Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

Personalised approach may help identify patients’ response to certain cancer treatments

Many people in Russia know about the Dima Rogachev Centre - particularly those who have faced the challenge of child cancer.

23 Dec 2015

Researchers identify underlying molecular mechanism of cardiac hypertrophy

Specific genes are responsible for determining cell growth and differentiation during the early stages of cardiac development. Reactivation of these genes later in life can lead to an abnormal thickening of the heart muscle. Researchers from Charité -- Universitätsmedizin Berlin lead by Professor Silke Rickert-Sperling have been able to identify the underlying molecular mechanism.

23 Dec 2015

Four unrelated families share identical BAP1 mutation that causes several cancers

University of Hawai'i Cancer Center researchers discovered members of four families, apparently unrelated and living in different states across the US, shared the identical mutation of a gene called BAP1 that causes mesothelioma, melanoma, renal carcinoma and other cancers.

23 Dec 2015

Study identifies genetic factors that play role in AMD

An international study has identified the number of genetic factors known to play a role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the worldwide leading cause of blindness in the elderly.

23 Dec 2015

Study reveals new genetic factors linked to age-related macular degeneration

An international study of about 43,000 people has significantly expanded the number of genetic factors known to play a role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss among people age 50 and older.

22 Dec 2015

Scientists identify 52 genetic variations associated with age-related macular degeneration

In one of the latest examples of precision medicine, teams of geneticists from nine countries, involving more than 100 scientists, analyzed the genes of more than 33,000 individuals in the hope of finding genetic variations responsible for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss among people age 50 or older.

22 Dec 2015

Scientists identify genes linked to human intelligence

Scientists from Imperial College London have identified for the first time two clusters of genes linked to human intelligence.

22 Dec 2015

Scientists uncover novel strategy to block cancer's spread, restore tumor vulnerability to chemotherapy

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have discovered how an aggressive tumor of the muscle and soft tissue hijacks an export pathway in cells to lay the groundwork for cancer progression and resistance to chemotherapy.

22 Dec 2015

New easy-to-use computer program can quickly identify drug-resistant infections

Scientists have developed an easy-to-use computer program that can quickly analyse bacterial DNA from a patient's infection and predict which antibiotics will work, and which will fail due to drug resistance. The software is currently being trialled in three UK hospitals to see whether it could help speed up diagnosis of drug-resistant infections and enable doctors to better target the prescription of antibiotics.

21 Dec 2015

Research opens door to validation studies in multiple tumor types of liquid biopsy

Pancreatic cancer tumors spill their molecular secrets into the blood stream, shedding their complete DNA and RNA wrapped inside protective lipid particles that make them ripe for analysis with a liquid biopsy, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report online at the Annals of Oncology.

18 Dec 2015

Monitoring CA125 levels may help reduce ovarian cancer deaths by nearly 20%

Initial results from the world's largest ovarian cancer screening trial suggest that tracking levels of a cancer-associated protein over time may help reduce ovarian cancer deaths by as much as 20 percent. Results of the 14-year study, led by investigators at University College London, are being published online in The Lancet.

18 Dec 2015

Reducing cost for screening does not increase colorectal cancer screening rates

Making colonoscopy available at no cost to eligible Medicare beneficiaries under the Affordable Care Act did not increase the number of people in this target population who regularly undergo the procedure, says a new large scale national study from University Hospitals Case Medical Center Seidman Cancer Center.

17 Dec 2015

Salk researchers move one step closer to unlocking how the brain functions

How the brain functions is still a black box: scientists aren't even sure how many kinds of nerve cells exist in the brain. To know how the brain works, they need to know not only what types of nerve cells exist, but also how they work together. Researchers at the Salk Institute have gotten one step closer to unlocking this black box.

17 Dec 2015

Mitochondrial variation and viable pregnancy: an interview with Dr Elpida Fragouli

Embryos require adequate amounts of energy so that they can successfully progress through each of their cell divisions.

16 Dec 2015

New study finds a reason for ethnic disparity in CF diagnoses

Cystic fibrosis (CF) occurs less frequently in nonwhites than in whites, and nonwhites tend to be diagnosed at a later age. This late diagnosis often comes only once they have become symptomatic, rather than through newborn screening programs or molecular diagnostic testing.

16 Dec 2015

Innovative brain imaging study reveals why ToM deficiencies present in children with ASD

The holidays can be difficult for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), particularly because of new or different social situations. One reason scientists believe ASD causes impairment in social interactions is due to an inability to effectively infer other's thoughts and feelings through "theory of mind," or ToM -- the ability to understand the mental states of others and oneself.

16 Dec 2015

VCU Massey Cancer Center scientists reveal signaling process that leads to excessive growth of cancer

The gene p53 has been described as the "guardian of the genome" due to its prominent role in preventing genetic mutations. More than half of all cancers are thought to originate from p53 mutations or loss of function, and now a recent study by VCU Massey Cancer Center scientist Richard Moran, Ph.D., explains why.

15 Dec 2015

Using antidepressants during pregnancy greatly increases autism risk

Using antidepressants during pregnancy greatly increases the risk of autism, Professor Anick Bérard of the University of Montreal and its affiliated CHU Sainte-Justine children's hospital revealed today. Prof. Bérard, an internationally renowned expert in the fields of pharmaceutical safety during pregnancy, came to her conclusions after reviewing data covering 145,456 pregnancies.

15 Dec 2015

New study describes a way to identify complex type of mutation in cancer genomes

New research shows that current approaches to genome analysis systematically miss detecting a certain type of complex mutation in cancer patients' tumors. Further, a significant percentage of these complex mutations are found in well-known cancer genes that could be targeted by existing drugs, potentially expanding the number of cancer patients who may benefit.

15 Dec 2015

Study may help reduce sugar consumption, improve nutritional health of children

Everyone knows that children love sweets, but ever wonder why some kids seem to want more sugary food than others? It could be because they need more sugar to get that same sweet taste. According to new research from the Monell Center, sensitivity to sweet taste varies widely across school-aged children and is in part genetically-determined.

15 Dec 2015

Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

Personalised approach may help identify patients’ response to certain cancer treatments

Researchers identify underlying molecular mechanism of cardiac hypertrophy

Four unrelated families share identical BAP1 mutation that causes several cancers

Study identifies genetic factors that play role in AMD

Study reveals new genetic factors linked to age-related macular degeneration

Scientists identify 52 genetic variations associated with age-related macular degeneration

Scientists identify genes linked to human intelligence

Scientists uncover novel strategy to block cancer's spread, restore tumor vulnerability to chemotherapy

New easy-to-use computer program can quickly identify drug-resistant infections

Research opens door to validation studies in multiple tumor types of liquid biopsy

Monitoring CA125 levels may help reduce ovarian cancer deaths by nearly 20%

Reducing cost for screening does not increase colorectal cancer screening rates

Salk researchers move one step closer to unlocking how the brain functions

Mitochondrial variation and viable pregnancy: an interview with Dr Elpida Fragouli

New study finds a reason for ethnic disparity in CF diagnoses

Innovative brain imaging study reveals why ToM deficiencies present in children with ASD

VCU Massey Cancer Center scientists reveal signaling process that leads to excessive growth of cancer

Using antidepressants during pregnancy greatly increases autism risk

New study describes a way to identify complex type of mutation in cancer genomes

Study may help reduce sugar consumption, improve nutritional health of children

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