Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

Health Heritage: New website for maintaining family's health history

A team of researchers at the University of Virginia received funding from the National Cancer Institute, an agency of the National Institutes of Health, to enhance a Web site called Health Heritage®. This site will enable family members to enter their family medical histories so that other family members and their health care professionals can use this information while dealing with medical issues.

24 Nov 2009

Mutated IDH1 gene linked to the progression of gliomas

23 Nov 2009

Absolute Match DNA specimen verification test introduced by AIBioTech

American International Biotechnology Services™ announces the launch of its Absolute Match™ DNA specimen verification test. The test, which will be performed through AIBioTech’s Fairfax Identity Laboratories™ division, provides absolute confidence for a patient undergoing a biopsy procedure that their specimen and diagnosis is their own.

23 Nov 2009

Mutated IDH1 gene has novel enzyme activity consistent with cancer-causing gene: Study

Agios Pharmaceuticals today announced that its scientists have established, for the first time, that the mutated IDH1 gene has a novel enzyme activity consistent with a cancer-causing gene, or oncogene. This breakthrough discovery shows that the mutated form of IDH1 produces a metabolite, 2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG), which may contribute to the formation and malignant progression of gliomas, the most common type of brain cancers.

23 Nov 2009

Gene deletion can increase common complication of bone marrow transplants

A commonly inherited gene deletion can increase the likelihood of immune complications following bone marrow transplantation, an international team of researchers reports in the November 22 advance online issue of Nature Genetics.

23 Nov 2009

New research examines screen time in home-based and center-based child care settings

In a new study, the amount of television viewed by many young children in child care settings doubles the previous estimates of early childhood screen time, with those in home-based settings watching significantly more on average than those in center-based daycares.

23 Nov 2009

Scientists discover new potential target for treating non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Physician-scientists from Weill Cornell Medical College have discovered a molecular mechanism that may prove to be a powerful target for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects lymphocytes, or white blood cells. By exploiting this mechanism, researchers have been able to powerfully suppress tumor formation in lab testing and in animal models.

22 Nov 2009

Cancer promoting gene identified

Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center and VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine researchers have identified a gene that may play a pivotal role in two processes that are essential for tumor development, growth and progression to metastasis. Scientists hope the finding could lead to an effective therapy to target and inhibit the expression of this gene resulting in inhibition of cancer growth.

21 Nov 2009

Whole genome analysis identifies 43 genetic loci contributing to lipoprotein metabolism

Using highly precise measurements of plasma lipoprotein concentrations determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), researchers led by Daniel Chasman at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA, the Framingham Heart Study in Framingham, and the PROCARDIS consortium in Stockholm, Sweden and Oxford, England performed genetic association analysis across the whole genome among 17,296 women of European ancestry from the Women's Genome Health Study.

21 Nov 2009

Prolonged exposure to formaldehyde linked with increased risk of myeloid leukemia

Long durations of exposure to formaldehyde used for embalming in the funeral industry were associated with an increased risk of death from myeloid leukemia, according to a new study published online November 20 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

21 Nov 2009

SCF founder Sabrina Cohen recognized as a WebMD 2009 Health Hero

Sabrina Cohen, founder of The Sabrina Cohen Foundation for Stem Cell Research (SCF), was just recognized as a WebMD 2009 Health Hero. She will receive national media attention with a full-page article about her personal story of triumph and courage, and shares the spotlight with celebrity movie-star, Scarlett Johansson and other Health Heroes in the November/December issue.

20 Nov 2009

20th anniversary of the international Convention on the Rights of the Child today

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the international Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted by the United Nations on November 20, 1989. The CHU Sainte-Justine and The Montreal Children's Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre are joining forces to highlight the importance of this day, a reminder of the many injustices committed against children around the world.

20 Nov 2009

Study examines temporal association between media coverage and opioid-related deaths

Increases in deaths from opioid drugs such as OxyContin may be linked to the volume of coverage such deaths receive in the news, according to a study from Children's Hospital Boston and the University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill. The study compared patterns of opioid deaths and patterns of news coverage between 1999 and 2005, during which time mortality rates from opioid abuse doubled.

