Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

Gene that causes aggression in men under stress discovered

Scientists have found that “macho” gene that makes men behave more aggressively than women under stress. They say this one gene could explain why men have a 'fight or flight' response while women are more likely to try and defuse the situation. The study has been published in the journal BioEssays.

11 Mar 2012

Tumors can be more complex than imagined earlier: Study

Researchers speculate that cancers may be more complex that they knew. And that's why a single tissue sample taken from a single tumor may not be the best way to figure out a course of treatment they claim.

11 Mar 2012

Five new genetic mutations linked with Crohn's disease in Ashkenazi Jews

In the largest study of its kind, researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered five new genetic mutations associated with Crohn's disease in Jews of Eastern European descent, also known as Ashkenazi Jews.

9 Mar 2012

Researchers identify specific gene linked with throat cancer

Researchers at King's College London and Hiroshima University, Japan, have identified a specific gene linked to throat cancer following a genetic study of a family with 10 members who have developed the condition.

8 Mar 2012

Measuring wellbeing in Huntington’s disease

The new tool, the first Huntington’s disease-specific quality of life instrument of its kind, aims to fully capture the impact of this complex disease on the everyday life of sufferers. By using this new tool to more accurately measure the impact of Huntington’s and also any effect of therapeutic interventions, scientists will be in a better position to evaluate the usefulness of interventions on patients’ everyday quality of life to see if there is actually a practical benefit. It is hoped that in this way, this tool will lead to more effective treatments.

8 Mar 2012

Do we age as a consequence of being protected against cancer?

The role of one of our genes which protects us from cancer but could also cause us to age will be explained in a lecture at the University of Leicester.

8 Mar 2012

Scientists identify 2,000 important genes linked to singing

Can the song of a small bird provide valuable insights into human stuttering and speech-related disorders and conditions, including autism and stroke? New research by UCLA life scientists and colleagues provides reason for optimism.

8 Mar 2012

Metformin drug appears to prevent growth of atherosclerosis in patients with HIV

Treatment with the common diabetes drug metformin appears to prevent progression of coronary atherosclerosis in patients infected with HIV.

8 Mar 2012

Doctors identify promising new treatment for hypophosphatasia

Doctors at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, working with Shriners Hospital for Children and other institutions, have identified a promising new treatment for a rare and sometimes life-threatening bone disorder that can affect infants and young children.

8 Mar 2012

Some top researchers no longer think of glaucoma solely as an eye disease

A new paradigm to explain glaucoma is rapidly emerging, and it is generating brain-based treatment advances that may ultimately vanquish the disease known as the "sneak thief of sight." A review now available in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, reports that some top researchers no longer think of glaucoma solely as an eye disease.

8 Mar 2012

Researchers make significant strides in the study of Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center's James P. Wilmot Cancer Center have made significant strides in the study of a primary cancer of the liver- Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC), also called biliary tract cancer.

8 Mar 2012

Simple recommendations help reduce environmental exposures for women

Remove your shoes at the door of your home to avoid tracking in pollutants. Decrease consumption of processed and canned foods. Avoid the use of plastics with recycling codes #3, #4 and #7. Don't use chemical tick and flea collars or dips for pets. Reproductive health care providers should share these tips and more scientific information with women who want to become pregnant or who are pregnant, but that does not always happen.

7 Mar 2012

Dysfunctional family environment increases genetic risk for drug abuse

The risk of abusing drugs is greater - even for adopted children - if the family environment in which they are raised is dysfunctional, according to a new study conducted by a collaborative team from Virginia Commonwealth University and Lund University in Sweden.

6 Mar 2012

Cdk1 molecule plays an important role in mammalian egg maturation

Women who have eggs that cannot mature will not become pregnant, and they cannot be helped by in vitro fertilization (IVF). Now researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have identified a molecule called Cdk1 that has an important function for mammalian egg maturation. In the future this could lead to an increased rate of successful IVF.

6 Mar 2012

Mayo Clinic experts available to discuss latest colorectal cancer research and treatment

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colon cancer is one of the most common and deadly cancers, and also one of the most preventable. Mayo Clinic experts are available to discuss the latest in colorectal cancer research, detection and treatment.

6 Mar 2012

New DNA-reading technology could lead to correct genetic diagnosis for muscle-wasting diseases

Scientists at The University of Nottingham have used a revolutionary new DNA-reading technology for a research project that could lead to correct genetic diagnosis for muscle-wasting diseases.

6 Mar 2012

New, freely available Web-based program helps predict effect of mutations on mRNA splicing

In a brief paper in the journal Bioinformatics, Brown University researchers describe a new, freely available Web-based program called Spliceman for predicting whether genetic mutations are likely to disrupt the splicing of messenger RNA, potentially leading to disease.

6 Mar 2012

PGen study to examine impact of consumer genomics

As genetic risk information plays an increasingly important role in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases, private companies have made personal genomic testing for these risk factors widely available to the public. However, very little data has been gathered to understand the motivations and expectations of consumers of personal genomic services, the psychological and behavioral impact of these services, and the associated ethical, legal and social issues-until now.

5 Mar 2012

National Council for Research on Women honors CINJ breast oncologist

The chief medical officer at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) has been named as one of this year's 30 'Outstanding Women' by the National Council for Research on Women. Deborah L. Toppmeyer, MD, a medical oncologist at CINJ who heads a very active breast cancer clinic and conducts clinical research, was selected for her commitment to issues critical to advancing women and women's health.

5 Mar 2012

Abbott, GenLab collaborate to develop new assay for PLEX-ID automated microbial identification system

Abbott announced today it will collaborate with Genetics Laboratory, Inc. on the development of a molecular diagnostic test that will be designed to rapidly detect microorganisms that cause orthopedic infections.

5 Mar 2012