Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

DNA damage caused by smoking may last a lifetime

Results of a study published this week show that the effects of smoking on DNA are wide-reaching and some persist long after a person has stopped smoking. The information gained may help improve our understanding of smoking-related diseases.

23 Sep 2016

ASHG and Mayo Clinic collaborate to facilitate genetic and genomic education

The American Society of Human Genetics and Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine announced today a formal collaboration under which the two organizations will facilitate the use of genomics in medicine through the education of health professionals.

23 Sep 2016

JAK inhibitors may be first effective treatment for people with alopecia areata

Seventy-five percent of patients with moderate to severe alopecia areata—an autoimmune disease that causes patchy, and less frequently, total hair loss—had significant hair regrowth after treatment with ruxolitinib, reported researchers from Columbia University Medical Center. By the end of their treatment, average hair regrowth was 92 percent.

22 Sep 2016

Color-deficiency or color-blindness?

Color blindness could be considered a bit of a misleading term, because there are very few people who can't see color at all. Most people have what we call color deficiency or color confusion, which means that they're not blind to color; they just see a reduced number of colors.

From Vision Express 22 Sep 2016

Experts receive $5.2 million NIH grant to develop affordable test for diagnosing Chagas disease

An international team of researchers led by infectious disease experts at the University of Georgia has received $5.2 million from the National Institutes of Health to develop a more accurate, affordable diagnostic test for Chagas disease, a parasitic infection that kills more than 50,000 people each year in Central and South America.

21 Sep 2016

Sanger Institute partners with St. Jude to support discovery, understanding of genetic mutations in paediatric cancers

The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute is combining the power of COSMIC, its large-scale cancer genetics database, with ProteinPaint data mining and visualization system at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis TN, to support the discovery and understanding of genetic mutations in paediatric cancers.

21 Sep 2016

Study suggests interactions between distant DNA regions may impact disease gene levels

A person's DNA sequence can provide a lot of information about how genes are turned on and off, but new research out of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine suggests the 3-D structure DNA forms as it crams into cells may provide an additional layer of gene control.

21 Sep 2016

De-bookmarking could be key to better reprogramming of fibroblasts into iPS cells

In reading, a bookmark tells where you stopped. Cells use bookmarks too, specific proteins that help the cell remember what collection of genes needs to be turned on again after the brief halt of gene expression during cell division.

20 Sep 2016

Tendency to feel lonely linked partially to genetic traits

Loneliness is linked to poor physical and mental health, and is an even more accurate predictor of early death than obesity.

20 Sep 2016

CHOP researchers exploit gene discovery in severe epilepsy to identify precision treatment

An international team of researchers who discovered a new gene disorder that causes severe childhood epilepsy leveraged that finding to reduce seizures in two children.

20 Sep 2016

High occupational levels may be risk factor for poor response to depression treatment

An international study has found that having a high status job means that you are less likely to respond to standard treatment with medications for depression.

20 Sep 2016

Scientists begin research work at new £650 million Francis Crick Institute building

The first scientists have moved into the new £650 million Francis Crick Institute building in London and are starting work in their purpose-built labs.

20 Sep 2016

Researchers discover gene variants linked to thoracic aortic dissections

On Super Bowl Sunday, Tina Wilkins was relaxing in her recliner while she chatted on the phone with her mother and waited for the game to begin. She had recently lost 63 pounds and was in better shape than she had been in years.

20 Sep 2016

Study quantifies burden of clinically impactful ADRs in general adult population

In a study of 1000 adult patients with unplanned admission to a tertiary hospital in Singapore, the prevalence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) at the time of admission was 12.4 percent, and the prevalence of ADRs causing admission to the hospital was 8.1 percent.

19 Sep 2016

Researchers use computer modelling to identify mechanism behind aggressive brain tumours

Researchers at Uppsala University have used computer modelling to study how brain tumours arise.

19 Sep 2016

Gender matching key for corneal transplants? An interview with Professor Kaye

The cornea is a transparent tissue lining the front of the eye, that is invisible tissue to the naked eye. It is a delicate tissue and disease or injury may lead to a loss of transparency or a change in the shape of the cornea, resulting in severe visual impairment.

19 Sep 2016

Researchers underscore importance of immune-based prevention to conquer cancer

In a Perspective piece published this week in PNAS, cancer researchers from across the country, including faculty at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center, write that a greater emphasis on immune-based prevention should be central to new efforts like the federal Cancer Moonshot program, headed by Vice President Joe Biden.

19 Sep 2016

Researchers identify mutant traits in mouse for many human disease genes

About one-third of all genes in the mammalian genome are essential for life. An international, multi-institutional research collaboration identified, for the first time, mutant traits in the mouse for 52 human disease genes, which significantly contributes to the understanding of the genetic bases for some human diseases, including cardiovascular defects, spina bifida, and metabolic disorders, among many others. The study was published this week in Nature.

19 Sep 2016

Research findings may help better understand genetic origins of Familial Mediterranean Fever

A team of scientists led by Stony Brook University researchers have discovered a new mechanism for a bacterial toxin to inhibit inflammation.

19 Sep 2016

Memory of heart attack can be stored in genes through epigenetic changes, study shows

Both heredity and environmental factors influence our risk of cardiovascular disease. A new study, by researches at Uppsala University, shows now that the memory of a heart attack can be stored in our genes through epigenetic changes.

19 Sep 2016

Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

DNA damage caused by smoking may last a lifetime

ASHG and Mayo Clinic collaborate to facilitate genetic and genomic education

JAK inhibitors may be first effective treatment for people with alopecia areata

Color-deficiency or color-blindness?

Experts receive $5.2 million NIH grant to develop affordable test for diagnosing Chagas disease

Sanger Institute partners with St. Jude to support discovery, understanding of genetic mutations in paediatric cancers

Study suggests interactions between distant DNA regions may impact disease gene levels

De-bookmarking could be key to better reprogramming of fibroblasts into iPS cells

Tendency to feel lonely linked partially to genetic traits

CHOP researchers exploit gene discovery in severe epilepsy to identify precision treatment

High occupational levels may be risk factor for poor response to depression treatment

Scientists begin research work at new £650 million Francis Crick Institute building

Researchers discover gene variants linked to thoracic aortic dissections

Study quantifies burden of clinically impactful ADRs in general adult population

Researchers use computer modelling to identify mechanism behind aggressive brain tumours

Gender matching key for corneal transplants? An interview with Professor Kaye

Researchers underscore importance of immune-based prevention to conquer cancer

Researchers identify mutant traits in mouse for many human disease genes

Research findings may help better understand genetic origins of Familial Mediterranean Fever

Memory of heart attack can be stored in genes through epigenetic changes, study shows

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