20 Nov 2009

Scientists use exome sequencing method to discover the cause of mendelian disorder

For the first time, scientists have successfully used a method called exome sequencing to quickly discover a previously unknown gene responsible for a mendelian disorder.

20 Nov 2009

Arcadia Biosciences and Vilmorin collaborate to develop and market NUE wheat

Arcadia Biosciences, Inc., an agricultural technology company focused on developing technologies and products that benefit the environment and human health, and Vilmorin, the world’s fourth-largest seed company and the global leader in wheat genetics and seed, today announced that they have reached an agreement for the development and commercialization of Nitrogen Use Efficient (NUE) wheat.

20 Nov 2009

Workshop on "Neuroeconomics and Endocrinological Economics" organized

A workshop on "Neuroeconomics and Endocrinological Economics," to be held Nov. 20 and 21 at UC Davis, will be the first to bring together experts in neuroscience, economics and hormone physiology in one event, according to organizers.

20 Nov 2009

Book on pediatric IBD launched

Chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) encompasses Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and indeterminate colitis. The distinct phenotype in pediatric and adolescent patients and the difference from adult IBD make early-onset IBD a unique subgroup requiring specific therapeutic considerations. In this book, leading experts from the USA, Europe and Israel present new data on the genetics, epidemiology, pathology and pathogenesis of pediatric IBD. Imaging and endoscopy in the diagnosis of IBD are also discussed.

19 Nov 2009

Microarray analysis can identify chromosome abnormalities in children with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome

Researchers at Signature Genomic Laboratories, which performs diagnostic genetic testing of chromosome abnormalities in individuals with unexplained physical and developmental disabilities, recently showed that microarray analysis can identify small DNA alterations in individuals with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, a rare and poorly characterized genetic disorder.

19 Nov 2009

Chronic hepatitis B seems to progress faster in men, report scientists

Scientists in China are reporting discovery of unusual liver proteins, found only in males, that may help explain the long-standing mystery of why the hepatitis B virus (HBV) sexually discriminates -- hitting men harder than women. Their study has been published online in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research, a monthly publication.

19 Nov 2009

Fully integrated human genome sequencing and data processing service launched

Knome, Inc., a recognized pioneer in the personal genomics field, today announced the launch of KnomeDISCOVERY, the first fully integrated human genome sequencing and data processing service for researchers. The new offering meets rapidly emerging demand from biomedical researchers for a one-stop service that bundles affordable, research-tailored access to a broad range of next-generation sequencing platforms with discovery-supportive data management and analysis.

18 Nov 2009

Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

Health Heritage: New website for maintaining family's health history

Mutated IDH1 gene linked to the progression of gliomas

Absolute Match DNA specimen verification test introduced by AIBioTech

Mutated IDH1 gene has novel enzyme activity consistent with cancer-causing gene: Study

Gene deletion can increase common complication of bone marrow transplants

New research examines screen time in home-based and center-based child care settings

Scientists discover new potential target for treating non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Cancer promoting gene identified

Whole genome analysis identifies 43 genetic loci contributing to lipoprotein metabolism

Prolonged exposure to formaldehyde linked with increased risk of myeloid leukemia

SCF founder Sabrina Cohen recognized as a WebMD 2009 Health Hero

20th anniversary of the international Convention on the Rights of the Child today

Study examines temporal association between media coverage and opioid-related deaths

Scientists use exome sequencing method to discover the cause of mendelian disorder

Arcadia Biosciences and Vilmorin collaborate to develop and market NUE wheat

Workshop on "Neuroeconomics and Endocrinological Economics" organized

Book on pediatric IBD launched

Microarray analysis can identify chromosome abnormalities in children with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome

Chronic hepatitis B seems to progress faster in men, report scientists

Fully integrated human genome sequencing and data processing service launched

Sequencing & Genomics: Elevating Science and Healthcare eBook

How does norepinephrine influence anxiety-related behaviours?

Transforming Lab Workflows with Cell Culture Automation

Building Bridges to Scalable Allogeneic Cell Therapy