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Small molecule nutlin-3a activates an important cancer suppressor gene

By activating a cancer suppressor gene, a small molecule called nutlin-3a can block cancer cell division, according to researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

1 May 2008

U.S. Congress passes genetic nondiscrimination act

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) today by a vote of 414-1, building on the momentum of last week's unanimous Senate vote.

1 May 2008

New understanding of how some bacteria survive antibiotic treatment

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have discovered how some bacteria can survive antibiotic treatment by turning on resistance mechanisms when exposed to the drugs.

30 Apr 2008

Alzheimer's and diabetes link

Diabetic individuals have a significantly higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease but the molecular connection between the two remains unexplained. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies identified the probable molecular basis for the diabetes - Alzheimer's interaction.

30 Apr 2008

Mothers and offspring can share cells throughout life - with positive and negative effects

Cutting the umbilical cord doesn't necessarily sever the physical link between mother and child. Many cells pass back and forth between the mother and fetus during pregnancy and can be detected in the tissues and organs of both even decades later. This mixing of cells from two genetically distinct individuals is called microchimerism. The phenomenon is the focus of an increasing number of scientists who wonder what role these cells play in the body.

30 Apr 2008

First sequence-based map of large-scale structural variation across the human genome

A nationwide team of researchers, funded in part by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has produced the first sequence-based map of large-scale structural variation across the human genome. The work, published today in the journal Nature, provides a starting point to examine how such DNA variation contributes to human health and disease.

30 Apr 2008

Study explains why steroid therapy for sinusitis and asthma loses its punch over time

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have outlined a new path for potential therapies to combat inflammation associated with sinusitis and asthma based on a new understanding of the body's earliest immune response in the nose and sinus cavities.

29 Apr 2008

Human protein may offer novel target for blocking HIV infection

A research group supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has uncovered a new route for attacking the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that may offer a way to circumvent problems with drug resistance. In findings published today in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers report that they have blocked HIV infection in the test tube by inactivating a human protein expressed in key immune cells.

29 Apr 2008

Biomarkers identified for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

The first evidence of a distinctive protein signature that could help to transform the diagnosis and improve the monitoring of the devastating lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is being reported by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers in this month's edition of PLoS Medicine, an open-access journal of the Public Library of Science.

28 Apr 2008

CQ's Carey looks at genetic anti-discrimination measure, legislation to block Medicaid rules implementation, FDA hearings

Mary Agnes Carey, associate editor of CQ HealthBeat, examines Senate approval of genetic nondiscrimination legislation, House passage of a measure to block implementation of new Medicaid rules and hearings about FDA's need for increased inspection resources in this week's "Health on the Hill from kaisernetwork.org and CQ."

28 Apr 2008

Abmormal behaviour of osteoglycin gene linked to heart and kidney problems

A gene that can cause the heart to become enlarged, greatly increasing the risk of heart attacks and heart failure, is identified today in a new study.

28 Apr 2008

Daycare and play group attendance early on cuts childhood leukemia risk

Children who attend day care or play groups have about a 30% lower risk of developing the most common type of childhood leukaemia than those who do not, according to a new analysis of studies investigating the link.

28 Apr 2008

Scientists find distinct kind of stem cells in the pituitary gland

A team of researchers led by scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have for the first time identified stem cells that allow the pituitary glands of mice to grow even after birth.

28 Apr 2008

New route discovered for attacking the human immunodeficiency virus

28 Apr 2008

Smokers more prone to depression

Researchers in Spain suggest that smokers are significantly more at risk of suffering depression than non-smokers.

28 Apr 2008

Research links low-frequency hearing to shape of the cochlea

Shape matters, even in hearing. Specifically, it is the shape of the cochlea - the snail-shell-shaped organ in the inner ear that converts sound waves into nerve impulses that the brain deciphers - which proves to be surprisingly important.

27 Apr 2008

Scientists discover 4th major set of common genetic variants linked to risk of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer

Scientists from deCODE genetics report the discovery of two common single-letter variants (SNPs) on chromosome 5 of the human genome that are associated with risk of estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer.

27 Apr 2008

Gene therapy restores vision in patients with rare congenital blindness

In a clinical trial at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, researchers from The University of Pennsylvania have used gene therapy to safely restore vision in three young adults with a rare form of congenital blindness.

27 Apr 2008

Extreme nausea and vomiting varies among pregnant women from different countries

Mothers born in India and Sri Lanka are three times more likely to suffer from extreme nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (hyperemesis gravidarum) than ethnic Norwegians.

27 Apr 2008

Epigenetic research uncovers new targets for modification enzymes

Enzymes regulating genetic expression can be just as important as the genome itself, increasing evidence shows.

27 Apr 2008

Genetic News and Research

Small molecule nutlin-3a activates an important cancer suppressor gene

U.S. Congress passes genetic nondiscrimination act

New understanding of how some bacteria survive antibiotic treatment

Alzheimer's and diabetes link

Mothers and offspring can share cells throughout life - with positive and negative effects

First sequence-based map of large-scale structural variation across the human genome

Study explains why steroid therapy for sinusitis and asthma loses its punch over time

Human protein may offer novel target for blocking HIV infection

Biomarkers identified for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

CQ's Carey looks at genetic anti-discrimination measure, legislation to block Medicaid rules implementation, FDA hearings

Abmormal behaviour of osteoglycin gene linked to heart and kidney problems

Daycare and play group attendance early on cuts childhood leukemia risk

Scientists find distinct kind of stem cells in the pituitary gland

New route discovered for attacking the human immunodeficiency virus

Smokers more prone to depression

Research links low-frequency hearing to shape of the cochlea

Scientists discover 4th major set of common genetic variants linked to risk of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer

Gene therapy restores vision in patients with rare congenital blindness

Extreme nausea and vomiting varies among pregnant women from different countries

Epigenetic research uncovers new targets for modification enzymes

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