Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Scientists identify 52 genetic variations associated with age-related macular degeneration

In one of the latest examples of precision medicine, teams of geneticists from nine countries, involving more than 100 scientists, analyzed the genes of more than 33,000 individuals in the hope of finding genetic variations responsible for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss among people age 50 or older.

22 Dec 2015

Scientists identify genes linked to human intelligence

Scientists from Imperial College London have identified for the first time two clusters of genes linked to human intelligence.

22 Dec 2015

New mathematical models shed light on complex interactions of stem cell function in neural tissue

New research has shed light on the complex interactions of stem cell function and molecular diffusion in neural tissue, which may explain many phenomena from stem cell differentiation to the formation of the cortex of the brain. While researching new methods of reconstructing 3D neural tissue and neural pathways in the brain and spinal cord, Dr. Richard McMurtrey devised new mathematical approaches for understanding the concentration of nutrients within the 3D tissue constructs and how this could affect tissue growth.

22 Dec 2015

Scientists uncover novel strategy to block cancer's spread, restore tumor vulnerability to chemotherapy

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have discovered how an aggressive tumor of the muscle and soft tissue hijacks an export pathway in cells to lay the groundwork for cancer progression and resistance to chemotherapy.

22 Dec 2015

Premature babies at higher risk of developing autism in later childhood

Extremely premature babies run a much higher risk of developing autism in later childhood, and even during the neonate period differences are seen in the brains of those who do. This according to a new study by researchers from Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden.

22 Dec 2015

Patients with EGFR-mutated lung cancer benefit more from afatinib as first-line treatment

Patients with EGFR-activating mutations in advanced lung cancer seem to benefit more from afatinib than gefitinib as first-line treatment, researchers report at the first ESMO Asia 2015 Congress in Singapore.

21 Dec 2015

Mirati announces initiation of glesatinib Phase 2 clinical trial in NSCLC patients

Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that the Phase 2 clinical trial of glesatinib (MGCD265) has commenced. The Company also announced that "glesatinib" is the proposed generic name for MGCD265.

21 Dec 2015

New study improves understanding of metal-based chemotherapy drugs

What is the mechanism of action of metal-based chemotherapy drugs (the most widely used for treating common cancers like testicular or ovarian cancer)? How can we improve their effect and reduce their toxicity? A new study combining experiments and theory has broadened our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of these active drugs to help experimentalists devising increasingly effective drugs with fewer side effects.

21 Dec 2015

Heidelberg neurobiologists identify Dnmt3a2 protein that boosts memory performance

Increasing the level of a certain DNA-modified enzyme in the brain significantly improves cognitive ability. The discovery was made by the research team led by Prof. Dr. Hilmar Bading at the Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences of Heidelberg University. Mouse experiments showed that the Dnmt3a2 protein can boost memory performance in the animals.

21 Dec 2015

Certain gut bacteria linked to type 2 diabetes, reveal Russian scientists

A group of Russian scientists, including Dr Elena Kostryukova, the Head of the Laboratory of Postgenomic Research in Biology of the Scientific Research Institute of Physical-Chemical Medicine and a researcher at MIPT (Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology), and Maria Vakhitova, an MIPT postgraduate student, has discovered that the presence of certain bacteria in the gut may be linked to the development of type 2 diabetes.

21 Dec 2015

TSRI-led study finds potential new therapeutic approach for hard-to-treat breast cancers

Findings from a new study led by scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) suggest a potent new therapeutic approach for a number of hard-to-treat breast cancers.

21 Dec 2015

UCL Cancer Institute win $200,000 CytoFLEX Flow Cytometer from Beckman Coulter

An internationally renowned gene therapy research team has won a $200,000 CytoFLEX Flow Cytometer from Beckman Coulter Life Sciences.

From Beckman Coulter Life Sciences - Flow Cytometry 18 Dec 2015

Findings show promising evidence for creating broad-spectrum antiviral

UW researchers working in collaboration with Kineta Inc. and the University of Texas at Galveston have shown that making a drug-like molecule to turn on innate immunity can induce genes to control infection in several -known viruses.

18 Dec 2015

AES Annual Meeting takes our understanding of epilepsy to next level

Epilepsy remains one of the most common neurological conditions, affecting one in 26 Americans in their lifetime, with one-third having a form of the condition that resists treatment or effective management. With those statistics in mind, more than 5,200 neurologists, scientists, nurses and health professionals came to Philadelphia December 4-8 for the 2015 American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting to discuss new discoveries and emerging technologies that can lead to more effective treatment.

18 Dec 2015

Case Western scientist to lead a pair of studies to develop more effective treatment for CF

A scientist at Case Western Reserve University Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing will lead a pair of studies to develop more effective treatment for symptoms of cystic fibrosis (CF), a life-threatening genetic disease that causes persistent lung infections and progressively limits the ability to breathe.

18 Dec 2015

Research opens door to validation studies in multiple tumor types of liquid biopsy

Pancreatic cancer tumors spill their molecular secrets into the blood stream, shedding their complete DNA and RNA wrapped inside protective lipid particles that make them ripe for analysis with a liquid biopsy, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report online at the Annals of Oncology.

18 Dec 2015

New study sheds light on the molecular basis of memory and learning

The brain still harbours many unknowns. Basically, it is assumed that it stores experiences by altering the connections between brain cells. This ability to adapt - which is also called "plasticity" - provides the basis for memory and learning, which is the ability to draw conclusions from memories. On a molecular scale these changes are mediated by modifications of expression of specific genes that as required strengthen or weaken the connections between the brain cells.

18 Dec 2015

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Scientists identify 52 genetic variations associated with age-related macular degeneration

Scientists identify genes linked to human intelligence

New mathematical models shed light on complex interactions of stem cell function in neural tissue

Scientists uncover novel strategy to block cancer's spread, restore tumor vulnerability to chemotherapy

Premature babies at higher risk of developing autism in later childhood

Patients with EGFR-mutated lung cancer benefit more from afatinib as first-line treatment

Mirati announces initiation of glesatinib Phase 2 clinical trial in NSCLC patients

New study improves understanding of metal-based chemotherapy drugs

Heidelberg neurobiologists identify Dnmt3a2 protein that boosts memory performance

Certain gut bacteria linked to type 2 diabetes, reveal Russian scientists

TSRI-led study finds potential new therapeutic approach for hard-to-treat breast cancers

UCL Cancer Institute win $200,000 CytoFLEX Flow Cytometer from Beckman Coulter

Findings show promising evidence for creating broad-spectrum antiviral

AES Annual Meeting takes our understanding of epilepsy to next level

Case Western scientist to lead a pair of studies to develop more effective treatment for CF

Research opens door to validation studies in multiple tumor types of liquid biopsy

New study sheds light on the molecular basis of memory and learning

Environmental exposures and behaviors contribute to the majority of cancers, study shows

UMMS researchers identify new life cycle stage in HIV infection

Converting white fat cells into beige fat cells could help fight obesity

Industry Focus: Cell & Gene Therapy eBook

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

How cohesin mechanics and nanotracker tech are redefining DNA research

Todd Bauman and Chris Povich