Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Texas A&M research paves way for more DNA studies

Dr. Wonmuk Hwang, associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University, is researching the mechanics of DNA, the blueprint of the human body.

27 Jun 2018

Researchers discover new approach for treatment of myotonic dystrophy

Researchers at the Translational Genomics laboratory of Valencia University and the INCLIVA health research institute have just discovered a new approach for the treatment of myotonic dystrophy, a rare and incurable neuromuscular disease which does not have specific treatment.

27 Jun 2018

Study provides insight into development of autism in the human brain

In a study published in Stem Cell Reports, a McGill team of scientists led by Dr. Carl Ernst, researcher at the Douglas Hospital Research Centre, revealed a molecular mechanism that may play a role in the development of autism.

27 Jun 2018

Salk Institute scientists receive funding for cancer research

Salk Institute scientists Ronald Evans, Diana Hargreaves, Tony Hunter, Graham McVicker and Geoffrey Wahl are among the first wave of researchers to receive funding from Padres Pedal the Cause, one of one of the largest stand-alone cancer fundraising events in San Diego.

27 Jun 2018

Polio virus could help brain cancer patients

According to researchers genetically altered poliovirus strains could help some patients of brain cancer. A team of researchers from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, used modified polio virus strains in small groups of patients who had glioblastoma – a particularly deadly form of brain cancer. In these patients standard treatments have failed say the researchers and this novel therapy could help.

27 Jun 2018

AI could improve clinical diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer

Researchers in Sweden have shown how data-driven AI could contribute to a better understanding of how prostate cancer develops, and even improve clinical diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

26 Jun 2018

Study finds byproduct of common prostate cancer drug can stimulate growth of tumor cells

A genetic anomaly in certain men with prostate cancer may impact their response to common drugs used to treat the disease, according to new research at Cleveland Clinic. The findings may provide important information for identifying which patients potentially fare better when treated with an alternate therapy.

26 Jun 2018

MIT researchers decode structure of molecule that gives tissues their elasticity

The stretchiness that allows living tissues to expand, contract, stretch, and bend throughout a lifetime is the result of a protein molecule called tropoelastin. Remarkably, this molecule can be stretched to eight times its length and always returns back to its original size.

26 Jun 2018

New molecular imaging method could help effectively tackle brain conditions

A new molecular imaging method can monitor the success of gene therapy in all areas of the brain, potentially allowing physicians to more effectively tackle brain conditions such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis.

26 Jun 2018

Scientists discover new kind of small-cell lung cancer

Researchers have discovered a new kind of small-cell lung cancer. The discovery paves the way for developing personalized medicine approaches to target this previously unnoticed form of the disease.

26 Jun 2018

Researchers identify novel mutation in amyloid diseases

Researchers have identified a one-of-a kind mutation in the DNA of a patient who died of transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis, a progressive condition characterized by the buildup of abnormal deposits of a misfolded protein called amyloid in the body's organs and tissues.

26 Jun 2018

CRISPR technique reduces repetitive behavior in fragile X syndrome mouse models

Scientists have used CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to lessen some autism symptoms in mice with a form of fragile X syndrome, the most common known single-gene cause of autism spectrum disorder.

25 Jun 2018

Oxygen-starved tumors have an Achilles' heel that could be targeted with drugs

A tumor's goal is simple: to grow, grow, grow, by making more cancer cells. But that often means growing so fast that the oxygen supply gets scarce, at which point cells within the tumor start to suffocate.

25 Jun 2018

Researchers discover immune profile for effective cancer immunotherapy

In a new study published online June 25, 2018 in Nature Medicine, UC San Francisco researchers have identified a key biological pathway in human cancer patients that appears to prime the immune system for a successful response to immunotherapy drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors.

25 Jun 2018

Chemical compounds produced by gut bacteria could help spot early stages of liver disease

Chemical compounds produced by the bacteria in our gut could be used to spot the early stages of liver disease, according to new research.

25 Jun 2018

Researchers work on new treatment that could improve lives of cystic fibrosis patients

Researchers at Oregon State University and Oregon Health & Science University are working on a treatment that holds great promise for improving the lives of cystic fibrosis patients.

25 Jun 2018

New discovery suggests potential target for treating cancers and other diseases

When cells grow and divide to ensure a biological function - such as a properly working organ - DNA must be unwound from its typical tightly packed form and copied into RNA to create proteins.

25 Jun 2018

Genetic subset of prostate cancer may benefit from combination checkpoint immunotherapy

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy released a study investigating the use of combination checkpoint immunotherapy in the treatment of a lethal form of advanced prostate cancer.

25 Jun 2018

Study links molecular changes in the brain to key behaviors in addiction

Changes in a brain signaling system contribute to the development of alcohol addiction-like behaviors in rats, according to a new study led by researchers at Linköping University, Sweden.

25 Jun 2018