Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

UAB researcher awarded NIH grant to study pathogenesis of thrombotic microangiopathy

University of Alabama at Birmingham researcher X. Long Zheng, M.D., Ph.D., has received a five-year, $2.5 million National Institutes of Health grant to study the pathogenesis of thrombotic microangiopathy, or TMA. In simple terms, this means looking for factors that cause or aid the onset of extensive microscopic clots in small blood vessels throughout the body. Though tiny, these spots can damage kidneys, heart and brain, and they can cause death.

29 Oct 2015

Latitude, summer daylight exposure make difference in results for children treated with growth hormone

The rate of growth in children varies with the season while higher latitude and greater summer daylight exposure makes a significant difference in results for children treated with growth hormone, according to new research from The University of Manchester.

29 Oct 2015

Breastfeeding associated with lower risk of developing hormone-receptor negative breast cancer

A large international study shows that breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk of developing an aggressive form of breast cancer called hormone-receptor negative. This new combined evidence shows the risk was reduced by up to 20% in women who breastfed.

29 Oct 2015

Oncolytic (cancer-killing) viral therapy approved in the U.S. for use against late-stage melanoma

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on Oct. 27 that it has approved, for the first time, an oncolytic (cancer-killing) viral therapy in the United States. The drug was approved for use against late-stage melanoma, a deadly skin cancer that can be difficult to treat.

29 Oct 2015

Researchers identify inherited gene variation associated with pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Researchers studying two generations of a family affected by pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have identified an inherited variation in the ETV6 gene that is associated with an increased risk of developing the disease. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators led the study, which appears in the October 28 issue of the journal Lancet Oncology.

28 Oct 2015

UCLA launches second Grand Challenge to reduce health and economic impacts of depression

In an effort to place depression front and center on the national and international research agendas, UCLA has launched the Depression Grand Challenge, which aims to reduce the health and economic impacts of depression by half by the year 2050.

28 Oct 2015

Researchers identify role of cGAS enzyme in autoimmune diseases

Activating an enzyme that sounds an alarm for the body's innate immune system causes two lethal autoimmune diseases in mice, while inhibiting the same enzyme rescues them, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report.

28 Oct 2015

Study suggests potential new way to block cancer-causing gene

A new study suggests a potential new way to block one of the most common cancer-causing genes, without causing severe side effects.

28 Oct 2015

Testing amniotic fluid could guide doctors to make delivery planning decisions for preterm births

Analyzing gene expression of an expectant mother's amniotic fluid could give doctors an important tool for deciding when it is safe to deliver premature babies.

28 Oct 2015

Virginia Tech researchers study how specific cytokine influences gene expression patterns in T helper cells

Environment can make all the difference in behavior - even at the cellular level. Scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have discovered even a small shift in environmental factors can change how a cell in the immune system matures.

28 Oct 2015

Changes in lifestyle could reduce Alzheimer's disease risk

Changes in lifestyle could reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. That was the conclusion of a study conducted by researchers of Heidelberg University's Network Aging Research, who examined the data from two independent epidemiological studies. Carriers of the ApoE4 genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's may be able to reduce their increased risk of cognitive decline by reducing their cholesterol level, especially if they also suffer from cardiovascular disease.

27 Oct 2015

Study uncovers new genetic variants linked to increased risk of testicular cancer

A new study of more than 25,000 men has uncovered four new genetic variants associated with increased risk of testicular cancer.

27 Oct 2015

Targeting invasive cells could be a new strategy to treat metastatic cancer, say Stony Brook researchers

Most cancer drugs are designed to target dividing cells, but a new study by Stony Brook University researchers suggests that targeting invasive cells may be a new strategy to treat metastatic cancer.

27 Oct 2015

Discovery may open new doors to understanding how melanoma grows and spreads

Of the hundreds of genes that can be mutated in a single case of melanoma, only a handful may be true "drivers" of cancer. In research that recently appeared in Nature Genetics, a Weizmann Institute of Science team has now revealed one of the drivers of a particularly deadly subset of melanomas that is seeing a rise in new cases.

27 Oct 2015

Four microRNAs appear to play critical roles in controlling cholesterol, triglyceride metabolism

Four tiny segments of RNA appear to play critical roles in controlling cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism. In their report receiving advance online publication in Nature Medicine, a Massachusetts General Hospital-based research team describes finding how these microRNAs could reduce the expression of proteins playing key roles in the generation of beneficial HDL cholesterol, the disposal of artery-clogging LDL cholesterol, control of triglyceride levels and other risk factors of cardiovascular disease.

27 Oct 2015

Researchers develop multiplexed screening approach to study cancer development in mice

In a novel use of the CRISPR/Cas9 system, which can be deployed to switch genes off, researchers from Germany, the UK and Spain have developed a multiplexed screening approach to study and model cancer development in mice. The scientists mutated genes in the adult mouse liver uncovering their cancer-causing roles and determining which combinations of genes cooperate to cause liver cancer.

27 Oct 2015

Researchers pinpoint mechanisms that cause chemoresistance in ovarian cancer patients

Resistance to chemotherapy is a major problem for those suffering from ovarian cancer--a problem that prevents a cure from a disease dubbed the "silent killer." University of Georgia researchers are giving patients new hope with recent findings that help pinpoint the mechanisms causing chemoresistance.

27 Oct 2015

Genetic discovery sheds light on how prostate cancer develops and spreads

A new and important genetic discovery, which sheds light on how prostate cancers develop and spread, has been made by an international research team led by scientists at The University of Nottingham.

27 Oct 2015

New drug combination may be effective against malignant melanoma

A team of Massachusetts General Hospital investigators has discovered a new combination of drugs that may be effective against one of the deadliest cancers, malignant melanoma. The combination - pairing a drug targeted against mutations in the BRAF gene with a second drug that targets another important signaling pathway - was discovered through one of the largest screens of cancer drug combinations conducted to date.

27 Oct 2015

Scalable production of gene therapy vectors: an interview with Frank Ubags

Gene therapy involves introducing genetic material into cells to replace missing or malfunctioning genes or to add a gene to express a beneficial protein in order to treat certain diseases, such as cancer or inherited disorders.

26 Oct 2015

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

UAB researcher awarded NIH grant to study pathogenesis of thrombotic microangiopathy

Latitude, summer daylight exposure make difference in results for children treated with growth hormone

Breastfeeding associated with lower risk of developing hormone-receptor negative breast cancer

Oncolytic (cancer-killing) viral therapy approved in the U.S. for use against late-stage melanoma

Researchers identify inherited gene variation associated with pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia

UCLA launches second Grand Challenge to reduce health and economic impacts of depression

Researchers identify role of cGAS enzyme in autoimmune diseases

Study suggests potential new way to block cancer-causing gene

Testing amniotic fluid could guide doctors to make delivery planning decisions for preterm births

Virginia Tech researchers study how specific cytokine influences gene expression patterns in T helper cells

Changes in lifestyle could reduce Alzheimer's disease risk

Study uncovers new genetic variants linked to increased risk of testicular cancer

Targeting invasive cells could be a new strategy to treat metastatic cancer, say Stony Brook researchers

Discovery may open new doors to understanding how melanoma grows and spreads

Four microRNAs appear to play critical roles in controlling cholesterol, triglyceride metabolism

Researchers develop multiplexed screening approach to study cancer development in mice

Researchers pinpoint mechanisms that cause chemoresistance in ovarian cancer patients

Genetic discovery sheds light on how prostate cancer develops and spreads

New drug combination may be effective against malignant melanoma

Scalable production of gene therapy vectors: an interview with Frank Ubags

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