Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Research sheds light on how motor enzyme can promote genome integrity

Approximately one per cent of each organism's genome encodes helicases. Helicases are mostly known as motor enzymes that can unwrap double-stranded DNA by use of energy.

11 Feb 2019

Bone marrow disease is stimulated by vitamin D and immune cells, reveals research

The bone marrow disease myelofibrosis is stimulated by excessive signaling from vitamin D and immune cells known as macrophages, reveals a Japanese research team. These findings could help to develop alternative treatments that do not target problem genes.

11 Feb 2019

When genomic sequencing fails to diagnose a rare disease

Routine sequencing has given unprecedented insight into the genetics of rare diseases, but genomics fails to diagnose up to half of patients who are tested. That's the problem German scientists tackled in a recent study in the journal Molecular & Cellular Proteomics.

11 Feb 2019

OHSU research uncovers new target to prevent, treat alcoholism

New research conducted at OHSU in Portland, Oregon, identifies a gene that could provide a new target for developing medication to prevent and treat alcoholism.

11 Feb 2019

Scientists develop novel way with genome sequences to study widespread form of malaria

Scientists at the Institute of Genome Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have developed a novel way with genome sequences to study and better understand transmission, treat and ultimately eradicate Plasmodium vivax, the most widespread form of malaria. P. vivax is a single-celled transmitted by mosquitoes.

11 Feb 2019

Metabolic plasticity helps metastatic cancer cells survive hostile environments

When metastatic cancer cells need to avoid a threat, they simply reprogram themselves. Rice University scientists are beginning to get a handle on how they survive hostile environments.

8 Feb 2019

Unexpected discovery points to potential new treatment for autoimmune disorder

Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have identified an unexpected contributor to rheumatoid arthritis that may help explain the painful flare-ups associated with the disease.

8 Feb 2019

IAS 2019 plenary program spotlights urgent developments in HIV science

The International AIDS Society has announced the plenary presentations that will lead the 10th IAS Conference on HIV Science, which will take place in Mexico City, Mexico, on 21-24 July 2019. IAS 2019 is the largest open scientific conference on HIV and is expected to bring together more than 6,000 participants from more than 140 countries.

8 Feb 2019

Researchers generate transplantable, functional B-1 cells from mice

Functional B-1 cells derived from mouse embryonic stem cells are capable of long-term engraftment and secrete natural antibodies after transplantation in mice, researchers report February 7 in the journal Stem Cell Reports.

8 Feb 2019

IDT supports innovative synthetic biology start-ups with grant program

Integrated DNA Technologies’ Synthetic Biology Start-up Grant Program has once again benefited innovative start-ups in their missions to impact sustainable manufacturing, human health, and/or humanitarian causes.

From Integrated DNA Technologies 8 Feb 2019

Simple drug cocktail converts neighboring glial cells into functional new neurons

A simple drug cocktail that converts cells neighboring damaged neurons into functional new neurons could potentially be used to treat stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and brain injuries.

8 Feb 2019

New DNA-based nanomachines can be used for gene therapy of cancer

Scientists from ITMO in collaboration with their international colleagues proposed new DNA-based nanomachines that can be used for gene therapy of cancer.

8 Feb 2019

Physical activity may help fight depression in seniors

The benefits of exercise are widely known but kinesiologists at McMaster University have for the first time found that physical activity may help fight depression in seniors by stimulating muscle-generated mood boosters.

8 Feb 2019

Cloning-free Nested CRISPR uses long DNA fragments for efficient gene editing

CRISPR is a technique that is revolutionizing biomedical research through high-precision genome editing. However, even though it allows the creation or correction of mutations consisting of a single or few nucleotides with relative ease, it still possesses limitations upon introducing larger fragments of DNA in the genome.

8 Feb 2019

Study shows precision medicines could aid more breast cancer patients via RNA-targeting

When women or men receive the worrisome diagnosis of breast cancer, that news comes with an important piece of information, namely, whether their cancer is HER2-positive or HER2-negative.

8 Feb 2019

Mutations in folliculin gene affect embryo implantation

New information is unfolding on the genetic controls of an early turning point in pregnancy. As the tiny, dividing cell mass, the blastocyst, travels from the oviduct and lodges in the wall of the uterus, the cells must exit their pre-implantation state and be ready for post-implantation development.

7 Feb 2019

Insufficient sleep mirrored by DNA from blood leukocytes

An insufficient amount of sleep and qualitatively poor sleep are common among the general population. Prior studies have indicated that prolonged insufficient sleep and poor sleep quality are associated with a heightened risk of cardiovascular diseases, dementia and psychiatric disorders, particularly depression, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying this connection are not well known.

7 Feb 2019

Detecting and mapping of chemicals inside a biological cell

How are chemicals distributed in a cell? Chinese scientists have developed a combined mass spectrometry and biological imaging device that enables direct, label-free detection, and high-resolution mapping of chemicals inside a biological cell.

7 Feb 2019

Scientists untangle how microbes manufacture key antibiotic compound

For decades, scientists and doctors have known that bacteria in soil were capable of manufacturing streptozotocin, an antibiotic compound that is also an important treatment for certain types of pancreatic cancer.

7 Feb 2019

'Satellite' stem cells more likely to develop into fat cells after rotator cuff tears

Why are fat deposits more likely to occur after tears of the shoulder's rotator cuff, compared to other types of muscle injuries? An increased propensity of stem cells within with rotator cuff muscles to develop into fat cells may explain the difference, reports a study in the February 6, 2019 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.

7 Feb 2019