Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Targeting regulatory T cells could be effective approach to treating cancers, research shows

Researchers at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC have discovered a clue that could unlock the potential of immunotherapy drugs to successfully treat more cancers.

15 Jun 2017

Stem cell therapy may harm heart disease patients, study finds

Patients with severe and end-stage heart failure have few treatment options available to them apart from transplants and "miraculous" stem cell therapy.

15 Jun 2017

Scientists discover new approach for antifungal drug treatments

Each year, invasive fungal infections sicken an estimated 2 million people worldwide and kill nearly 800,000 - but a team of international scientists have discovered a new approach for antifungal drug treatments.

15 Jun 2017

Being overweight or obese during pregnancy increases risk of birth defects, study finds

The risk of babies being born with major birth defects increases, the more overweight or obese a mother is, according to a Swedish study. The authors of the research say their findings “underline the importance of having a maternal BMI in the normal range before pregnancy” and that efforts should be made to encourage women of reproductive age to adopt a healthy lifestyle and obtain a normal body weight before conception.

15 Jun 2017

Study reveals early indication of Alzheimer’s in adults with normal cognition

A new study led by the Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California (USC) reveals that older adults with elevated levels of brain-clogging plaques, yet normal cognition, experience faster mental decline, suggestive of Alzheimer's disease. The study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association on June 13 presented the earliest precursor—the toxic and sticky protein as part of the disease, before symptoms arise.

15 Jun 2017

Researchers bioengineer human liver tissues that mimic natural development

An international team of researchers bioengineering human liver tissues uncovered previously unknown networks of genetic-molecular crosstalk that control the organ's developmental processes – greatly advancing efforts to generate healthy and usable human liver tissue from human pluripotent stem cells.

15 Jun 2017

Amount of amyloid plaques in the brain predicts rate of cognitive decline, study finds

A new study from the Center for Vital Longevity at The University of Texas at Dallas has found that the amount of amyloid plaques in a person's brain predicts the rate at which his or her cognition will decline in the next four years.

15 Jun 2017

Penn study reveals new molecular pilot light required to turn on brown fat furnace

As we bask in the summer heat, it is easy to take for granted that humans are also prepared for the cold of winter, with overcoats in the closet and home heating systems ready to be fired up as an added assurance against falling temperatures.

15 Jun 2017

Scientists show how brain circuits govern hunger and cravings

The urge to satisfy hunger is a primal one, but – as any dieter knows – choices about when and what to eat can be influenced by cues in the environment, not just how long it's been since breakfast.

14 Jun 2017

Researchers discover how mutations in protein network drive high-risk leukemias

Researchers have uncovered how mutations in a protein network drive several high-risk leukemias, offering new prospects for novel therapies.

14 Jun 2017

Experimental drug suppresses new defective PTEN cancer pathway, study finds

A collaboration between Saïd M. Sebti, Ph.D., chair of Moffitt Cancer Center's Drug Discovery Department, and Michele Pagano, M.D., chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at New York University's Langone Medical Center, led to the publication of an important study in the latest issue of Nature.

14 Jun 2017

SLU scientists discover nuclear receptor that appears to play key role in muscle regeneration

Saint Louis University researchers report in Molecular Metabolism new findings that the nuclear receptor REV-ERB appears to play a key role in muscle regeneration, suggesting the receptor may be a good target for new drugs to treat a variety of muscle disorders and injuries.

14 Jun 2017

Study shows how RNA splicing errors may trigger development of ALS, FTD

The most frequent genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD)- rare and related neurological disorders marked by progressive deterioration of motor or cognitive abilities- may be due to errors in RNA splicing, an intermediary step for translating genetic instructions into functional proteins.

14 Jun 2017

Findings may contribute to better understanding of aging and cancer development

A team of researchers led by Dr. Dennis Kappei, a Special Fellow from the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore at the National University of Singapore, has discovered the role of the protein ZBTB48 in regulating both telomeres and mitochondria, which are key players involved in cellular aging.

14 Jun 2017

New mutation in MUC1 gene could be valuable biomarker for diagnosing kidney disease

Medullary cystic kidney disease type 1 (MCKD1) is a rare genetic kidney disease. Despite this, because it is an autosomal dominant disease, once the mutation is in a family, many family members are affected. Current diagnostic methods discover the disease late in its development.

14 Jun 2017

UNC study uncovers crucial function of key enzyme found in virtually all organisms

UNC School of Medicine researchers have cracked a long-standing mystery about an important enzyme found in virtually all organisms other than bacteria.

13 Jun 2017

USC scientists illuminate impact of early brain-clogging plaques on Alzheimer's disease

Older adults with elevated levels of brain-clogging plaques -- but otherwise normal cognition -- experience faster mental decline suggestive of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study led by the Keck School of Medicine of USC that looked at 10 years of data.

13 Jun 2017

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Targeting regulatory T cells could be effective approach to treating cancers, research shows

Stem cell therapy may harm heart disease patients, study finds

Scientists discover new approach for antifungal drug treatments

Being overweight or obese during pregnancy increases risk of birth defects, study finds

Study reveals early indication of Alzheimer’s in adults with normal cognition

Researchers bioengineer human liver tissues that mimic natural development

Amount of amyloid plaques in the brain predicts rate of cognitive decline, study finds

Penn study reveals new molecular pilot light required to turn on brown fat furnace

Scientists show how brain circuits govern hunger and cravings

Researchers discover how mutations in protein network drive high-risk leukemias

Experimental drug suppresses new defective PTEN cancer pathway, study finds

SLU scientists discover nuclear receptor that appears to play key role in muscle regeneration

Study shows how RNA splicing errors may trigger development of ALS, FTD

Findings may contribute to better understanding of aging and cancer development

New mutation in MUC1 gene could be valuable biomarker for diagnosing kidney disease

UNC study uncovers crucial function of key enzyme found in virtually all organisms

USC scientists illuminate impact of early brain-clogging plaques on Alzheimer's disease

Impairment of specific gene increases susceptibility to opioid addiction and binge eating, study shows

Altered virus could help more patients to become eligible for human gene therapy trials

Molecule may play role in helping maintain balance of excitatory and inhibitory neurons

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

Advancing brain microphysiological systems (bMPS)

PhD researcher at LifeArc

Unveiling Hidden Potential: Organoids for Disease Modeling in Neuroscience Research