Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

Scientists identify gene responsible for evolution of recombination rates

Genetics is a crapshoot. During sexual reproduction, genes from both the mother and the father mix and mingle to produce a genetic combination unique to each offspring. In most cases, the chromosomes line up properly and crossover. In some unlucky cases, however, "selfish DNA" enters the mix, causing abnormal crossovers with deletions or insertions in chromosomes, which can manifest as birth defects.

20 Apr 2018

Study may explain how chemoresistance evolves over time in some triple-negative breast cancers

Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive form of the disease accounting for 12 to 18 percent of breast cancers. It is a scary diagnosis, and even though chemotherapy can be effective as standard-of-care, many patients become resistant to treatment.

20 Apr 2018

Role of UBE3A enzyme in Angelman syndrome

The group, led by the Ikerbasque professor Ugo Mayor of the UPV/EHU's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has just published in the journal Human Molecular Genetics an explanation of the mechanisms affected by Angelman syndrome.

20 Apr 2018

New initiative launched to support goals of Human Cell Atlas

Uri Laserson, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Genetics and Genomics Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and collaborators have been awarded one of 85 grants announced today from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative DAF (CZI), an advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

20 Apr 2018

Researchers develop new drug-testing platform for epilepsy

For more than a third of children living with epilepsy, the currently approved medications do not stop their seizures. This statistic has not changed for the past five decades, despite the development of many new anti-seizure drugs.

20 Apr 2018

UT Southwestern researchers identify 170 potential therapeutic targets for lung cancer

After testing more than 200,000 chemical compounds, UT Southwestern's Simmons Cancer Center researchers have identified 170 chemicals that are potential candidates for development into drug therapies for lung cancer.

20 Apr 2018

Breathtaking evolution amongst Indonesian tribe - bigger spleens for free-diving

New evidence shows that the Bajau tribes from Indonesia, who are known to dive deep into the waters for up to 70 metres have evolved to develop larger spleens. Previous studies have shown that free dives and spleens have an association.

19 Apr 2018

Study examines effectiveness of caregiver education about sickle cell trait

Despite universal newborn screening that detects the presence of sickle cell trait (SCT), only 16 percent of Americans with SCT know their status. To address this issue, in Ohio, in-person education is offered to caregivers of referred infants with SCT.

18 Apr 2018

New study maps links between 625 genes and different chemotherapy treatments

Despite the great successes of targeted cancer drugs and the promise of novel immunotherapies, the vast majority of people diagnosed with cancer are still first treated with chemotherapy. Now a new study by UCSF researchers using techniques drawn from computational biology could make it much easier for physicians to use the genetic profile of a patient's tumor to pick the chemotherapy treatment with the fewest side effects and best chance of success.

18 Apr 2018

Gene affects some women's body fat distribution and increases their diabetes risk

A natural variation of the gene KLF14 causes some women to store fat on their bellies and hips and puts them at significantly increased risk of type 2 diabetes, new research reveals.

17 Apr 2018

Study: Hot spots of type 1 diabetes found in food swamps

Hot spots of type 1 diabetes in New York City are found in food swamps, areas with a higher proportion of fast food restaurants, for children and adults with type 1 diabetes according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of the Endocrine Society.

17 Apr 2018

FDA approves combination immunotherapy for treatment of kidney cancer

The standard of care for kidney cancer patients continues to improve. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted approval to the combination of two immunotherapy drugs, ipilimumab and nivolumab, for the treatment of metastatic kidney cancer.

17 Apr 2018

Discovery of 100 new genes may aid research into pigmentation diseases

A new study identified more than 100 genes that play a key role in determining the color of human hair. The findings may have important implications for pigmentation diseases such as melanoma.

17 Apr 2018

Antimicrobial therapy can prevent occurrence of pneumococcal septicemia

Antimicrobial therapy targeting specific cells in the immune system could prevent sepsis and life-threatening disease in people suffering from pneumonia, new research led by the University of Leicester has shown.

17 Apr 2018

'Night owls' have higher risk of early death than 'larks'

"Night owls" - people who like to stay up late and have trouble dragging themselves out of bed in the morning - have a higher risk of dying sooner than "larks," people who have a natural preference for going to bed early and rise with the sun, according to a new study from Northwestern Medicine and the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom.

13 Apr 2018

Researchers unlock new way to use cell's nanostructures as disease biomarkers

Researchers at the University of Sydney have established a method to identify individual nanoparticles released by human cells, opening the way for them to become diagnostic tools in the early-detection of cancers, dementia and kidney disease.

13 Apr 2018

LSD1 enzyme regulates skeletal muscle differentiation and metabolic activity

Our bodies convert food into energy for all life activities. These metabolic processes allow the cells that make up our bodies to produce (anabolism) and consume (catabolism) energy molecules from nutrients.

12 Apr 2018

Automated technology could improve cervical screening coverage in underserved regions

A new study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, published by Oxford University Press, indicates that high-quality cervical cancer screening can be done effectively using a completely automated approach. The researchers involved in the study indicate that automated technology could increase cervical screening coverage in underserved regions.

11 Apr 2018

Research identifies link between rare gene variants and survival after blood and marrow transplant

Blood and marrow transplant, or BMT, is a lifesaving and effective treatment for many patients, but the procedure can cause serious and life-threatening complications.

10 Apr 2018

UT Southwestern's Dr. Nijhawan selected for ASCI's 2018 Seldin-Smith Award

UT Southwestern's Dr. Deepak Nijhawan became a co-recipient of the 2018 Donald Seldin-Holly Smith Award for Pioneering Research. The award recognizes Dr. Nijhawan's work identifying targets for cancer treatment.

10 Apr 2018