec 2024

TTUHSC researcher to uncover mechanisms that regulate gene expression in Alzheimer's disease

More than six million Americans are affected by Alzheimer's disease, a form of dementia marked by accumulation of amyloid-β within the brain. Amyloid-β is a relatively small protein that forms toxic plaques in the brain contributing to the harmful effects of Alzheimer's disease.

14 Dec 2024

CNIC team develops a comprehensive set of genetic tools and mouse lines

A team at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) has developed a comprehensive set of innovative genetic tools and mouse lines, called iFlpMosaics, designed to enhance the study of gene function and its implications in health and disease.

14 Dec 2024

Multi-omic profiling sheds light on chemo-immunotherapy resistance in lung cancer

The study characterizes the lung cancer tumor microenvironment, linking cellular compositions to immunotherapy resistance and potential therapeutic strategies.

13 Dec 2024

Potential new mRNA-based therapy for pre-eclampsia

Lipid nanoparticles targeting VEGF mRNA show promise in treating pre-eclampsia, restoring maternal blood pressure and enhancing fetal health in murine models.

13 Dec 2024

New protein platform enhances cancer immunotherapy

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Stanford University have revealed the molecular structure of TRACeR-I, a protein platform for reprogramming immune responses. A better understanding of its structure may help optimize designs for the platform, which can be used to develop cancer treatments by either directly modifying immune cells or by creating proteins that help immune cells locate cancer cells. The findings were published today by the journal Nature Biotechnology.

13 Dec 2024

Soil ecosystems fuel antibiotic resistance development

Soil plays a much bigger role in the spread of antibiotic resistance than one might imagine.

13 Dec 2024

Disrupting the circadian rhythm of glioblastoma slows tumor growth, study says

Virtually every cell in the human body has an internal clock. These clocks take their cues from a central clock in the brain. In a normal, biological process called synchrony, the central clock coordinates daily rhythms around the body, so that every cell and tissue recognizes the same external time of day.

13 Dec 2024

A genetic variant modulates interferon signaling and disease risk

For years, scientists have looked to a critical piece of immune system machinery - known as the interferon pathway - for answers. There, when our cells sense an infection, they release a protein known as interferon, which warns other cells to fight the virus.

13 Dec 2024

Lipid imbalances hold the key to chronic inflammation in colon cancer

Scientists uncover how disrupted lipid metabolism fuels chronic inflammation in colorectal cancer, offering insights into new therapeutic strategies targeting pro-inflammatory and pro-resolving lipid imbalances.

12 Dec 2024

Circadian chaos: How transportation noise harms heart health

Transportation noise poses serious risks to cardiovascular health, causing inflammation, oxidative stress, and circadian rhythm disruption, with compounded effects from air pollution.

12 Dec 2024

Gene therapy to prevent stillbirth and premature delivery developed

Researchers investigate the effectiveness of placental nano-based insulin-like 1 growth factor gene therapy to correct fetal growth restriction.

12 Dec 2024

Skin-friendly bacteria could revolutionize vaccination

Imagine a world in which a vaccine is a cream you rub onto your skin instead of a needle a health care worker pushes into your one of your muscles.

11 Dec 2024

Study pinpoints how a network of different proteins controls rest and activation

Cells in the immune system don't always fight; they often rest and wait for threats, like viruses or bacteria.

11 Dec 2024

Risk-reducing surgeries provide benefits for young BRCA-mutation carriers

Patients with germline BRCA mutations who were diagnosed with breast cancer at or before age 40 and who underwent a bilateral risk-reducing mastectomy (RRM) and/or a risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) had lower rates of recurrence, secondary breast and/or ovarian malignancies, and death than those who did not undergo these surgeries, according to results presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), held December 10-13, 2024.

11 Dec 2024

FunMap reveals new insights into cancer-associated genes and proteins

Large-scale protein and gene profiling have massively expanded the landscape of cancer-associated proteins and gene mutations, but it has been difficult to discern whether they play an active role in the disease or are innocent bystanders.

11 Dec 2024