Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

MedImmune licenses reverse genetics technology to Novartis

MedImmune, Inc. has announced that it has licensed its proprietary reverse genetics intellectual property to Novartis to support the development and construction of new vaccine strains to produce inactivated human seasonal, pre-pandemic and pandemic influenza vaccines.

24 Aug 2007

In the junk lies treasure when it comes to DNA

Three micro RNA genes appear to be key partners of protective gene p53; their loss is linked to common type of lung cancer

24 Aug 2007

New clue to mechanisms of gene signaling and regulation

Scientists have discovered a pattern in the DNA sequence of the mouse genome that may play a fundamental part in the way DNA molecules regulate gene expression.

24 Aug 2007

Restless legs syndrome common and troublesome in children and adolescents

Restless legs syndrome is a common problem in children 8 years of age and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, according to a new report from an international team of researchers.

24 Aug 2007

New options in treating pigmentation disorders

Melanocytes are not the only cells responsible for differences in skin coloration. New research from the University of Cincinnati (UC) has shown that some of the most basic cells on the skin's surface influence pigment production and help regulate skin coloration.

24 Aug 2007

Potential new therapy for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

Researchers have provided new information about how communication among neurons may be prevented from deteriorating in conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (AD).

24 Aug 2007

Breakthrough for Huntington's disease

A major breakthrough in the understanding and potential treatment of Huntington's disease has been made by scientists at the University of Leeds.

24 Aug 2007

Discovery of new gene family essential for embryonic development

The family controls the expression of genes crucial for stem cell maintenance and differentiation, and the results may contribute sig-nificantly to the understanding of the development of cancer.

24 Aug 2007

Potential new strategies for treating obsessive compulsive disorder

Using genetic engineering, researchers have created an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) - like set of behaviors in mice and reversed them with antidepressants and genetic targeting of a key brain circuit.

24 Aug 2007

Gastric bypass reduces mortality risk in severely obese patients

Severely obese patients who undergo gastric bypass surgery significantly reduce their risk of death from coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, according to research published in the Aug. 23, 2007, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

24 Aug 2007

New ways to control fever-induced seizures

When your body cranks up the heat, it's a sign that something's wrong and a fever is designed to help fight off the infection.

24 Aug 2007

All eukaryotic kinases share 1 common set of substrates

Kinase mediated phosphorylation is generally recognised as the major regulator of virtually all metabolic activities in eukaryotic cells including proliferation, gene expression, motility, vesicular transport and programmed cell death.

24 Aug 2007

Cancer stem cell scientists get $1.7 million to develop new leukemia drugs

"Modern cancer treatments fail to get to the root of the cancer - the stem cells - which is why many cancers recur despite aggressive treatment."

23 Aug 2007

Migration of antibiotic resistance from animal feeding operations into groundwater

The routine use of antibiotics in swine production can have unintended consequences, with antibiotic resistance genes sometimes leaking from waste lagoons into groundwater.

22 Aug 2007

Genetics determine optimal drug dose of warfarin

Genetic testing can be used to help personalize the therapeutic dosage of warfarin, a commonly-used anticoagulant, according to research published in the September 1, 2007, issue of Blood , the journal of the American Society of Hematology.

22 Aug 2007

Traffic and childhood asthma

Children who carry variations in specific genes that metabolize vehicle emissions are more susceptible to developing asthma, particularly if they live near major roadways, a study led by researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) suggests.

22 Aug 2007