Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

MD Anderson, UH Graduate College of Social Work announce new joint venture

The University of Houston (UH) will soon open its doors to the Center for Health Equity & Evaluation Research (CHEER), a new joint venture between the UH Graduate College of Social Work (GCSW) and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences. CHEER will expand to conduct research at both MD Anderson and the newly opened center at UH GCSW.

2 May 2012

Scientists are working out how sequencing the human genome can help treat disease

Though the human genome has been sequenced, scientists are still trying to figure out how the accomplishment can help people, for example, how it can be used to treat disease. As University of Massachusetts Amherst geneticist Jacob Mayfield notes, "It was easy to think of the human genome as the big prize, but what we realize now is, it's just a foot in the door."

2 May 2012

LifeCodexx completes PraenaTest clinical study on trisomy 21

LifeCodexx today announced the successful completion of the clinical validation study of its noninvasive test method for the detection of fetal trisomy 21 from maternal blood using Next Generation sequencing.

2 May 2012

Couples with infertility and miscarriages offered detailed embryo screening with 99% accuracy

Termed “preimplantation genetic screening (PGS)” the process involves a full chromosome count of embryos to ensure only the healthiest are implanted. It has a 99 per cent accuracy rate, giving hopeful parents the best chance to conceive and carry a healthy baby to term.

30 Apr 2012

Trovagene completes PCR assay development for detection of K-RAS mutations

Trovagene, Inc., a developer of trans-renal molecular diagnostics, announced today that the Company has successfully completed the analytical development of digital PCR assays for the detection of the most prevalent K-RAS mutations, which are, according to recent estimates, observed in more than 90% of pancreatic cancers, and in 23% of all solid tumors.

30 Apr 2012

New class of drugs hold promise against aggressive forms of pancreatic cancer

Cancer Research UK-funded scientists have shown how a promising new class of drugs might be used to treat aggressive forms of pancreatic cancer, according to a study published in Nature.

30 Apr 2012

Cedars-Sinai scientist receives ALS Association Golden West Chapter Commitment to a Cure Award

Robert H. Baloh, MD, PhD, director of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Neuromuscular Division, has received the ALS Association Golden West Chapter Commitment to a Cure Award.

30 Apr 2012

UAB researcher wins HudsonAlpha Prize for work on sickle cell and related blood disorders

Tim Townes, Ph.D., University of Alabama at Birmingham, was awarded the HudsonAlpha Prize for his work on sickle cell and related blood disorders. The $20,000 monetary award acknowledges exceptional talent, dedication and discovery by Alabama's best and brightest researchers.

30 Apr 2012

Researchers discover gene for new form of intellectual disability

Researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) led a study discovering a gene for a new form of intellectual disability, as well as how it likely affects cognitive development by disrupting neuron functioning.

27 Apr 2012

Smoking during pregnancy may increase risk of autism in children

Women who smoke in pregnancy may be more likely to have a child with high-functioning autism, such as Asperger's Disorder, according to preliminary findings from a study by researchers involved in the U.S. autism surveillance program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

27 Apr 2012

Mammography remains beneficial for women in their 40s

Researchers from University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have published new findings that mammography remains beneficial for women in their 40s.

27 Apr 2012

AAA to gather for anatomy meeting in conjunction with Experimental Biology 2012

The American Association of Anatomists will gather this week for its annual meeting in conjunction with the Experimental Biology 2012 conference, which will draw more than 14,000 scientists from industry, government and academia. Below are some programming highlights for the anatomy meeting. All presentations will be made at the San Diego Convention Center.

26 Apr 2012

Fragile-X gene linked with disrupting de novo mutations in children with autism

A team led by scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) publishes research today indicating a striking association between genes found disrupted in children with autism and genes that are targets of FMRP, the protein generated by the gene FMR1, whose dysfunction causes Fragile-X syndrome.

26 Apr 2012

CEHC develops list of ten chemicals that contribute to autism, learning disabilities

An editorial published today in the prestigious journal Environmental Health Perspectives calls for increased research to identify possible environmental causes of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders in America's children and presents a list of ten target chemicals including which are considered highly likely to contribute to these conditions.

26 Apr 2012

U-M’s second human embryonic stem cell line now available for federally-funded research

The University of Michigan's second human embryonic stem cell line has just been placed on the U.S. National Institutes of Health's registry, making the cells available for federally-funded research. It is the second of the stem cell lines derived at U-M to be placed on the registry.

26 Apr 2012

Study shows how PCBs could add to autism risk

New research from UC Davis and Washington State University shows that PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, launch a cellular chain of events that leads to an overabundance of dendrites - the filament-like projections that conduct electrochemical signals between neurons - and disrupts normal patterns of neuronal connections in the brain.

26 Apr 2012

Scientists identify linchpin of fat metabolism

Humans are built to hunger for fat, packing it on during times of feast and burning it during periods of famine. But when deluged by foods rich in fat and sugar, the modern waistline often far exceeds the need to store energy for lean times, and the result has been an epidemic of diabetes, heart disease and other obesity-related problems.

26 Apr 2012

Laws against cousin marriage are not supported by science: New book

The health risks of marrying a cousin have been grossly overstated, says a new book. A better understanding of the health effects of cousin marriage could mean more appropriate marriage laws and better medical care for cousin couples and their children.

26 Apr 2012

Researchers discover two new genetic loci for obesity

Obesity is influenced environmental and genetic factors. The genetic predisposition accounts for more than 50 percent of the variance in body weight. Roughly three dozen genes are known to have an influence on body weight regulation. Together with international colleagues, a group of scientists of the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) has identified two new genetic loci for obesity. The results are part of a large international study.

26 Apr 2012

Kids who are abused or bullied may age faster

The study finds that violence-related stress in children affects telomeres - special DNA sequences found at the tips of chromosomes. Telomeres, which prevent DNA from unravelling, get shorter each time cells divide, which limits the number of times cells can divide. Shorter telomeres have been linked to poorer survival and chronic diseases. Previous research has shown that smoking, obesity, mental-health disorders and stress may accelerate the process of telomere loss. This suggests that telomere length may reflect a person's biological age as well as their chronological age.

25 Apr 2012

Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

MD Anderson, UH Graduate College of Social Work announce new joint venture

Scientists are working out how sequencing the human genome can help treat disease

LifeCodexx completes PraenaTest clinical study on trisomy 21

Couples with infertility and miscarriages offered detailed embryo screening with 99% accuracy

Trovagene completes PCR assay development for detection of K-RAS mutations

New class of drugs hold promise against aggressive forms of pancreatic cancer

Cedars-Sinai scientist receives ALS Association Golden West Chapter Commitment to a Cure Award

UAB researcher wins HudsonAlpha Prize for work on sickle cell and related blood disorders

Researchers discover gene for new form of intellectual disability

Smoking during pregnancy may increase risk of autism in children

Mammography remains beneficial for women in their 40s

AAA to gather for anatomy meeting in conjunction with Experimental Biology 2012

Fragile-X gene linked with disrupting de novo mutations in children with autism

CEHC develops list of ten chemicals that contribute to autism, learning disabilities

U-M’s second human embryonic stem cell line now available for federally-funded research

Study shows how PCBs could add to autism risk

Scientists identify linchpin of fat metabolism

Laws against cousin marriage are not supported by science: New book

Researchers discover two new genetic loci for obesity

Kids who are abused or bullied may age faster

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