Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Study unlocks big puzzle in familial breast cancer

Mutations in known breast cancer genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 are identified in only approximately 20 per cent of women who are offered genetic testing for familial breast cancer.

1 Mar 2018

Researchers discover novel mechanism that leads to pleural effusion in lung cancer patients

Lung cancer patients are particularly susceptible to malignant pleural effusion, when fluid collects in the space between the lungs and the chest wall.

1 Mar 2018

Researchers develop genetic bar codes for superfoods

Chia seeds, Moringa powder, Açai or Goji berries, the list of foods with alleged health benefits is increasing constantly. Health-conscious consumers love "superfoods" that are attributed stress-reducing and detoxifying properties as well as properties strengthening the immune system.

1 Mar 2018

Scientists explore factors that most affect our immune system

Why do we respond differently to infections or vaccines? Why are some people allergic to pollen? These are still unanswered questions in biological and medical science.

28 Feb 2018

UNIGE researchers discover why premature cell division promotes tumor formation

The accumulation of mutations in the human genome is at the origin of cancers, as well as the development of resistance to treatments. The Cyclin E and Myc genes are active in the control of cell division.

28 Feb 2018

CRISPR-like gene editing could be potential way to treat patients with harmful blood lipid levels

Using a variation of CRISPR gene editing may be a potential strategy for mimicking the protective effects of a genetic mutation linked to lower cholesterol levels and heart disease risks, according to new mouse research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania published this week in Circulation.

28 Feb 2018

Study unravels biological mystery behind 'magical' properties of psychedelic mushrooms

Psychedelic mushrooms likely developed their "magical" properties to trip up fungi-munching insects, suggests new research.

28 Feb 2018

Researchers discover 50 new gene regions that increase risk of schizophrenia

Researchers at the MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics at Cardiff University have discovered 50 new gene regions that increase the risk of developing schizophrenia.

28 Feb 2018

Receptors crucial for establishing strong memories

When we create a memory, a pattern of connections forms between neurons in the brain. New work from UC Davis shows how these connections can be strengthened or weakened at a molecular level. The study is published Feb. 27 in the journal Cell Reports.

27 Feb 2018

Specific genes linked to differences in brain anatomy of autistic children

A team of scientists at the University of Cambridge has discovered that specific genes are linked to individual differences in brain anatomy in autistic children.

27 Feb 2018

Study shows importance of family history in onset of Alzheimer's disease

You're about to turn 60, and you're fretting. Your mother has had Alzheimer's disease since the age of 65. At what age will the disease strike you? A Canadian study published in JAMA Neurology shows that the closer a person gets to the age at which their parent exhibited the first signs of Alzheimer's, the more likely they are to have amyloid plaques, the cause of the cognitive decline associated with the disease, in their brain.

27 Feb 2018

Artificial intelligence methods used for developing precision cancer medicine

A patient's own molecular data can be used to identify, with the use of artificial intelligence methods, the best combinatorial multi-drug therapy for that patient. Network modelling plays a major role in this line of work.

27 Feb 2018

Researchers develop new tool that provides 3D view of metabolic processes

An international team of researchers has developed a computational resource that provides a 3D view of genes, proteins and metabolites involved in human metabolism.

27 Feb 2018

Study uncovers special receptor that protects against asthma, allergies

A special receptor on cells that line the sinuses, throat and lungs evolved to protect mammals from developing a range of allergies and asthma, according to a study from researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

27 Feb 2018

Research reveals how mutant p53 enhances tumor metastasis

Scientists at The Wistar Institute have found a novel mechanism through which mutant p53 enhances metastasis by controlling tumor metabolism. The research, published online in Genes & Development, also revealed how this process is influenced by a naturally occurring p53 gene variant.

26 Feb 2018

Repurposing leukemia drugs may be effective approach for treating metastatic melanoma patients

Data from a new study led by University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center researchers shows that repurposing drugs used to treat leukemia has promise for preventing melanoma metastasis.

26 Feb 2018

Combined analysis makes risk prediction for colorectal cancer more precise

If first-degree relatives are affected by colorectal cancer, this indicates a person's own elevated risk of developing bowel cancer. The same holds true for people who have large numbers of genetic risk markers in their genome.

26 Feb 2018

New discovery could help understand and treat glaucoma

Researchers have discovered two distinct groups of short molecules that regulate gene expression in the eyes of people with two different forms of glaucoma.

26 Feb 2018

Research provides new directions in understanding and fighting glaucoma

Two distinctive handfuls of short molecules that regulate gene expression have been found in the eye fluid of patients with two distinct types of vision degenerating glaucoma.

26 Feb 2018

Scientists reveal new insights into mechanism of gene regulation by 'magic spot'

Using an innovative crystallization technique for studying three-dimensional structures of gene transcription machinery, an international team of researchers, led by scientists at Penn State, has revealed new insights into the long debated action of the "magic spot"--a molecule that controls gene expression in Eschericahia coli and many other bacteria when the bacteria are stressed.

24 Feb 2018