Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

PGDx to identify novel kinase targets in collaboration with Blueprint Medicines

Personal Genome Diagnostics Inc., today announced that it will use its proprietary methodologies and expertise in genomic analysis of defined cancer subtypes to identify novel kinase targets in collaboration with Blueprint Medicines.

21 May 2013

The Biology of Cancer: New second edition now available

Garland Science is proud to announce the publication of the much-anticipated Second Edition of The Biology of Cancer by Robert A. Weinberg.

21 May 2013

Researchers say that receiving cancer radiation therapy late in the day may minimize hair loss

Discovering that mouse hair has a circadian clock - a 24-hour cycle of growth followed by restorative repair - researchers suspect that hair loss in humans from toxic cancer radiotherapy and chemotherapy might be minimized if these treatments are given late in the day.

21 May 2013

Researchers develop new mouse model to discover gene pathways that drive MPNST

University of Minnesota Medical School researchers from the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, in partnership with the University's Brain Tumor Program, have developed a new mouse model of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors that allow them to discover new genes and gene pathways driving this type of cancer.

21 May 2013

Scientists design 'fishing' technique to show health benefits of foods

New research suggests that a compound abundant in the Mediterranean diet takes away cancer cells' "superpower" to escape death.

21 May 2013

Measuring genetic diversity within tumor predicts outcomes of patients with head and neck cancer

A new measure of the heterogeneity - the variety of genetic mutations - of cells within a tumor appears to predict treatment outcomes of patients with the most common type of head and neck cancer.

20 May 2013

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