Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Researchers identify liver-derived hormone that regulates sugar intake

We all love our sugar, especially during the holidays. Cookies, cake, and candy are simply irresistible. While sugar cravings are common, the physiological mechanisms that trigger our "sweet tooth" are not well defined.

24 Dec 2015

Ebola virus and bats waging molecular battle for survival

Ebola virus and bats have been waging a molecular battle for survival that may have started at least 25 million years ago, according to a study led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the University of Colorado-Boulder (CU-Boulder) and the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) that published online today in the journal eLife.

24 Dec 2015

Healthier weight using genetic data for customized diets and physical activity plans

Some health experts predict that the next big advance in helping overweight people achieve a healthier weight will be to use an individual's genetic data to customize diets and physical activity plans, an approach known as "precision weight loss.

24 Dec 2015

Ultrafast near-infrared lasers deliver gene therapy to treat macular degeneration

Millions of adults over age 50 struggle each year with vision loss caused by damage to the retina or common macular degeneration.

24 Dec 2015

Study directly links common variants of Alzheimer's risk genes to atrophy

Two genetic variants previously linked to Alzheimer's disease have been more specifically tied to brain atrophy that is characteristic of the disease.

24 Dec 2015

Computers could discover future drugs

The drugs of tomorrow may be discovered by computers. A proof-of-concept study published December 23 in Cell Systems demonstrates that with the right input of data about infectious yeast, a machine algorithm can learn to identify combinations of existing and previously unknown compounds that can work together as antifungal agents.

24 Dec 2015

Study on how immune systems of astronauts respond to seasonal flu vaccine

Every year, as influenza season - and flu shot season--rolls around, medical experts weigh in on just how effective it will be against that year's particular strain. What if that equation could take into account a person's own immune response?

24 Dec 2015

Immunogeneticist helps monitor immune responses in VRC01 phase 1 trial in HIV-infected individuals

Janardan Pandey, Ph.D., an immunogeneticist specializing in immunoglobulin GM genes at the Medical University of South Carolina, helped monitor for immune responses that could limit the effectiveness of the broadly neutralizing antibody VRC01 in a phase 1 trial of that antibody in HIV-infected individuals led by a team at the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.

24 Dec 2015

Working Group identifies many potential genetic contributors to weight loss

In the midst of the holiday season, celebratory get-togethers can mean overindulging on treats and high-calorie foods, leaving many of us struggling to keep off the extra pounds. With as many as two-thirds of American adults already carrying excess weight, and one third with obesity, maintaining weight can be the biggest challenge, say researchers.

24 Dec 2015

YAP protein appears to play vital role in helping control inflammation inside the brain

Inside the brain, a protein called YAP, best known for its ability to help right-size our developing hearts and livers, appears to have the different but equally important task of helping control inflammation.

23 Dec 2015

Researchers identify underlying molecular mechanism of cardiac hypertrophy

Specific genes are responsible for determining cell growth and differentiation during the early stages of cardiac development. Reactivation of these genes later in life can lead to an abnormal thickening of the heart muscle. Researchers from Charité -- Universitätsmedizin Berlin lead by Professor Silke Rickert-Sperling have been able to identify the underlying molecular mechanism.

23 Dec 2015

Researchers identify cause of rare syndrome consistent with Fanconi Anemia

An international team of researchers has established the cause of rare syndrome consistent with Fanconi Anemia: a de novo mutation in a so called RAD51 gene, which is responsible for repairing damages in the DNA.

23 Dec 2015

New $8.5M research grant aims to address patients affected by severe hemophilia A

People with hemophilia have prolonged abnormal bleeding as a result of trauma. Hemophilia A, also called factor VIII (FVIII) deficiency, is the most common form of the genetic disorder caused by missing or defective blood clotting protein called factor VIII.

23 Dec 2015

Zinc levels in breast milk may help identify breast-feeding problems

Zinc levels in breast milk may be able to serve as an indicator of breast function during lactation, according to Penn State health researchers.

23 Dec 2015

Four unrelated families share identical BAP1 mutation that causes several cancers

University of Hawai'i Cancer Center researchers discovered members of four families, apparently unrelated and living in different states across the US, shared the identical mutation of a gene called BAP1 that causes mesothelioma, melanoma, renal carcinoma and other cancers.

23 Dec 2015

Researchers describe epigenetic mechanisms underlying the development of cerebellum

From before birth through childhood, connections form between neurons in the brain, ultimately making us who we are. So far, scientists have gained a relatively good understanding of how neural circuits become established, but they know less about the genetic control at play during this crucial developmental process.

23 Dec 2015

Novel drug shows promise in mouse models of human metastatic breast cancer

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. Indeed, most patients with breast and other forms of cancer who succumb to the illness do so because of the cancer's unstoppable spread.

23 Dec 2015

Researchers reveal inherited genetic errors across 12 cancer types

Researchers long have known that some portion of the risk of developing cancer is hereditary and that inherited genetic errors are very important in some tumors but much less so in others.

22 Dec 2015

Baxalta announces initial results from ADYNOVATE Phase 3 trial for treatment of hemophilia patients

Baxalta Incorporated, a global biopharmaceutical leader dedicated to delivering transformative therapies to patients with orphan diseases and underserved conditions, today announced initial results from a Phase 3 clinical trial of ADYNOVATE [Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant), PEGylated], an extended circulating half-life recombinant Factor VIII (rFVIII) treatment for hemophilia A based on ADVATE [Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant)].

22 Dec 2015

Study reveals new genetic factors linked to age-related macular degeneration

An international study of about 43,000 people has significantly expanded the number of genetic factors known to play a role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss among people age 50 and older.

22 Dec 2015

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Researchers identify liver-derived hormone that regulates sugar intake

Ebola virus and bats waging molecular battle for survival

Healthier weight using genetic data for customized diets and physical activity plans

Ultrafast near-infrared lasers deliver gene therapy to treat macular degeneration

Study directly links common variants of Alzheimer's risk genes to atrophy

Computers could discover future drugs

Study on how immune systems of astronauts respond to seasonal flu vaccine

Immunogeneticist helps monitor immune responses in VRC01 phase 1 trial in HIV-infected individuals

Working Group identifies many potential genetic contributors to weight loss

YAP protein appears to play vital role in helping control inflammation inside the brain

Researchers identify underlying molecular mechanism of cardiac hypertrophy

Researchers identify cause of rare syndrome consistent with Fanconi Anemia

New $8.5M research grant aims to address patients affected by severe hemophilia A

Zinc levels in breast milk may help identify breast-feeding problems

Four unrelated families share identical BAP1 mutation that causes several cancers

Researchers describe epigenetic mechanisms underlying the development of cerebellum

Novel drug shows promise in mouse models of human metastatic breast cancer

Researchers reveal inherited genetic errors across 12 cancer types

Baxalta announces initial results from ADYNOVATE Phase 3 trial for treatment of hemophilia patients

Study reveals new genetic factors linked to age-related macular degeneration

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