Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

Researchers identify new mechanism in onset of motor neuron diseases

The British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking is likely to be the world's most famous person living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. ALS is a progressive disease affecting motor neurons, nerve cells that control muscle function, and nearly always leads to death.

11 Mar 2013

Influenza drug: an interview with Dr Jenny McKimm-Breschkin, CSIRO

Influenza or flu for short is caused by a family of viruses, which can be called influenza A or influenza B. Influenza A viruses are found in humans, animals – like swine and horses- and mostly aquatic birds. Influenza B is only found in humans.

11 Mar 2013

Combining mitochondrial inhibitors could improve efficacy of BRAF inhibitors in melanoma

A multi-institutional study has revealed that BRAF-positive metastatic malignant melanomas develop resistance to treatment with drugs targeting the BRAF/MEK growth pathway through a major change in metabolism.

11 Mar 2013

Viruses and genes may increase risk of schizophrenia

Viruses and genes interact in a way that may increase the risk of developing schizophrenia significantly. This happens already in the developing foetus.

11 Mar 2013

Drugs that combat ageing may be available within five years

Drugs that combat ageing may be available within five years, following landmark work led by an Australian researcher.

11 Mar 2013

Cell fusion studies at Johns Hopkins could lead to improved treatments for muscular dystrophy

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have established a high-efficiency cell-cell fusion system, providing a new model to study how fusion works. The scientists showed that fusion between two cells is not equal and mutual as some assumed, but, rather, is initiated and driven by one of the fusion partners. The discovery, they say, could lead to improved treatments for muscular dystrophy, since muscle regeneration relies on cell fusion to make muscle fibers that contain hundreds or even thousands of nuclei.

8 Mar 2013

Patients with PTSD more likely to develop insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and heart disease

Patients diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a significantly higher risk of developing insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, placing them at greater risk for heart disease and diabetes, according to research being presented at the American College of Cardiology's 62nd Annual Scientific Session. Researchers say public health interventions are urgently needed to prevent PTSD-related metabolic disorder at its early, reversible stage.

8 Mar 2013

Researchers discover ovarian stem-like epithelial cells that can mutate to form tumors

In collaboration with colleagues at Cornell University, a team of cancer researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has discovered cells with stem-cell properties in the ovary that can mutate to form tumors.

8 Mar 2013

Study shows reduction of brain capillaries in mice immunized with amyloid beta

University of British Columbia researchers have successfully normalized the production of blood vessels in the brain of mice with Alzheimer's disease (AD) by immunizing them with amyloid beta, a protein widely associated with the disease.

8 Mar 2013

GENIE public engagement lectures to take place on Mar. 12

If you have ever wondered why a curry feels hot, or about the risks of inherited disease, two eminent experts will give you an answer at a University of Leicester public event.

8 Mar 2013

SRSF1 protein can prevent cancerous proliferation by stabilizing p53

Some cellular proteins have multiple, and occasionally opposing, functions. Professor Adrian Krainer and colleagues at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory demonstrate in a paper published online today in Molecular Cell that the oncogenic protein SRSF1 can also trigger a stop in cell growth and prevent cancerous proliferation by stabilizing p53, the powerful tumor-suppressor protein.

8 Mar 2013

Researchers explore genetic testing to identify people at high risk for preventable disease

In ten years time, routine preventive health care for adults may include genetic testing alongside the now familiar tests for cholesterol levels, mammography and colonoscopy.

8 Mar 2013

Salk epigenetic findings may aid in crop production and study of human diseases

Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have identified patterns of epigenomic diversity that not only allow plants to adapt to various environments, but could also benefit crop production and the study of human diseases.

7 Mar 2013

Study now tells physicians that dystonia can occur in African-American patients

A pair of studies tells the tale of how a neuroscientist at Mayo Clinic in Florida helped to discover the first African-American family to have inherited the rare movement disorder dystonia, which causes repetitive muscle contractions and twisting, resulting in abnormal posture.

7 Mar 2013

Study suggests more accurate way to monitor patient awareness during general anesthesia

Massachusetts General Hospital investigators have identified specific EEG signatures that indicate when patients lose and regain consciousness under the general anesthetic drug propofol.

7 Mar 2013

Vitamin B12 and folate alleviate negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia

Adding the dietary supplements folate and vitamin B12 to treatment with antipsychotic medication improved a core symptom component of schizophrenia in a study of more than 100 patients.

7 Mar 2013

Insight into how Th17 cell growth influences development of immune responses

New work from the Broad Institute's Klarman Cell Observatory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard University, MIT, and Yale University expands the understanding of how one type of immune cell - known as a T helper 17 or Th17 cell - develops, and how its growth influences the development of immune responses.

7 Mar 2013

CALHM1 protein controls sense of taste, finds study

In collaboration with other research institutions, a Feinstein Institute for Medical Research investigator discovered a new protein that controls the sense of taste. The findings are published in the March issue of Nature.

7 Mar 2013

Drugs that inhibit buildup of acylcarnitines may block axonal degeneration

Anyone whose hand or foot has "fallen asleep" has an idea of the numbness and tingling often experienced by people with peripheral nerve damage. The condition also can cause a range of other symptoms, including unrelenting pain, stinging, burning, itching and sensitivity to touch.

6 Mar 2013

Scientists succeed in direct observation of microorganisms feeding on the intestinal mucosa

The microbiology team of David Berry, Alexander Loy and Michael Wagner from the Faculty of Life Sciences, in collaboration with scientists at the Max F. Perutz Laboratories and with the help of NanoSIMS technology, has for the first time succeeded in directly observing microorganisms feeding on the intestinal mucosa.

6 Mar 2013

Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

Researchers identify new mechanism in onset of motor neuron diseases

Influenza drug: an interview with Dr Jenny McKimm-Breschkin, CSIRO

Combining mitochondrial inhibitors could improve efficacy of BRAF inhibitors in melanoma

Viruses and genes may increase risk of schizophrenia

Drugs that combat ageing may be available within five years

Cell fusion studies at Johns Hopkins could lead to improved treatments for muscular dystrophy

Patients with PTSD more likely to develop insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and heart disease

Researchers discover ovarian stem-like epithelial cells that can mutate to form tumors

Study shows reduction of brain capillaries in mice immunized with amyloid beta

GENIE public engagement lectures to take place on Mar. 12

SRSF1 protein can prevent cancerous proliferation by stabilizing p53

Researchers explore genetic testing to identify people at high risk for preventable disease

Salk epigenetic findings may aid in crop production and study of human diseases

Study now tells physicians that dystonia can occur in African-American patients

Study suggests more accurate way to monitor patient awareness during general anesthesia

Vitamin B12 and folate alleviate negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia

Insight into how Th17 cell growth influences development of immune responses

CALHM1 protein controls sense of taste, finds study

Drugs that inhibit buildup of acylcarnitines may block axonal degeneration

Scientists succeed in direct observation of microorganisms feeding on the intestinal mucosa

eBook: Using iPSCs models for human disease research and drug discovery eBook

Real-time Raman monitoring for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion

Synthetic Psychedelics: A Growing Public Health Concern

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging