Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

Common foot disorders are inherited, says Framingham Foot Study

A novel study reports that white men and women of European descent inherit common foot disorders, such as bunions (hallux valgus) and lesser toe deformities, including hammer or claw toe.

20 May 2013

Understanding the role of dsRNA in antiviral host defense systems

Animals, insects, and plants use a variety of sensing mechanisms to detect invading pathogens such as viruses. One complex and effective antiviral defense system they share is based on recognition of double-stranded RNA, often produced when a virus invades a host cell.

20 May 2013

RUCDR Infinite Biologics creates new Genomics Technology Center

RUCDR Infinite Biologics, the world's largest university-based biorepository, has completed an $11.8 million renovation project to create a new Genomics Technology Center, comprising 12,500 square feet of laboratory, office, and storage space on the Busch Campus of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

18 May 2013

Authors urge importance of patients' rights in genome sequencing

Informed consent is the backbone of patient care. Genetic testing has long required patient consent and patients have had a "right not to know" the results. However, as 21st century medicine now begins to use the tools of genome sequencing, an enormous debate has erupted over whether patients' rights will continue in an era of medical genomics.

18 May 2013

AGA researchers to present exciting data on GI disorders at DDW 2013

Clinicians, researchers and scientists from around the world will gather for Digestive Disease Week- 2013, the largest and most prestigious gastroenterology meeting, from May 18 to 21, 2013, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.

18 May 2013

Alnylam reports pre-clinical data from ALN-AS1 program for treatment of AIP

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today that it has presented key pre-clinical proof-of-concept data from its RNAi therapeutic program targeting aminolevulinate synthase-1 (ALAS-1) for the treatment of porphyria including acute intermittent porphyria.

18 May 2013

Weekend reading: Volunteers in the battle with heart disease; Psychiatry without medication; Owning your genes

Psychiatrists who take time with their patients are not the norm. It's not because others don't care. Rather the system rewards efficiency, not empathy.

17 May 2013

Scientists identify 4 genes in baboons that influence levels of bad cholesterol

Scientists at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio have identified four genes in baboons that influence levels of "bad" cholesterol. This discovery could lead to the development of new drugs to reduce the risk of heart disease.

17 May 2013

New GWA can pose major ethical problems if used incorrectly, say ESHG recommendations

The use of genome-wide analysis, where the entirety of an individual's DNA is examined to look for the genomic mutations or variants which can cause health problems is a massively useful technology for diagnosing disease.

17 May 2013

UHCMC researchers to present data on patient and physician barriers to clinical trials

Researchers from University Hospitals Case Medical Center's Seidman Cancer Center will present findings from two studies evaluating new technologies designed to address common barriers to patient enrollment in clinical trials.

16 May 2013

Statistics reveal that about 79 million adult Americans walk around with prediabetes

Diabetes is one of the most misunderstood medical conditions. "It's not just about sugar. It's about your heart," says Nancy Ryan, RD, BC-ADM, a registered dietitian, board-certified in advanced diabetes management at Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich, Connecticut.

16 May 2013

Angelina Jolie's choice underscores screening and treatment costs

News outlets report on the cost of and questions surrounding Angelina Jolie's decision to have genetic testing and then to undergo a double mastectomy as preventive surgery.

16 May 2013

Research breakthrough: Human skin cells becomes embryonic stem cells

Scientists at Oregon Health & Science University and the Oregon National Primate Research Center have successfully reprogrammed human skin cells to become embryonic stem cells capable of transforming into any other cell type in the body.

16 May 2013

Novel drug may increase the effectiveness of radiation therapy for brain cancer

A novel drug may help increase the effectiveness of radiation therapy for the most deadly form of brain cancer, report scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center. In mouse models of human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the new drug helped significantly extend survival when used in combination with radiation therapy.

15 May 2013

Echevarne to distribute Natera's non-invasive prenatal screening test in Spain

Natera, a leading innovator in prenatal genetic testing, and Echevarne, a leading clinical analysis laboratory in Spain, today announced the signing of a distribution agreement for Echevarne to offer Natera's non-invasive prenatal screening test, Panorama, through its facilities in Spain.

From Natera 15 May 2013

UAB genetics and breast cancer experts respond to Angelina Jolie's preventive mastectomy

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, who has one of the genes linked to breast cancer, revealed that she underwent a double mastectomy earlier this year to prevent following in the footsteps of her mother and succumbing to breast cancer.

15 May 2013

New study reveals another duet played by Notch and BMP signals

A small ensemble of musicians can produce an infinite number of melodies, harmonies and rhythms. So too, do a handful of workhorse signaling pathways that interact to construct multiple structures that comprise the vertebrate body.

15 May 2013

Vijay Tiwari from IMB receives Bruno Speck Award from Swiss Foundation of Haematological Research

Dr Vijay Tiwari, a Group Leader at the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) in Mainz, has been awarded the Bruno Speck Award by the Swiss Foundation of Haematological Research. The award recognises outstanding work by young scientists in the fields of haematology and stem cell research.

15 May 2013

Renaissance in drug development for rare diseases

Once famously described as "orphan diseases, too small to be noticed, too small to be funded" in the Hollywood drama Lorenzo's Oil, rare diseases are getting unprecedented attention today among drug manufacturers, who are ramping up research efforts and marketing new medicines that promise fuller lives for children and other patients with these heartbreaking conditions.

14 May 2013

Research may help scientists learn anti-aging secrets of sacred lotus

A team of 70 scientists from the U.S., China, Australia and Japan today reports having sequenced and annotated the genome of the "sacred lotus," which is believed to have a powerful genetic system that repairs genetic defects, and may hold secrets about aging successfully.

14 May 2013