Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Epigenetic changes due to normal aging process linked to cancer risk

Some scientists have hypothesized that tumor-promoting changes in cells during cancer development--particularly an epigenetic change involving DNA methylation--arise from rogue cells escaping a natural cell deterioration process called senescence.

22 Feb 2018

Neuroscientists discover novel mechanism of action behind schizophrenia

An international team of researchers led by a Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine scientist has uncovered a novel mechanism in which a protein--neuregulin 3--controls how key neurotransmitters are released in the brain during schizophrenia.

21 Feb 2018

Antibiotic-producing bacterium releases more metabolites than assumed

The bacterium Streptomyces chartreusis is an antibiotic-producing bacterium that releases more metabolites into the surrounding medium than scientists assumed based on the analysis of the genome. Many of the substances are likely released to mediate interactions with its environment.

21 Feb 2018

Penn study sheds new light on immune cell identity

Almost all cells in the human body have identical DNA sequences, yet there are 200-plus cell types with different sizes, shapes, and chemical compositions. Determining what parts of the genome are read to make protein and which are silenced is orchestrated by proteins called transcription factors.

21 Feb 2018

Researchers discover five new genetic changes that may increase pancreatic cancer risk

In what is believed to be the largest pancreatic cancer genome-wide association study to date, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute, and collaborators from over 80 other institutions worldwide discovered changes to five new regions in the human genome that may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.

21 Feb 2018

Researchers create minuscule, light-powered wires to modify electrical signaling between neurons

The human brain largely remains a black box: How the network of fast-moving electrical signals turns into thought, movement and disease remains poorly understood. But it is electrical, so it can be hacked--the question is finding a precise, easy way to manipulate electrical signaling between neurons.

21 Feb 2018

Some genes can drive both metastasis and initial stages of tumor growth

In spite of the difference between the cell functions responsible for giving rise to a tumor and for the metastasis of this same tumor, studies at IRB Barcelona using the fly Drosophila melanogaster reveal that some genes can drive both phenomena.

21 Feb 2018

Cutting either carbs or fats shaves off excess weight in the same proportion, study reveals

New evidence from a study at the Stanford University School of Medicine might dismay those who have chosen sides in the low-fat versus low-carb diet debate.

21 Feb 2018

Low protein levels linked to posture and gait problems in Parkinson’s, finds study

A new study has linked low levels of alpha-synuclein in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Parkinson’s to postural instability and gait difficulty.

21 Feb 2018

Bioactive compound limits collateral damage in the kidneys after heart attack

A heart attack triggers an acute inflammatory response at the damaged portion of the heart's left ventricle. If this acute inflammation lingers, it can lead to stretching of the ventricle and heart failure. The inflammation can claim another victim -- the kidneys.

21 Feb 2018

Study reveals biological relevance of sex in effects of D-galactose induced aging

A research study by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in collaboration with the University of La Laguna demonstrates in mice the biological relevance of sex in the effects of accelerated ageing caused by a chronic treatment of D-galactose, a sugar found abundantly in milk and to a lesser extent in fruits and vegetables.

20 Feb 2018

Researchers target abnormal epigenetic mechanisms involved in childhood cancers

Several childhood cancer cell types show features of immature neural cells, and there is evidence suggesting that these tumors may arise from neural crest stem cells that underwent abnormal changes during embryonic development.

20 Feb 2018

Tiny 'brains on chips' reveal mechanisms underlying brain's wrinkling process

Being born with a "tabula rasa" - a clean slate - in the case of the brain is something of a curse. Our brains are already wrinkled like walnuts by the time we are born. Babies born without these wrinkles - smooth brain syndrome - suffer from severe developmental deficiencies and their life expectancy is markedly reduced.

20 Feb 2018

Stanford researchers explore how gut bacteria respond to common changes in habitat

Researchers at Stanford University are studying how bacteria living in the gut respond to common changes within their habitat, working with mice.

20 Feb 2018

Research findings could help develop new drugs to prevent, treat dry eye disease

With computers, smartphones and contact lenses now essential to modern life, many -- one out of every 10 Japanese people -- suffer dry eye disease.

20 Feb 2018

New computational method helps narrow down genetic targets for autism diagnosis

Autism is a spectrum of closely related symptoms involving behavioral, social and cognitive deficits. Early detection of autism in children is key to producing the best outcomes; however, searching for the genetic causes of autism is complicated by various symptoms found within the spectrum.

20 Feb 2018

Father's age can affect offspring lifespan, mice study shows

How does the father's age at conception affect his children? Researchers at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Disease and fellow scientists have studied this question in mice.

20 Feb 2018

AbbVie and Voyager Therapeutics collaborate to develop new treatments for tauopathies

AbbVie, a global biopharmaceutical company, and Voyager Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage gene therapy company, today announced that they have entered into an exclusive strategic collaboration and option agreement to develop and commercialize vectorized antibodies directed against tau for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.

20 Feb 2018

New genetic risk score could help guide screening decisions for prostate cancer

One of the biggest challenges in treating prostate cancer is distinguishing men who have aggressive and potentially lethal disease from men whose cancer is slow-growing and unlikely to metastasize.

20 Feb 2018

Therapeutic target for glaucoma could have treatment ramifications for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

A therapeutic target to preserve vision in glaucoma patients could have treatment ramifications for age-related neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, according to findings released today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

20 Feb 2018

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Epigenetic changes due to normal aging process linked to cancer risk

Neuroscientists discover novel mechanism of action behind schizophrenia

Antibiotic-producing bacterium releases more metabolites than assumed

Penn study sheds new light on immune cell identity

Researchers discover five new genetic changes that may increase pancreatic cancer risk

Researchers create minuscule, light-powered wires to modify electrical signaling between neurons

Some genes can drive both metastasis and initial stages of tumor growth

Cutting either carbs or fats shaves off excess weight in the same proportion, study reveals

Low protein levels linked to posture and gait problems in Parkinson’s, finds study

Bioactive compound limits collateral damage in the kidneys after heart attack

Study reveals biological relevance of sex in effects of D-galactose induced aging

Researchers target abnormal epigenetic mechanisms involved in childhood cancers

Tiny 'brains on chips' reveal mechanisms underlying brain's wrinkling process

Stanford researchers explore how gut bacteria respond to common changes in habitat

Research findings could help develop new drugs to prevent, treat dry eye disease

New computational method helps narrow down genetic targets for autism diagnosis

Father's age can affect offspring lifespan, mice study shows

AbbVie and Voyager Therapeutics collaborate to develop new treatments for tauopathies

New genetic risk score could help guide screening decisions for prostate cancer

Therapeutic target for glaucoma could have treatment ramifications for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

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

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Unveiling Hidden Potential: Organoids for Disease Modeling in Neuroscience Research