Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

Retina Implant to join with Wills Eye for U.S. artificial vision clinical trial

Retina Implant AG, a leading developer of subretinal implants for the visually impaired, today announced that they will partner with the Wills Eye Institute in Philadelphia as the lead U.S. clinical trial investigator site.

18 Mar 2011

Gene therapy for Parkinson’s: It works!

A latest study has shown that gene therapy may be successful in treating the dreaded brain degenerative disease – Parkinson’s disease. Neurologists are hopeful that it could be useful in other neurologic disorders too.

17 Mar 2011

Researchers to present latest findings about sleep disorders at Minneapolis Convention Center

Recent studies have linked sleep loss and sleep disorders to health problems such as depression, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke. The latest findings in sleep research will be presented and discussed by more than 5,000 scientists and sleep specialists when the SLEEP 2011 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC convenes at the Minneapolis Convention Center from June 13 to 15.

17 Mar 2011

New study: Positive outcomes from gene therapy trial in patients with Parkinson's

A multi-center gene therapy trial for patients with advanced Parkinson's disease demonstrated reduced symptoms of the progressive movement disorder, according to a new study published in Lancet Neurology.

17 Mar 2011

Naltrexone may be effective in women with specific genetic variation

Results from a new study suggest that one of the most prescribed medications for alcohol dependence may be more effective in some people. Preliminary results show that naltrexone, one of the only medications approved for treating people with alcohol abuse problems, may only be effective in women and those with a specific genetic variation.

17 Mar 2011

The Lancet Neurology publishes Neurologix NLX-P101 Phase 2 trial results against PD

Neurologix, Inc., announced today that the results of the Company's Phase 2 clinical trial for its novel, investigational gene therapy NLX-P101 for the treatment of Parkinson's disease were published in an online-first edition of The Lancet Neurology.

17 Mar 2011

Results from first successful phase 2 trial of gene therapy for Parkinson's or any neurologic disorder

A gene therapy called NLX-P101 dramatically reduces movement impairment in Parkinson's patients, according to results of a Phase 2 study published today in the journal Lancet Neurology. The approach introduces a gene into the brain to normalize chemical signaling.

16 Mar 2011

Ambry, LABS partner to offer new donor and patient screening options

LABS, Inc., the recognized leader in microbiology, infectious disease screening, cell/molecular biology and immunological testing for the transplant and biomedical sciences communities, today announced an agreement with Ambry Genetics, a global leader in molecular diagnostics and genomic services to the healthcare and life sciences industries, that will allow the organizations to provide superior testing services to a broader base of clients in the reproductive health industry.

16 Mar 2011

Researchers identify genetic cause of magnesium deficiency

Researchers and scientists of the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, in cooperation with the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, and colleagues from the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and the Czech Republic have succeeded in identifying a genetic cause of magnesium deficiency.

16 Mar 2011

March of Dimes to honor fragile X syndrome researcher with Lifetime Achievement award

A world-renowned fragile X syndrome researcher, who was the first to identify the long-sought genetic abnormality responsible for this disorder, will be honored by the March of Dimes.

16 Mar 2011

Millennium, SGEN expand ADC collaboration

Seattle Genetics, Inc. announced today that Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, has paid an undisclosed fee to exercise an option to designate a second antigen target under the parties' existing antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) collaboration.

16 Mar 2011

Enzo Life Sciences introduces ELISA system to detect SMN protein

Enzo Biochem, Inc. and the Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation today announced that Enzo's wholly owned subsidiary, Enzo Life Sciences Inc., has launched a unique immunoassay system which can be used for the identification and detection of Survival Motor Neuron protein.

16 Mar 2011

Human growth, height, size: Reasons to be small

Almost everybody these days thinks that it is best to be tall, meaning much taller than the average traditional height of Asian populations, and even taller than the current average height of populations in high-income countries. It is also often believed – though people might be shy to admit this – that tall people are intrinsically superior to short people. The expressions 'look up to' and 'look down on' are significant.

15 Mar 2011

Scientists identify strategy for targeted molecular therapy in liver cancer

In a research study appearing in the journal Cancer Cell on March 14, scientists from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and four other institutions have identified a strategy for targeted molecular therapy in liver cancer, which currently has limited treatment options and one of the worst one-year survival rates of any cancer type.

15 Mar 2011

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