Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Liver's cannabinoid receptors could be targeted to combat liver cancer in some patients

A new study reveals that the liver's cannabinoid receptors could be targeted to fight liver cancer in some patients; and it offers a way to predict what treatments have the best chance of working.

23 Nov 2015

Oxford University researchers unlock the secret behind bacterial sex

Migration between different communities of bacteria is the key to the type of gene transfer that can lead to the spread of traits such as antibiotic resistance, according to researchers at Oxford University.

23 Nov 2015

Addition of sugar molecules to particular proteins vital for plants in basic developmental processes

Adding a spoonful of sugar to coffee makes it sweeter, but in plants, researchers have discovered, the addition of sugar molecules to particular proteins plays a surprising variety of roles in basic developmental processes.

23 Nov 2015

CRISPR tool unlocks potential for novel treatments across different therapeutic areas

CRISPR is one of the most exciting advances in gene-based medicine in decades. A uniquely powerful tool for editing the genome, it allows scientists to manipulate DNA with unprecedented precision by deleting unwanted or faulty genes and replacing them with different ones. Its promise in this field of medicine is immense, unlocking the potential for novel treatments across a wide range of therapeutic areas.

22 Nov 2015

U of T researchers discover mysterious fungus that defends against neighbouring bacteria

Researchers at the University of Toronto examined fungi in the mucus of patients with cystic fibrosis and discovered how one particularly cunning fungal species has evolved to defend itself against neighbouring bacteria.

21 Nov 2015

Crucial tumor-suppressing gene protects immune attack against lung cancer

A crucial tumor-thwarting gene protects an immune attack against lung cancer by blocking the key to an off switch on T cells, the customized warriors of the immune system, a team led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reports in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

21 Nov 2015

MCG researchers explore how neurofibromatosis puts young patients at risk for cardiovascular disease

It's a fairly common genetic condition that can surface as a series of dark skin spots and result in a host of maladies from tumors to premature cardiovascular disease. Medical College of Georgia researchers hope their studies of how neurofibromatosis 1, or NF1, can dangerously thicken or thin blood vessel walls will one day help physicians better identify and treat these young patients at cardiovascular risk.

20 Nov 2015

Rockefeller University researchers discover molecule that helps guide axons during CNS development

During embryonic development, billions of neurons nimbly reposition themselves within the brain and spinal cord, and connect branches to form the neural circuits that ultimately control our movements, perception, and memory. Scientists have long sought to understand the driving forces in this meticulously choreographed dance, in which each cell seems to know precisely where to be to at any given time, and with what other cells it must link.

20 Nov 2015

UF Health investigators make new discovery about Huntington's disease

University of Florida Health researchers have made a new discovery about Huntington's disease, showing that the gene that causes the fatal disorder makes an unexpected "cocktail" of mutant proteins that accumulate in the brain.

19 Nov 2015

Last resort antibiotics may no longer work

E.coli has become resistant to the last line of antibiotics we have left and untreatable bugs may already be circulating in Britain, warn scientists.

19 Nov 2015

Role of genetic predisposition in pediatric cancer patients

The most detailed analysis yet of the role germline mutations in genes associated with cancer predisposition play in the development of childhood cancer suggests that comprehensive genomic screening may be warranted on all pediatric cancer patients, not just those with a family history of cancer.

19 Nov 2015

New technique improves accuracy of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system

A new CRISPR/Cas9 technology developed by scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School is precise enough to surgically edit DNA at nearly any genomic location, while avoiding potentially harmful off-target changes typically seen in standard CRISPR gene editing techniques.

19 Nov 2015

IMB scientists unravel complex regulatory mechanism involved in brain development

Scientists at the Institute of Molecular Biology in Mainz have unraveled a complex regulatory mechanism that explains how a single gene can drive the formation of brain cells. The research, published in The EMBO Journal, is an important step towards a better understanding of how the brain develops. It also harbors potential for regenerative medicine.

19 Nov 2015

Potential treatment strategy for glycogen storage disease

Researchers from the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore and Duke Medicine have identified a potential treatment strategy for an often-fatal inherited glycogen storage disease.

18 Nov 2015

Cell Therapy Catapult initiates construction for cell and gene therapy manufacturing centre

The Cell Therapy Catapult, the UK organisation dedicated to the growth of the UK cell and gene therapy industry by bridging the gap between scientific research and commercialisation, today announces the official initiation of construction for its cell and gene therapy manufacturing centre.

18 Nov 2015

Duchenne muscular dystrophy could directly affect muscle stem cells

A new study from The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa is poised to completely change our understanding of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and pave the way for far more effective treatments.

18 Nov 2015

Johns Hopkins scientists use gene-based tests to distinguish precancerous cysts from harmless cysts

In a "look-back" analysis of data stored on 130 patients with pancreatic cysts, scientists at Johns Hopkins have used gene-based tests and a fixed set of clinical criteria to more accurately distinguish precancerous cysts from those less likely to do harm. The findings may eventually help some patients in real time safely avoid surgery to remove harmless cysts.

18 Nov 2015

Study provides biochemical links between genes linked to autism and the inhibition of nerve cells

A study led by the University of Utah School of Medicine provides new insights into how the subtle changes within cells, caused by disruptions in a gene called Kirrel3, could underlie some types of intellectual disability and autism.

18 Nov 2015

Researchers identify genetic mutation associated with reckless drunken behavior

University of Helsinki researchers have identified a genetic mutation which renders carriers susceptible to particularly impulsive and reckless behaviour when drunk. More than one hundred thousand Finns carry this mutation.

17 Nov 2015

RNA-based drugs provide many advantages over CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system

In just the past few years, researchers have found a way to use a naturally occurring bacterial system known as CRISPR/Cas9 to inactivate or correct specific genes in any organism. CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing activity runs continuously, though, leading to risk of additional editing at unwanted sites. Now, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, Ludwig Cancer Research and Isis Pharmaceuticals demonstrate a commercially feasible way to use RNA to turn the CRISPR-Cas9 system on and off as desired -- permanently editing a gene, but only temporarily activating CRISPR-Cas9.

17 Nov 2015

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Liver's cannabinoid receptors could be targeted to combat liver cancer in some patients

Oxford University researchers unlock the secret behind bacterial sex

Addition of sugar molecules to particular proteins vital for plants in basic developmental processes

CRISPR tool unlocks potential for novel treatments across different therapeutic areas

U of T researchers discover mysterious fungus that defends against neighbouring bacteria

Crucial tumor-suppressing gene protects immune attack against lung cancer

MCG researchers explore how neurofibromatosis puts young patients at risk for cardiovascular disease

Rockefeller University researchers discover molecule that helps guide axons during CNS development

UF Health investigators make new discovery about Huntington's disease

Last resort antibiotics may no longer work

Role of genetic predisposition in pediatric cancer patients

New technique improves accuracy of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system

IMB scientists unravel complex regulatory mechanism involved in brain development

Potential treatment strategy for glycogen storage disease

Cell Therapy Catapult initiates construction for cell and gene therapy manufacturing centre

Duchenne muscular dystrophy could directly affect muscle stem cells

Johns Hopkins scientists use gene-based tests to distinguish precancerous cysts from harmless cysts

Study provides biochemical links between genes linked to autism and the inhibition of nerve cells

Researchers identify genetic mutation associated with reckless drunken behavior

RNA-based drugs provide many advantages over CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system

Industry Focus: Cell & Gene Therapy eBook

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