Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

DNA sequencing for difficult diagnoses of mitochondrial diseases may hit clinics soon

Identifying complete DNA sequences could identify difficult-to-diagnose diseases in humans. This concept is being used for the first time in a clinic. MitoExome sequencing uses new technologies known as next-generation sequencing (NGS) to decode all of the genes associated with mitochondria. Mitochondria are a capsule shaped organelle present within the cell. It is the powerhouse of the cell and its genes are inherited completely from the mother.

29 Jan 2012

Researchers discover new gene linked to MLCRD

Researchers have found a new gene that, when mutated, can lead to lymphoedema (swollen limbs) as part of a rare disorder that can also cause problems with eye and brain development. This is the fourth lymphoedema-related gene found by the same researchers in three years, and the first linked to the eyes and brain. They say it could lead to better diagnosis and treatment for lymphoedema, an area that has been poorly understood previously.

27 Jan 2012

Link between genetic abnormalities and cerebral palsy

For years it was thought that a difficult birth and other perinatal factors were the leading causes of cerebral palsy (CP), a group of disorders that can involve brain and nervous system functions such as movement, learning, hearing, seeing and thinking. Now, researchers at Geisinger Health System find that the majority of cerebral palsy causes may in fact be caused by genetic abnormalities.

27 Jan 2012

New links between leukemia cells and osteoblasts

University of Rochester Medical Center researchers have discovered new links between leukemia cells and cells involved in bone formation, offering a fresh perspective on how the blood cancer progresses and raising the possibility that therapies for bone disorders could help in the treatment of leukemia.

27 Jan 2012

Psychiatric disorders definitions to be revised

The definition of depression is proposed to be changed and now the diagnosis would characterize grieving as a disorder and greatly increase the number of people treated for it.

26 Jan 2012

Society of Toxicology 51st Annual Meeting and ToxExpo to be held March 11-15

More than 7,000 toxicologists from every corner of the globe are expected to attend the Society of Toxicology (SOT) 51st Annual Meeting and ToxExpo-, which will highlight toxicology's crucial role in creating a safer and healthier world. The five-day meeting will take place at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco from March 11-15, 2012.

25 Jan 2012

UH Case Medical Center initiates enrollment in Moxy Drug Coated Balloon trial for PAD

Physicians at University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center enrolled their first patient in LEVANT 2, a global, multicenter, randomized clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of the Moxy™ Drug Coated Balloon for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease.

25 Jan 2012

Seattle Children's receives $5M gift from Ben Towne for pediatric cancer study

Seattle Children's Research Institute today announced a $5 million gift from Ben Towne Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation. The funding will be used to accelerate the work of Michael Jensen, MD, and his Seattle Children's Research Institute team who are creating new cancer treatments that reprogram a child's immune system to attack and kill cancer cells with the goal of minimizing or even eliminating the need for chemotherapy or radiation.

25 Jan 2012

Novel detection of ovarian cancer in early stages

Ovarian cancer is often detected at a late stage and it is the leading cause of death due to gynecological cancers, and the sixth leading cause of cancer death in women. According to latest discovery by researchers at Sydney’s Garvan Institute there may be a way this killer cancer is detected earlier.

24 Jan 2012

Alzheimer’s disease may be kept at bay with regular brain stimulation: Study

A new study shows that regularly doing puzzles and reading books could be linked to a decreased risk of Alzheimer's disease. It says that these activities reduce the accumulation of harmful proteins in the brain.

24 Jan 2012

Settling controversy surrounding bird flu research will not be easy

The WHO is expected to hold a meeting in February to discuss controversy over recent research on the H5N1 bird flu virus, after the U.S. National Scientific Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) in December advised the journals Science and Nature to withhold publishing two teams' research on the virus for fear the information could "fall into the wrong hands," a commentary in the Economist's "Babbage" blog states.

24 Jan 2012

New gene therapy shows promise against X-linked retinitis pigmentosa

A new gene therapy method developed by University of Florida researchers has the potential to treat a common form of blindness that strikes both youngsters and adults.

24 Jan 2012

Elevated blood lead levels put smokers at higher risk for renal cell carcinoma

Higher than normal levels of lead in the blood may signal a risk two times higher than average of developing renal cell carcinoma in smokers, according to medical researchers.

24 Jan 2012

Researchers uncover 13 novel genetic loci linked with onset of menopause

An international team of researchers from the Boston University Schools of Public Health and Medicine and other institutions has uncovered 13 genetic loci, linked to immune function and DNA repair, that are factors in the age of onset of menopause.

24 Jan 2012

UCSF-led study to sequence DNA from 4,000 people with epilepsy

To probe the genetic secrets of one of the most common neurological diseases, more than 4,000 people with various forms of epilepsy will have their DNA decoded over the next five years in a study led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and several collaborating institutions.

23 Jan 2012

Researchers discover 13 new regions of genome associated with timing of menopause

An international team of researchers has discovered 13 new regions of the genome associated with the timing of menopause. These genes shed light on the biological pathways involved in reproductive lifespan and will provide insights into conditions connected to menopause, such as breast cancer and heart disease.

23 Jan 2012

Luteolin interferes with cell signaling in colon cancer cells

Luteolin is a flavonoid commonly found in fruit and vegetables. This compound has been shown in laboratory conditions to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties but results from epidemiological studies have been less certain. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Gastroenterology shows that luteolin is able to inhibit the activity of cell signaling pathways (IGF and PI3K) important for the growth of cancer in colon cancer cells.

23 Jan 2012

VisionCare closes expansion of Series E financing

VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies, Inc., a developer of advanced visual prosthetic devices for the treatment of end-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD), today announced the closing of expansion of the Series E financing, with Agate Medical Investments leading the expansion round. Agate's Managing General Partner, Chanan Schneider, will join the VisionCare team as a board observer.

23 Jan 2012

Duke team creates vaccine adjuvant of nanoparticles that target lymph nodes

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have created synthetic nanoparticles that target lymph nodes and greatly boost vaccine responses, said lead author Ashley St. John, Ph.D., a researcher at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School.

23 Jan 2012

Researchers discover new mechanism that regulates blood pressure

Analyzing all the genes of dozens of people suffering from a rare form of hypertension, Yale University researchers have discovered a new mechanism that regulates the blood pressure of all humans.

23 Jan 2012