Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

Polygenic scoring system shows promise to predict depression risk and resilience under stress

Depression doesn't come from one gene, one life event, or one personality trait. That's what makes it so hard to predict, prevent or treat effectively.

29 Oct 2019

Landmark study pinpoints the birthplace of modern humans

A landmark study led by Sydney researchers pinpoints the birthplace of modern humans in southern Africa and suggests how climate change may have driven the first migrations.

29 Oct 2019

New study implicates role of HDAC9 gene in calcification of the human aorta

Arterial wall calcification is the buildup of calcium in the blood vessel walls, which can often be a predictor of serious cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes. Scientists have long pointed to family history as one possible cause for this hardening of the arteries, but a new study published in Nature Genetics implicates a specific gene - HDAC9 - in the calcification of the human aorta, the largest blood vessel in the body.

29 Oct 2019

Study sheds new light on mechanism behind evolution of antibiotic resistance

Researchers have provided new insight into a mechanism behind the evolution of antibiotic resistance in a type of bacterium that causes severe infections in humans.

29 Oct 2019

NSU study points to another potential connection between sleep and overall good health

As if you didn't already have enough to worry about to keep you up at night, a new study indicates that poor sleep can negatively affect your gut microbiome, which can, in turn, lead to additional health issues.

29 Oct 2019

MPST enzyme levels in hair could be a good biomarker for schizophrenia

Working with model mice, post-mortem human brains, and people with schizophrenia, researchers at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan have discovered that a subtype of schizophrenia is related to abnormally high levels hydrogen sulfide in the brain.

28 Oct 2019

Wild polio virus strain 3 finally conquered say scientists

World Polio day is observed on the 24th of October. This year on the day officials announced that one of the three strains of the wild polio virus has been finally wiped out due to persistent vaccination efforts across the globe.

26 Oct 2019

Discovery in monkeys could pave way for treatment of Bardet-Biedl Syndrome

A genetic mutation that leads to a rare, but devastating blindness-causing syndrome has been discovered in monkeys for the first time. The finding offers a promising way to develop gene and cell therapies that could treat the condition in people.

25 Oct 2019

Functional medicine model linked to improvements in health-related quality of life

In the first retrospective cohort study of the functional medicine model, Cleveland Clinic researchers found that functional medicine was associated with improvements in health-related quality of life. The study was published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open.

25 Oct 2019

Study finds molecular key to formation of mature and fully functioning T cells

In a finding that could help lead to new therapies for immune diseases like multiple sclerosis and IBD, scientists report in the Journal of Experimental Medicine identifying a gene and family of proteins critical to the formation of mature and fully functioning T cells in the immune system.

25 Oct 2019

First-line antihypertensives may not be most effective, study shows

Thiazide diuretics demonstrate better effectiveness and cause fewer side effects than ACE inhibitors as first-line antihypertensive drugs, according to a report published Oct. 24 in The Lancet.

25 Oct 2019

Scientists pinpoint epigenetic differences in the way lupus affects black women

Scientists at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology have pinpointed epigenetic differences in the way lupus affects black women compared to other lupus patients, revealing important mechanics of the puzzling disease.

24 Oct 2019

How does cancer look on day 1? Researchers collaborate to find out

Researchers from Britain and United States are working in collaboration to detect the earliest possible sign of cancer within the body and trace the alterations that lead to full blown cancer. This may help doctors detect cancer even before it is fully formed, the researchers hope.

24 Oct 2019

Genetic variations linked to declines in blood oxygen levels during sleep identified

Researchers have identified 57 genetic variations of a gene strongly associated with declines in blood oxygen levels during sleep. Low oxygen levels during sleep are a clinical indicator of the severity of sleep apnea, a disorder that increases the risk of heart disease, dementia, and death.

24 Oct 2019

Study: More than 300 million people affected worldwide by rare diseases

Rare diseases represent a global problem. Until now, the lack of data made it difficult to estimate their prevalence.

24 Oct 2019

Researchers discover unexpected role of mTORC2 protein in colorectal cancer

New results from researchers at MedUni Vienna's Center for Pathobiochemistry and Genetics show that a protein called mTORC2, which is the target of newly developed cancer drugs, is not even active in colorectal cancer. mTORC2 activity was only found in certain immune cells, which actually need this protein to fight cancer cells.

24 Oct 2019

Disrupting key immune regulator boosts anti-tumor immunity, enables cancer clearance

The immune system must strike an exquisite balance between vanquishing infections and cancer, while at the same time restraining its activity to avoid inadvertently attacking the body's healthy tissues and organs.

23 Oct 2019

Study uses baker's yeast to show how genes interact to influence a surprising cellular outcome

Most diseases are complex--caused by faults in multiple genes--but studying how combinations of different genetic variants affect cellular traits is challenging.

23 Oct 2019

New collaboration aims to develop gene-based cures for sickle cell disease and HIV

The National Institutes of Health plans to invest at least $100 million over the next four years toward an audacious goal: develop affordable, gene-based cures for sickle cell disease and HIV.

23 Oct 2019

Half the drugs in use damage gut bacteria, says new study

A startling presentation at UEG Week 2019, in Barcelona, reveals that the gut microbiome is at high risk for damage each time we use a drug from one or more of 18 commonly used groups. The effects may range from changes in the relative proportions of different beneficial and potentially harmful species to alterations in the cellular metabolism of the bacteria themselves.

23 Oct 2019