Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Increasing levels of FGF21 hormone protects against loss of immune function in the elderly

A hormone that extends lifespan in mice by 40% is produced by specialized cells in the thymus gland, according to a new study by Yale School of Medicine researchers. The team also found that increasing the levels of this hormone, called FGF21, protects against the loss of immune function that comes with age.

12 Jan 2016

Novel drug shows promise against metastatic breast cancer in mouse models

A doctor treating a patient with a potentially fatal metastatic breast tumor would be very pleased to find, after administering a round of treatment, that the primary tumor had undergone a change in character - from aggressive to static, and no longer shedding cells that can colonize distant organs of the body.

12 Jan 2016

Drugs that block KDM4C and PRMT1 genes could be effective in treating AML

Two genes have been identified that are critical to the development of the biggest leukaemia killer, acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Researchers at King’s College London found that drugs that selectively block these genes could be highly effective in treating this type of leukaemia.

12 Jan 2016

Synpromics, Cell Therapy Catapult to create stable producer cell lines for large-scale manufacture of viral vectors

Synpromics Ltd, a leading synthetic biology company, and The Cell Therapy Catapult, the UK organisation accelerating the growth of the UK cell and gene therapy industry by bridging the gap between scientific research and commercialisation, today announce the launch of a collaboration to remove a major barrier to the development of the cell and gene therapy industry by reducing the cost and increasing the scale and efficiency of viral vector manufacturing.

12 Jan 2016

Novel therapy may help in diagnosing, treating heart disease in humans

A novel therapy tested by University of Guelph scientists for treating a fatal heart disorder in dogs might ultimately help in diagnosing and treating heart disease in humans.

12 Jan 2016

Scientists discover protein interaction that describes aggressive subtype of medulloblastoma

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the University of Würzburg in Germany have identified a protein interaction that is a hallmark of an aggressive subtype of medulloblastoma and that may provide a new treatment strategy.

12 Jan 2016

McMaster University researchers take a giant leap in detecting early stages of leukemia

McMaster University researchers have taken a giant leap in identifying the early stages of a deadly cancer and predicting how it will develop in individuals.

11 Jan 2016

Clontech Laboratories launches Guide-it CRISPR/Cas9 Gesicle Production System

Clontech Laboratories, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Takara Bio Inc., today announced the launch of the Guide-it CRISPR/Cas9 Gesicle Production System. This system provides an innovative method to deliver Cas9/single guide RNA (sgRNA) ribonucleoprotein complexes to a broad range of cell types.

11 Jan 2016

Wistar Institute scientists use revolutionary method to block melanoma progression

Melanoma patients who receive treatment with targeted therapies experience an initial response that feels like a cure, but that early excitement is quickly dampened when patients relapse as their cancers find alternative pathways in our cells to grow and spread. With melanoma so good at escaping targeted treatments, there's a dire need to halt these cancers in their tracks to prolong good responses and promote longer, healthier lives.

11 Jan 2016

Research could lead to new treatment for Rett Syndrome, other forms of autism

Penn State scientists have discovered a novel drug target and have rescued functional deficits in human nerve cells derived from patients with Rett Syndrome, a severe form of autism-spectrum disorder.

11 Jan 2016

New strategy may reduce growth of pancreatic cancers in patients with KRAS gene mutation

University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers have found a promising strategy that may limit the growth of pancreatic cancers in patients with a mutation in a gene called KRAS.

11 Jan 2016

UA researchers find genetic mutations associated with respiratory disease

Asthma affects more than 278 million people worldwide and can lead to serious consequences later in life. While current approved therapies address symptoms, they do not halt disease progression.

11 Jan 2016

DNA-binding protein acts like genetic traffic signal to orchestrate early stage embryonic development

New research by UC San Francisco stem cell biologists has revealed that a DNA-binding protein called Foxd3 acts like a genetic traffic signal, holding that ball of undifferentiated cells in a state of readiness for its great transformation in the third week of development.

11 Jan 2016

U-M research could lead to new ways of fighting X-linked diseases in girls and women

Nearly every girl and woman on Earth carries two X chromosomes in nearly every one of her cells -- but one of them does (mostly) nothing. That's because it's been silenced, keeping most of its DNA locked up and unread like a book in a cage.

11 Jan 2016

Salk Institute scientists find new target for glioblastoma multiforme treatment

Glioblastoma multiforme is a particularly deadly cancer. A person diagnosed with this type of brain tumor typically survives 15 months, if given the best care. The late Senator Ted Kennedy succumbed to this disease in just over a year.

11 Jan 2016

New classification of coronary congenital diseases helps surgeons identify secondary defects

A new classification of coronary congenital diseases is set to help surgeons identify secondary defects in the operating theatre. The scheme is outlined in a novel European Society of Cardiology position paper published today in Cardiovascular Research.1 Clinical cardiologists will also know what to look for on cardiovascular images.

11 Jan 2016

New gene editing technique could hinder retinal degeneration in rats with inherited blindness

A new technique that has the potential to treat inherited diseases by removing genetic defects has been shown for the first time to hinder retinal degeneration in rats with a type of inherited blindness, according to a Cedars-Sinai study.

11 Jan 2016

Auranofin drug could improve prognosis for ovarian cancer patients exhibiting BRCA1 deficiency

An anti-rheumatic drug could improve the prognosis for ovarian cancer patients exhibiting a deficiency of the DNA repair protein BRCA1, a study suggests.

11 Jan 2016

Virginia Tech scientists find potential way to influence memory formation in the immune system

Scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have found a potential way to influence long-term memory formation in the immune system. The researchers published their results today in Nature Communications.

11 Jan 2016

Small differences in specific genetic variant could alter nicotine consumption

Nicotine is an addictive substance and genetic factors are known to play a role in smoking behaviors. Recently, a team of researchers at Penn State and the University of Colorado determined how small differences in a particular region of the mouse genome can alter nicotine consumption.

11 Jan 2016

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Increasing levels of FGF21 hormone protects against loss of immune function in the elderly

Novel drug shows promise against metastatic breast cancer in mouse models

Drugs that block KDM4C and PRMT1 genes could be effective in treating AML

Synpromics, Cell Therapy Catapult to create stable producer cell lines for large-scale manufacture of viral vectors

Novel therapy may help in diagnosing, treating heart disease in humans

Scientists discover protein interaction that describes aggressive subtype of medulloblastoma

McMaster University researchers take a giant leap in detecting early stages of leukemia

Clontech Laboratories launches Guide-it CRISPR/Cas9 Gesicle Production System

Wistar Institute scientists use revolutionary method to block melanoma progression

Research could lead to new treatment for Rett Syndrome, other forms of autism

New strategy may reduce growth of pancreatic cancers in patients with KRAS gene mutation

UA researchers find genetic mutations associated with respiratory disease

DNA-binding protein acts like genetic traffic signal to orchestrate early stage embryonic development

U-M research could lead to new ways of fighting X-linked diseases in girls and women

Salk Institute scientists find new target for glioblastoma multiforme treatment

New classification of coronary congenital diseases helps surgeons identify secondary defects

New gene editing technique could hinder retinal degeneration in rats with inherited blindness

Auranofin drug could improve prognosis for ovarian cancer patients exhibiting BRCA1 deficiency

Virginia Tech scientists find potential way to influence memory formation in the immune system

Small differences in specific genetic variant could alter nicotine consumption

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

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

How cohesin mechanics and nanotracker tech are redefining DNA research

Todd Bauman and Chris Povich