Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

WPI receives patent for novel method of reprogramming human skin cells

Cell therapies for a range of serious conditions, including heart attacks, diabetes, and traumatic injuries, will be accelerated by research at Worcester Polytechnic Institute that yielded a newly patented method of converting human skin cells into engines of wound healing and tissue regeneration.

25 May 2016

Early epigenetic changes could open way for new preventative strategies for ovarian cancer

Research revealing early changes at epigenetic level points to possible new prevention strategies for ovarian cancer. The discovery of early changes in the cells of the Fallopian tubes of women carrying the BRCA genetic mutation could open the way for new preventative strategies for ovarian cancer, reducing the need for invasive surgery, according to research published today in science journal Nature Communications.

24 May 2016

ANK3 and other genes may play key role in affecting mood, stress and longevity

The visible impacts of depression and stress that can be seen in a person's face -- and contribute to shorter lives -- can also be found in alterations in genetic activity, according to newly published research.

24 May 2016

Scientists study how viral evolution occurs

Viruses evolve quickly. A small tweak to the genetic makeup of a mostly mild strain of influenza can give rise to the next pandemic. An equally small change to the same strain in a different setting can fade it into obscurity.

24 May 2016

Chloride switch controls critical step in basement membrane formation

Chloride plays a key role in the formation of the basement membrane, a suprastructure on the outside of cells that undergirds and guides the function of most of the tissues of the body.

24 May 2016

Researchers find genetic mutations linked to increased risk factor for PTSD

In the largest study of DNA samples from service members with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), researchers have identified genetic mutations that may be associated with an increased risk factor for PTSD.

24 May 2016

Rare mutation may reduce risk of developing arteriosclerosis by 34%

According to new international research, just less than one per cent of the population is naturally protected against developing chronic coronary artery diseases.

24 May 2016

Researchers identify mutations that may stimulate early cancer growth in precancerous colorectal tissue

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered mutations that may fuel early cancer growth in precancerous colorectal tissue from high-risk patients.

24 May 2016

Epigenetic modification of Igfbp2 gene may increase risk of obesity and fatty liver

Scientists of the German Center for Diabetes Research led by the German Institute of Human Nutrition have shown in a mouse model that the epigenetic modification of the Igfbp2 gene observed in the young animal precedes a fatty liver in the adult animal later in life.

24 May 2016

Scientists take key step towards understanding link between obesity and physically distant diseases

Obesity is on the rise throughout the world, and in some developed countries two-third of the adult population is either overweight or obese. This brings with it an increased risk of serious conditions such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and osteoarthritis.

23 May 2016

Diet experiments on Lynch syndrome mouse model may help in early detection of colon cancer

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the Western world, mainly because it is usually diagnosed too late. Finding ways to identify those people who are at increased risk of developing colon cancer is therefore crucial, a researcher will tell the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics today.

23 May 2016

Phase I study of triple drug combination shows promise in multiple myeloma patients

PharmaMar announces the positive results from a Phase I study of plitidepsin in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma.

21 May 2016

Wresting back control of CHI3L1 protein could stave off cancer spread in mice

For cancer to spread, the cells that take off into the bloodstream must find a tissue that will permit them to thrive. They don't just go looking, though. Instead, they actively prepare the tissue, in one case by co-opting a protein that suppresses defenses the body would otherwise mount.

21 May 2016

Research provides pathway toward creation of first broad-spectrum antiviral drug

By studying the rare person -- about one in a million -- who can fight off viral infections more effectively than everyone else, investigators at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have developed a strategy to help the rest of us achieve this enhanced anti-viral state.

21 May 2016

LIGR-Seq tool opens door to developing new understanding of ncRNA function

What used to be dismissed by many as "junk DNA" is back with a vengeance as growing data points to the importance of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) -- genome's messages that do not code for proteins -- in development and disease.

21 May 2016

New experimental model may predict eventual cardiac phenotype in pediatric patients

An experimental model uses genetics-guided biomechanics and patient-derived stem cells to predict what type of inherited heart defect a child will develop, according to authors of a new study in the journal Cell.

21 May 2016

Novel protective gene against CAD uncovered

A large study has found that mutations in the gene encoding the major subunit of the asialoglycoprotein receptor are protective against coronary artery disease.

20 May 2016

New study aims to identify biomarkers linked to cartilage degradation in OA patients

Joint injury can lead to post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). In fact, about half of all people who rupture the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in their knee will develop PTOA within 10-20 years of the injury.

20 May 2016

High levels of p62 protein in liver linked to cancer recurrence

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have discovered that high levels of the protein p62 in human liver samples are strongly associated with cancer recurrence and reduced patient survival.

20 May 2016

Researchers identify hCRTh2 protein as possible therapeutic target for asthma

Patients with asthma have chronic lung inflammation that results in sporadic narrowing of the airways and difficulty breathing. Symptoms and severity are variable among individuals; however, the cells and inflammatory factors that trigger asthmatic events have been fairly well characterized and are similar regardless of the asthma-inducing stimuli.

20 May 2016

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

WPI receives patent for novel method of reprogramming human skin cells

Early epigenetic changes could open way for new preventative strategies for ovarian cancer

ANK3 and other genes may play key role in affecting mood, stress and longevity

Scientists study how viral evolution occurs

Chloride switch controls critical step in basement membrane formation

Researchers find genetic mutations linked to increased risk factor for PTSD

Rare mutation may reduce risk of developing arteriosclerosis by 34%

Researchers identify mutations that may stimulate early cancer growth in precancerous colorectal tissue

Epigenetic modification of Igfbp2 gene may increase risk of obesity and fatty liver

Scientists take key step towards understanding link between obesity and physically distant diseases

Diet experiments on Lynch syndrome mouse model may help in early detection of colon cancer

Phase I study of triple drug combination shows promise in multiple myeloma patients

Wresting back control of CHI3L1 protein could stave off cancer spread in mice

Research provides pathway toward creation of first broad-spectrum antiviral drug

LIGR-Seq tool opens door to developing new understanding of ncRNA function

New experimental model may predict eventual cardiac phenotype in pediatric patients

Novel protective gene against CAD uncovered

New study aims to identify biomarkers linked to cartilage degradation in OA patients

High levels of p62 protein in liver linked to cancer recurrence

Researchers identify hCRTh2 protein as possible therapeutic target for asthma

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

Synthetic Psychedelics: A Growing Public Health Concern

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

How cohesin mechanics and nanotracker tech are redefining DNA research