Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Brain genes influence our eating habits, study finds

Differences in the genetic make-up of our brains may account for the particular food preferences people have and their varying ability to stick to diets, according to new research.

24 Apr 2017

Study shows how brain genes influence food intake and dietary preferences

Have you ever wondered why you keep eating certain foods, even if you know they are not good for you? Gene variants that affect the way our brain works may be the reason, according to a new study. The new research could lead to new strategies to empower people to enjoy and stick to their optimal diets.

24 Apr 2017

Transgenic fruit flies can shed light on genetic mutations that underlie kidney disease in humans

An off-the-shelf dietary supplement available for pennies per dose demonstrated the ability to reverse cellular damage linked to specific genetic mutations in transgenic fruit flies, an experimental model of genetic mutation-induced renal cell injury that features striking similarities to humans, a Children's National Health System research team reports April 20 in Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

21 Apr 2017

Researchers show how fish oil component helps in survival of injured retina, brain cells

A team of researchers led by Nicolas Bazan, MD, PhD, Boyd Professor and Director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, has shown for the first time that NDP1, a signaling molecule made from DHA, can trigger the production of a protective protein against toxic free radicals and injury in the brain and retina.

21 Apr 2017

Positive CHMP opinion recognizes efficacy of Biogen’s SPINRAZA for treatment of spinal muscular atrophy

Biogen today announced the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency adopted a positive opinion recommending the granting of a marketing authorization for SPINRAZA to treat patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

21 Apr 2017

Latest advances in antibody delivery mediated by rAAV for treatment of chronic and infectious diseases

Monoclonal antibody-based therapies have revolutionized treatments of cancer and autoimmune diseases because of their specificity and limited toxicity.

21 Apr 2017

New technique can test effectiveness of treatments for breast cancer metastases in bone

A new laboratory technique developed by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and other institutions can rapidly test the effectiveness of treatments for life-threatening breast cancer metastases in bone. The study appears in Nature Communications.

21 Apr 2017

Researchers use gene-editing tool to restore visual function in mouse models of retinitis pigmentosa

Using the gene-editing tool CRISPR/Cas9, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Shiley Eye Institute at UC San Diego Health, with colleagues in China, have reprogrammed mutated rod photoreceptors to become functioning cone photoreceptors, reversing cellular degeneration and restoring visual function in two mouse models of retinitis pigmentosa.

21 Apr 2017

Restricting amino acids in diet slows tumor growth, prolongs survival in mice

Cutting out certain amino acids – the building blocks of proteins – from the diet of mice slows tumour growth and prolongs survival, according to new research published in Nature today (Wednesday).

21 Apr 2017

RCSI researchers discover that function of KCNQ1 gene is linked to survival of colon cancer patients

Researchers from RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) and the University of Nice, France, have discovered the function of a gene called KCNQ1 that is directly related to the survival of colon cancer patients.

21 Apr 2017

Light can be used to control cellular functions, optogenetics study shows

Light can be used as an accurate method to control gene expression, shows groundbreaking optogenetics study by University of Colorado, Duke University and University of Helsinki researchers.

21 Apr 2017

Researchers identify novel molecular mechanism involved in progression, metastasis of TNBC

University of Tsukuba-led researchers identified a novel molecular mechanism involved in progression and metastasis in the most aggressive form of breast cancer.

21 Apr 2017

Environmental 'memory' can be passed on in genes for many generations

Led by Dr Ben Lehner, group leader at the EMBL-CRG Systems Biology Unit and ICREA and AXA Professor, together with Dr Tanya Vavouri from the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute and the Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol, the researchers noticed that the impact of environmental change can be passed on in the genes for many generations while studying C. elegans worms carrying a transgene array - a long string of repeated copies of a gene for a fluorescent protein that had been added into the worm genome using genetic engineering techniques.

20 Apr 2017

MGH researchers provide direct link between ‘leaky gut’ and chronic inflammatory disease

With the help of genetically engineered mice, scientists at the Massachusetts General Hospital are moving closer to establishing the role that increased intestinal permeability, sometimes called a "leaky gut," plays in chronic inflammatory conditions.

20 Apr 2017

Study reveals potential therapeutic target for kidney fibrosis

When the kidneys - vital organs for filtering the body's entire blood supply - become injured, it can set in motion an unfortunate chain of events that leads to a decline in health.

20 Apr 2017

Rat study reveals new clues to devastating neurological disease

After a 29-year quest, Ian Duncan, a professor of veterinary medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has finally pinpointed the cause of a serious neurologic disease in a colony of rats.

20 Apr 2017

Researcher aims to eliminate chemotherapy-resistant ovarian tumors using virus treatment

In some cases, the Lassa virus starts with a fever and general weakness, moving toward headache, muscle pain, possible facial swelling, deafness, and worse. About 15 percent of patients hospitalized with severe cases die.

20 Apr 2017

Penn researchers pinpoint underlying cause of Best disease

Named for Friedrich Best, who characterized the disease in 1905, Best disease, also known as vitelliform macular dystrophy, affects children and young adults and can cause severe declines in central vision as patients age.

19 Apr 2017

SLU researchers make advances in understanding plaque-causing protein in neurological disorders

In a recent paper published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry Yuna Ayala, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Saint Louis University, and her research team made advances in understanding how a protein causes damaging plaques to build up in neurodegenerative illnesses like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and a form of dementia called frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

19 Apr 2017

Brain cancer patient treated with malaria drug shows dramatic improvement

After her brain cancer became resistant to chemotherapy and then to targeted treatments, 26-year-old Lisa Rosendahl's doctors gave her only a few months to live.

19 Apr 2017

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Brain genes influence our eating habits, study finds

Study shows how brain genes influence food intake and dietary preferences

Transgenic fruit flies can shed light on genetic mutations that underlie kidney disease in humans

Researchers show how fish oil component helps in survival of injured retina, brain cells

Positive CHMP opinion recognizes efficacy of Biogen’s SPINRAZA for treatment of spinal muscular atrophy

Latest advances in antibody delivery mediated by rAAV for treatment of chronic and infectious diseases

New technique can test effectiveness of treatments for breast cancer metastases in bone

Researchers use gene-editing tool to restore visual function in mouse models of retinitis pigmentosa

Restricting amino acids in diet slows tumor growth, prolongs survival in mice

RCSI researchers discover that function of KCNQ1 gene is linked to survival of colon cancer patients

Light can be used to control cellular functions, optogenetics study shows

Researchers identify novel molecular mechanism involved in progression, metastasis of TNBC

Environmental 'memory' can be passed on in genes for many generations

MGH researchers provide direct link between ‘leaky gut’ and chronic inflammatory disease

Study reveals potential therapeutic target for kidney fibrosis

Rat study reveals new clues to devastating neurological disease

Researcher aims to eliminate chemotherapy-resistant ovarian tumors using virus treatment

Penn researchers pinpoint underlying cause of Best disease

SLU researchers make advances in understanding plaque-causing protein in neurological disorders

Brain cancer patient treated with malaria drug shows dramatic improvement

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