Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

TRON uses Ingenuity Variant Analysis to identify cancer driver variants

Ingenuity Systems, a leading provider of information and analysis solutions for life science researchers, today announced that TRON has used Ingenuity Variant Analysis to identify cancer driver variants that inform the development of an experimental individualized RNA-based therapeutic.

9 Jan 2012

Genentech, Xenon partner to discover and develop novel pain relieving medicines

Xenon today announced a strategic alliance with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, to discover and develop compounds and companion diagnostics for the potential treatment of pain.

9 Jan 2012

Scientists identify two genes involved in major symptoms of MeCP2 duplication disorder

The anxiety and behavioral issues associated with excess MeCP2 protein result from overexpression of two genes (Crh [corticotropin-releasing hormone] and Oprm 1 [mu-opioid receptor MOR 1]), which may point the way to treating these problems in patients with too much of the protein, said Baylor of Medicine scientists in a report that appears online in the journal Nature Genetics.

8 Jan 2012

Winners of JHM competition to receive John G. Rangos Medal of Honor in Creative Thinking

Five Johns Hopkins students have been selected as finalists in a competition to find new ways to cure metastatic cancer. The five, whose ideas were chosen from among 44 presentations, will compete on January 13, 2012, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., for the top prize of $20,000 and a chance to pursue their research proposals.

7 Jan 2012

AccuGenomics to participate in OneMedForum at Sir Francis Drake hotel

AccuGenomics announced today that it will be attending the upcoming OneMedForum at the Sir Francis Drake hotel in San Francisco on January 9-12, coinciding with the JP Morgan Global Healthcare Conference.

7 Jan 2012

Studies identify genes and small molecules against protein conformational diseases

Two related studies from Northwestern University offer new strategies for tackling the challenges of preventing and treating diseases of protein folding, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), cancer, cystic fibrosis and type 2 diabetes.

7 Jan 2012

Isis announces results from ISIS-TTRRx Phase 1 study on TTR amyloidosis

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today results from a Phase 1 study with ISIS-TTRRx. The results demonstrated that treatment with ISIS-TTRRx produced dose-dependent statistically significant reductions of greater than 80 percent in transthyretin (TTR) protein.

6 Jan 2012

Combination of cancer drugs shows promise against Pompe disease

Kids with Pompe disease fail because of a missing enzyme, GAA, that leads to dangerous sugar build-up, which affects muscles and movement. An enzyme replacement treatment pioneered at Duke University has saved many lives, but some children with Pompe disease produce an immune reaction that blocks the benefits of the life-saving enzyme treatment.

6 Jan 2012

Regular moderate exercise reduces risk of catching cold-like infections

Battling colds and doing (or pledging to do) more exercise are familiar activities for most of us in January. But different levels of exercise can actually significantly increase or decrease your chances of catching a respiratory infection, says Professor Mike Gleeson from Loughborough University.

5 Jan 2012

MCW professor to receive American Association of Anatomists' Basmajian Award

The American Association of Anatomists' 2012 Basmajian Award will be presented on April 24 to Todd Hoagland, associate professor in the department of cell biology, neurobiology and anatomy at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

5 Jan 2012

Driving in the mid-lane helps pensioners stay safe

It's official: older adults are naturally inclined to drive in the middle of the road, leaving the younger generation to cut corners. This tendency to sit mid-lane is an in-built safety mechanism that helps pensioners stay safe behind the wheel, according to researchers at the University of Leeds, UK.

5 Jan 2012

Positive preliminary results from Alnylam's Phase I ALN-PCS trial on severe hypercholesterolemia

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today the achievement of positive preliminary results from its ongoing clinical trial of ALN-PCS, an RNAi therapeutic targeting PCSK9 for the treatment of severe hypercholesterolemia.

5 Jan 2012

Stem cell like progenitor cells could be key to aging slowly: Study

In new research on mice, scientists have found that stem cells could help slow the aging process. This new research was conducted on mice that had been bred to have progeria, a disorder that causes premature aging. Mice with the condition typically live only 21 to 28 days instead of the usual two years.

4 Jan 2012

Genomic architecture predisposes supercentenarians to age-related diseases

The first-ever published whole-genome sequences of not just one, but two supercentenarians, aged more than 114 years, reveal that both unusual and common genetic phenomena contribute to the genetic background of extreme human longevity.

4 Jan 2012

Losartan may help prevent smoking-related COPD

Working with mice, scientists at Johns Hopkins have successfully used a commonly prescribed blood pressure medicine, losartan (Cozaar), to prevent almost all of the lung damage caused from two months of exposure to cigarette smoke. The treatment specifically targeted lung tissue breakdown, airway wall thickening, inflammation and lung over-expansion.

4 Jan 2012

Young stem/progenitor cells improve health and life of progeria mice

Mice bred to age too quickly seemed to have sipped from the fountain of youth after scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine injected them with stem cell-like progenitor cells derived from the muscle of young, healthy animals.

4 Jan 2012

BioTime to market muscle progenitor cell lines bearing hereditary diseases

BioTime, Inc. today announced that it has elected to market progenitors of muscle stem cells bearing hereditary diseases. BioTime will produce the products from five human embryonic stem (hES) cell lines from Reproductive Genetics Institute (RGI) of Chicago, Illinois.

4 Jan 2012

Soon therapies may be guided by genetic blueprints

In a futuristic bid the doctors have drawn up plans to sequence the full genetic code of thousands of people in a landmark project to personalize their medical care. Each person will have all 6 billion letters of their genome read, stored and linked to their medical records to help doctors prescribe more effective drugs and other therapies.

1 Jan 2012

Four-year effort to map genetic code of 1,000 African-Americans

A Johns Hopkins-led team of experts in genetics, immunology, epidemiology and allergic disease has embarked on a four-year effort to map the genetic code, or whole genome, of 1,000 people of African descent, including men and women from Baltimore.

30 Dec 2011

ATM gene mutations may increase hereditary risk for pancreatic cancer

Mutations in the ATM gene may increase the hereditary risk for pancreatic cancer, according to data published in Cancer Discovery, the newest journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

30 Dec 2011