Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Researchers report progress in the treatment of aggressive brain tumors

Cancer researchers at the University of Bonn have reported significant progress in the treatment of glioblastoma. About one third of all patients suffer from a particular variant of this most common and aggressive brain tumor.

18 Feb 2019

Physicists identify simple mechanism used by deadly bacteria to fend off antibiotics

Physicists at McMaster University have for the first time identified a simple mechanism used by potentially deadly bacteria to fend off antibiotics, a discovery which is providing new insights into how germs adapt and behave at a level of detail never seen before.

18 Feb 2019

Activating gene that helps excite neurons reverses depression in male mice

Directly activating a gene important to exciting our excitatory neurons and associated with major depression may help turn around classic symptoms like social isolation and loss of interest, at least for males, scientists report.

18 Feb 2019

Columbia researchers unravel why some glioblastomas respond to immunotherapy

Columbia researchers have learned why some glioblastomas--the most common type of brain cancer--respond to immunotherapy. The findings could help identify patients who are most likely to benefit from treatment with immunotherapy drugs and lead to the development of more broadly effective treatments.

17 Feb 2019

Study finds genetic vulnerability to use of menthol cigarettes

A genetic variant found only in people of African descent significantly increases a smoker's preference for cigarettes containing menthol, a flavor additive.

15 Feb 2019

Vapers develop cancer-related gene deregulation as cigarette smokers

If you think vaping is benign, think again. A small USC study shows that e-cig users develop some of the same cancer-related molecular changes in oral tissue as cigarette smokers, adding to the growing concern that e-cigs aren't a harmless alternative to smoking.

15 Feb 2019

Testosterone is not the only hormone needed for penis development

A new study has revealed that in addition to testosterone, the masculinization process involves a hormone called androsterone, which originates in other tissues.

15 Feb 2019

Conformance of genetic characteristics found to be crucial for longer preservation of kidney graft

The conformance of genetic characteristics is essential for the long-term function after kidney transplantation. This is the central result of a recent study in the top journal “The Lancet” with more than 500 patients after kidney transplantation, conducted by a global consortium led by Rainer Oberbauer and his colleagues Roman Reindl-Schwaighofer and Andreas Heinzel from the Division of Nephrology and Dialysis at MedUni Vienna.

15 Feb 2019

UVA scientists find potential explanation for mysterious cell death in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s

Scientists at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have identified a potential explanation for the mysterious death of specific brain cells seen in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

15 Feb 2019

Scientists implicate hidden genes in the severity of autism symptoms

Scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have implicated a largely hidden part of the human genome in the severity of autism symptoms, a discovery that could lead to new insights into the disorder and eventually to clinical therapies for the condition.

15 Feb 2019

New method for improved visualization of single-cell RNA- sequencing data

Like going from a pinhole camera to a Polaroid, a significant mathematical update to the formula for a popular bioinformatics data visualization method will allow researchers to develop snapshots of single-cell gene expression not only several times faster but also at much higher-resolution.

15 Feb 2019

Discovery of weakness in a rare cancer could be exploited with drugs

Cancer cells are, in some respects, impressive: They can grow relentlessly, sidestep the aging process by becoming immortal, and evade the immune system's persistent attacks. But in the process of acquiring such superpowers, the cells must occasionally relinquish other, more mundane skills--including the ability to produce certain nutrients.

15 Feb 2019

New study seeks to understand how colibactin causes cancer

For more than a decade, scientists have worked to understand the connection between colibactin, a compound produced by certain strains of E. coli, and colorectal cancer, but have been hampered by their inability to isolate the compound.

15 Feb 2019

Researchers study animal venoms to identify new medicines for treating diseases

Animal venoms are the subject of study at research center based at the Butantan Institute in São Paulo. But in this case, the idea is not to find antidotes, but rather to use the properties of the venoms themselves to identify molecular targets of diseases and, armed with that knowledge, develop new compounds that can be used as medicines.

15 Feb 2019

Genetic variations in a fourth gene associated with higher ALL risk in Hispanic children

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have identified genetic variations in a fourth gene that are associated with an increased risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Hispanic children. The research appears today in the journal Blood.

15 Feb 2019

Human cells can change their original function to battle against diabetes

For the first time, researchers have shown that ordinary human cells can change their original function. This may give new hope for diabetes patients.

14 Feb 2019

Blood-based liquid biopsies can accurately track cancer treatment responses

Results of two clinical studies have added to evidence that blood-based liquid biopsies can accurately track lung cancer treatment responses by measuring circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) during immunotherapy and related treatments.

14 Feb 2019

Study shows how neuroactive steroids inhibit activity of pro-inflammatory proteins

For the first time, scientists discovered how neuroactive steroids naturally found in the brain and bloodstream inhibit the activity of a specific kind of protein called Toll-like receptors, which have been known to play a role in inflammation in many organs, including the brain.

14 Feb 2019

Researchers comprehensively sequence the human immune system

For the first time ever, researchers are comprehensively sequencing the human immune system, which is billions of times larger than the human genome. In a new study published in Nature from the Human Vaccines Project, scientists have sequenced a key part of this vast and mysterious system -- the genes encoding the circulating B cell receptor repertoire.

14 Feb 2019

Study identifies protein regulator that induces Th17 cells to cause multiple sclerosis

Inflammatory and autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis (MS) are a major healthcare burden worldwide and are life-altering conditions for afflicted patients.

14 Feb 2019

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Researchers report progress in the treatment of aggressive brain tumors

Physicists identify simple mechanism used by deadly bacteria to fend off antibiotics

Activating gene that helps excite neurons reverses depression in male mice

Columbia researchers unravel why some glioblastomas respond to immunotherapy

Study finds genetic vulnerability to use of menthol cigarettes

Vapers develop cancer-related gene deregulation as cigarette smokers

Testosterone is not the only hormone needed for penis development

Conformance of genetic characteristics found to be crucial for longer preservation of kidney graft

UVA scientists find potential explanation for mysterious cell death in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s

Scientists implicate hidden genes in the severity of autism symptoms

New method for improved visualization of single-cell RNA- sequencing data

Discovery of weakness in a rare cancer could be exploited with drugs

New study seeks to understand how colibactin causes cancer

Researchers study animal venoms to identify new medicines for treating diseases

Genetic variations in a fourth gene associated with higher ALL risk in Hispanic children

Human cells can change their original function to battle against diabetes

Blood-based liquid biopsies can accurately track cancer treatment responses

Study shows how neuroactive steroids inhibit activity of pro-inflammatory proteins

Researchers comprehensively sequence the human immune system

Study identifies protein regulator that induces Th17 cells to cause multiple sclerosis

eBook: Using iPSCs models for human disease research and drug discovery eBook

Advancing brain microphysiological systems (bMPS)

PhD researcher at LifeArc

Unveiling Hidden Potential: Organoids for Disease Modeling in Neuroscience Research