Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

Sleep plays a crucial role in post-infarction remission

The heart and the brain appear to be even more closely connected than previously imagined. The damaging effects of myocardial infarction are apparently not confined to the heart, but also affect the brain.

2 Dec 2010

Genzyme sells genetics business to LabCorp for $925M

Genzyme Corporation today announced that it has completed the sale of Genzyme Genetics to Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (NYSE: LH) for $925 million in cash.

2 Dec 2010

Researchers identify blip in gene that causes JMP syndrome

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified a gene responsible for a rare disease that results in severe joint stiffness, muscle loss, anemia and panniculitis-induced lipodystrophy, or JMP syndrome.

2 Dec 2010

LabCorp completes Genzyme Genetics acquisition

Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings today announced the successful completion of its acquisition of Genzyme Genetics, a business unit of Genzyme Corp., in an all cash transaction valued at $925 million. Net of expected income tax benefits, less acquisition-related expenses, the acquisition has a net cash cost to LabCorp of approximately $795 million.

2 Dec 2010

Maintaining ideal BMI reduces mortality risk in healthy non-smoking adults: Study

A study looking at deaths from any cause found that a body mass index (BMI) between 20.0 and 24.9 is associated with the lowest risk of death in healthy non-smoking adults.

1 Dec 2010

Noncancerous cells from primary site appear to facilitate tumor growth: Study

The process of metastasis requires that cancer cells traveling from a primary tumor find a hospitable environment in which to implant themselves and grow. A new study from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center researchers finds that circulating tumor cells prepare this environment by bringing along from their original site noncancerous cells that support tumor growth. The report has been published online in PNAS Early Edition.

1 Dec 2010

Study identifies new genes responsible for early menarche

University of Minnesota School of Public Health researcher Ellen Demerath, Ph.D., is among an international group of researchers that has identified 30 new genes responsible for determining the age of sexual maturation in women. Many of these genes are also known to influence body fatness, obesity, and energy metabolism. Prior to the multi-institutional study, only four genes had been identified as contributing to the process.

1 Dec 2010

Genes linked to one-night stands and acts of infidelity

So, he or she has cheated on you for the umpteenth time and their only excuse is: "I just can't help it." According to researchers at Binghamton University, they may be right. The propensity for infidelity could very well be in their DNA.

1 Dec 2010

Report on public health in an era of genomic and personalized medicine

The major challenge for public health in the era of genomics is to generate the base of evidence necessary to demonstrate when use of genomic information in public health can improve health outcomes in a safe, effective and cost-effective manner, participants at an international meeting have concluded.

1 Dec 2010

Penicillamine challenge ineffective for detecting Wilson's disease in asymptomatic children

An Italian research team confirmed that the scoring system for Wilson's disease (WD) provides good diagnostic accuracy with 93% positive and 92% negative predictive values, respectively in children with mild liver disease. In asymptomatic children, a urinary copper excretion above 40 μg/24 hours was suggestive of WD, however the penicillamine challenge test (PCT) did not provide an accurate diagnosis in this patient subset.

1 Dec 2010

Accelerator announces Series A Preferred Stock financing of Acylin

Accelerator Corporation, a privately held, venture capital backed biotechnology investment and development company, announced today the Series A Preferred Stock financing of Acylin Therapeutics, Inc. This is the eleventh company backed by Accelerator and its first investment in intellectual property developed by either Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine or The Wistar Institute, the co-owners of the underlying technology.

1 Dec 2010

Research could lead to new drug treatment for metabolic diseases

A team of Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) scientists report finding a molecular "switch" that can "turn off" some cellular processes that are protective against aging and metabolic diseases. While more research is needed, the findings may open doors for new drug treatments to halt or slow development of metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes or heart disease. The research findings appear in the December 1, 2010 issue of Cell Metabolism.

1 Dec 2010

Genetic screening for Lynch syndrome as cost-effective as other cancer screening procedures

Myriad Genetics, Inc. today said results from a major health economics study in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), found that screening for inherited gene mutations in the genes that cause a major colorectal cancer syndrome called Lynch Syndrome, is both medically and cost effective.

30 Nov 2010

New novel explores conflicts between need for scientific truth and drive for commercial success

Research scientist Jennifer Rohn's newly released novel, The Honest Look, set in a start-up biotechnology company, explores conflicts between the need for scientific truth and the drive for commercial success.

30 Nov 2010

New findings could drive medical advances in genetic disorders that cause infertility

A hormone responsible for the onset of puberty can end up stuck in the wrong part of the body if the nerve pathways responsible for its transport to the brain fail to develop properly, according to research funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

30 Nov 2010

Quintiles, London Genetics enter strategic alliance to offer pharmacogenetics solutions for personalized medicine

Quintiles, the world's leading biopharmaceutical services company, and London Genetics, an expert in the use of pharmacogenetics in drug discovery and development, today announced a strategic alliance to offer the biopharmaceutical industry innovative pharmacogenetics solutions to advance personalized medicine. Financial terms were not disclosed.

30 Nov 2010

Research finds alteration in KBTBD13 protein causes nemaline myopathy

Researchers from the Department of Anesthesiology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), along with research teams from the National Institutes of Health and from Australia, the Netherlands and Spain, have identified a novel gene on chromosome 15q that, when altered, causes nemaline myopathy with cores, a rare inherited muscle disorder. The gene encodes a member of the BTB/Kelch family of proteins.

30 Nov 2010

Study finds abdominal fat as a risk factor for osteoporosis, bone loss in women

For years, it was believed that obese women were at lower risk for developing osteoporosis, and that excess body fat actually protected against bone loss. However, a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) found that having too much internal abdominal fat may, in fact, have a damaging effect on bone health.

30 Nov 2010

Ageing reversed in mice: Study

A scientific team at Harvard-affiliated medical centers genetically manipulated mice to age faster. Then they used gene therapy to lengthen telomeres. Telomeres are compounds found at the ends of strands of DNA that are related to age. This lengthening of telomeres reversed age-related problems such as decreased brain function and infertility.

29 Nov 2010

Australia’s largest skin cancer study

More than 400,000 people will be diagnosed with some form of skin cancer this year and the most deadly form of the disease, melanoma, will claim more than a thousand lives in Australia say researchers. Queensland has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world with fair-skinned people being most affected with the strong subtropical sun.

29 Nov 2010