Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

Researchers investigate how genetic data can be made accessible in medical practice

In a project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, a research group from Vienna investigated how genetic data can be made accessible in medical practice in order to improve the safety and effectiveness of medication.

10 Jul 2018

Can insurers use genetic testing results? A reader wants to know

This week, I answer questions from readers concerned about health insurance roadblocks in the face of a serious illness or medical crisis.

10 Jul 2018

Researchers trace history of human Hepatitis B in the Bronze Age

Thanks to viral traces in the genomes of ancient people, researchers from South Ural State University were able to determine that man has been suffering from Hepatitis B since at least the Bronze Age.

9 Jul 2018

Younger rectal cancer patients do not experience survival benefit from currently recommended therapies

A new study reveals that individuals younger than 50 years of age who are diagnosed with rectal cancer do not experience an overall survival benefit from currently recommended treatments.

9 Jul 2018

UT Southwestern researchers uncover body's microreactors for innate immunity

A DNA-sensing enzyme forms droplets that act as tiny bioreactors creating molecules to stimulate innate immunity – the body's first response to infection, UT Southwestern researchers report. The work, reported today in the journal Science, could lead to novel treatments for infections, autoimmune disease, and cancer.

9 Jul 2018

Study finds mechanism by which amyloid beta protects the brain from herpes infection

A Massachusetts General Hospital study has found the mechanism by which amyloid beta - the protein deposited into plaques in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease - protects from the effects of herpes viruses commonly found in the brain.

6 Jul 2018

Obesity risk appears to be lower in children whose mothers followed healthy lifestyle

Children of mothers who follow a healthy lifestyle have a substantially lower risk of developing obesity than children of mothers who don't make healthy lifestyle choices, finds a study published in The BMJ.

5 Jul 2018

Violent tendencies could be curbed by brain stimulation

According to a new study, a brain intervention could stop a perverse desire to be physically or sexually violent in some individuals.

4 Jul 2018

OGT announces direct sales and support services in Europe

Oxford Gene Technology, The Molecular Genetics Company, has announced that it is now directly selling Cytocell Fluorescence In Situ Hybridisation products through several established affiliates of SysmexCorporation in Europe following its acquisition last year.

From Oxford Gene Technology 4 Jul 2018

Study explores impact of surgeons on genetic testing in breast cancer patients

For many women diagnosed with breast cancer, genetic testing can offer important information that might guide treatment choices. But studies have shown that only about half of women who could benefit receive genetic testing.

4 Jul 2018

Specific type of satellite RNA induces breast cancer, shows study

Only some of us have satellite TV in our homes, but all of us have satellite DNA in cells in our bodies. Working copies of satellite DNA are high in certain types of cancer, such as breast and ovarian.

4 Jul 2018

Mount Sinai study identifies potential new treatment target for aggressive bladder cancer

A potential new target for treatment has been identified in an aggressive form of bladder cancer, Mount Sinai researchers report.

4 Jul 2018

Researchers find new metabolic vulnerability in small cell lung cancer

Researchers at the Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) have discovered a new metabolic vulnerability in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) that can be targeted by existing drug therapies.

3 Jul 2018

Mayo researchers determine how DNA repair protein gets to the site of damage

Damage to DNA is a daily occurrence but one that human cells have evolved to manage. Now, in a new paper published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, Mayo researchers have determined how one DNA repair protein gets to the site of DNA damage. The authors say they hope this discovery research will help identify new therapies for ovarian cancer.

3 Jul 2018

Scientists develop new understanding of how psychiatric diseases manifest and can be treated

Research scientists from The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell in Hempstead, NY, in conjunction with their colleagues at Rockefeller University in New York City, have developed a new understanding of how certain psychiatric diseases - those that involve uncontrollable reactions to stimuli such as the high and low experiences attributed to bi-polar disorder, the impulsivity of an individual suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and even suicidality - manifest and potentially can be treated. These findings were published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

3 Jul 2018

New algorithm predicts patients who will benefit from high blood pressure treatment

Using data from large clinical trials, UT Southwestern researchers developed a way to predict which patients will benefit most from aggressive high blood pressure treatment.

3 Jul 2018

Brain stimulation can reduce a person's intention to commit violent act

Stimulating the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for controlling complex ideas and behaviors, can reduce a person's intention to commit a violent act by more than 50 percent, according to research published in the Journal of Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania and Nanyang Technological University.

2 Jul 2018

New biomarker paves way for personalized bladder cancer treatments

Researchers have identified a potential new target for the treatment of a particularly aggressive form of bladder cancer, in the form of microRNA.

2 Jul 2018

Streamlining and translating basic science discoveries into the clinic

To make sure that good ideas to enhance healthcare are not lost due to a lack of resources, a growing number of centers at Penn Medicine organize forums to pitch ideas to improve medical devices and technology, hold annual competitions to fund studies to improve patient care while keeping costs down, and sponsor seed grants for programs focused on patients who need individualized tailoring of their treatment.

2 Jul 2018

Individuals may react differently to environmental chemicals based upon genetic profile

Why do individuals respond differently to the same environment? Researchers from North Carolina State University and Oregon State University have pinpointed a genetic difference in zebrafish tied to differing responses to the same environmental chemical.

30 Jun 2018