Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

New research may shed light on possible treatments for prion diseases

New research by Chongsuk Ryou, researcher at the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging and professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics in the UK College of Medicine, may shed light on possible treatments for prion diseases.

15 Mar 2011

Researchers discover new gene for Sensenbrenner syndrome

Dutch researchers of the Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen found a new gene for Sensenbrenner syndrome (Journal of Medical Genetics, 2011 Mar 4). The mutation adds support to the hypothesis that defects in ciliar transport are the cause of the disease. Project leader Dr. Heleen H. Arts is supported by a Kolff Junior Postdoc Grant of the Dutch Kidney Foundation.

14 Mar 2011

New research: Rhodopsin pigment in Drosophila may detect temperature

New research from Mount Sinai School of Medicine has discovered that rhodopsin, a pigment of the retina that is responsible for the first events in the perception of light, may also be involved in temperature sensation. This detection had not been revealed in previous studies.

14 Mar 2011

New study identifies 15 genetic regions underlying primary biliary cirrhosis

Researchers have provided new clues into the genetics underlying a chronic form of liver disease, called primary biliary cirrhosis, which can lead to transplant surgery for patients.

14 Mar 2011

Peanut allergy has a genetic link: Study

A new study suggests that children with a certain gene defect are more likely to develop a peanut allergy. They studied the effect of changes in the gene filaggrin, which helps the skin block out allergens. They noted what has been seen before – the changes in the gene reduce the effectiveness of the barrier, increasing the risk for eczema and asthma.

14 Mar 2011

Home genetic tests need medical supervision: Expert panel

According to an advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, genetic tests sold directly to consumers that might help to predict health risks may need to be supplied through doctors. An official, Alberto Gutierrez, director of the FDA office that regulates diagnostic screening tools reported that the Molecular and Clinical Genetics Advisory Panel concluded two days of hearings on the increasingly popular tests and had come to this resolution.

14 Mar 2011

New analytic method suggests tumors grow in punctuated, staccato-like bursts

A new method of analyzing cancerous tumors developed by scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory suggests that tumors may not evolve gradually, but rather in punctuated or staccato-like bursts.

14 Mar 2011

Test that measures destruction of lung air sacs, could help prevent progression of emphysema

During a regular annual physical exam, blood is usually drawn to check the health of a person's heart, kidneys and liver. Now, researchers at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center say a blood test that detects the early development of emphysema -- well before symptoms occur -- may someday also be offered.

12 Mar 2011

Study sheds light on how signals from CSF help drive neural development

Cerebrospinal fluid, the fluid found in and around the brain and spinal cord, may play a larger role in the developing brain than previously thought, according to researchers at Children's Hospital Boston.

11 Mar 2011

Scientists discover four new genetic variants in humans linked with NAFLD

Five genetic variants in humans - four new - associate with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, according to a study published March 10 in PLoS Genetics.

10 Mar 2011

Future Medicine launches Neuropsychiatry

Future Medicine Ltd has today announced the launch of Neuropsychiatry – a new bimonthly title addressing all the latest trends in the field, from R&D through to clinical application and management, presenting research, findings, analysis and commentaries from experts around the world. Neuropsychiatry is published by Future Medicine Ltd (UK, London) renowned for its collection of journals providing healthcare practitioners and research professionals with a unique source of objective, cutting-edge information on exciting trends emerging in light of advances in medicine, healthcare and clinical practice.

10 Mar 2011

Despite aspirin therapy, specific inflammatory pathways may influence risk of colorectal cancer

The reduced risk of colorectal cancer associated with taking aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be confined to individuals already at risk because of elevations in a particular inflammatory factor in the blood.

10 Mar 2011

Research: CREBBP mutation may help cancer resist steroid treatment, fuel ALL's return

Despite dramatically improved survival rates for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, relapse remains a leading cause of death from the disease. Work led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators identified mutations in a gene named CREBBP that may help the cancer resist steroid treatment and fuel ALL's return.

10 Mar 2011

ALR commits funding for new study to identify lupus susceptibility genes in multiple ethnicities

The Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR) – the world's largest private funder of lupus research – today announced funding of an important new study to identify lupus susceptibility genes in multiple ethnicities including African Americans, who are three times more likely than Caucasians to have the disease.

10 Mar 2011