Genetic News and Research

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Prozac helps learning and memory in people with Huntington's disease

People with Huntington's disease have progressive motor problems, cognitive deficits (dementia) and psychiatric symptoms (the most common is depression) that usually start to appear in mid-life. There is no cure and death usually results within 10 to 20 years of symptom onset, or faster in the childhood-onset form of the disease.

9 Oct 2005

Researchers find gene that is important for the control of fundamental rhythms in nematode worms

University of Utah biologists found a gene that controls rhythmic events in a worm's life: swallowing food, laying eggs and pooping.

9 Oct 2005

Discovery of new features of a key quality-control mechanism in our cells

Mutations in genes are the basis of evolution, so we owe our existence to them. Most mutations are harmful, however, because they cause cells to build defective proteins. So cells have evolved quality control mechanisms that recognize and counteract genetic mistakes.

9 Oct 2005

Specific gene on chromosome 15 regulates inflammation

A team of international researchers has discovered that a specific gene on chromosome 15 regulates inflammation, a finding with implications for a wide range of disorders, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer's, and infections. The findings are published in the October 9 online issue of Nature Genetics.

9 Oct 2005

Scientists genetically modify male mosquitoes to express a glowing protein in their gonads - may help control the mosquito population

By providing a way to quickly sex mosquitoes, the advance paves the way for pooling large numbers of sterile males which could be used to control the mosquito population.

9 Oct 2005

New information regarding the genetic, cellular and neurological bases of susceptibility to autism and schizophrenia

Two New Jersey research teams are reporting discoveries about the biological nature of psychiatric disorders that may bring them closer to the ultimate goal of finding cures for complex diseases, such as autism and schizophrenia.

9 Oct 2005

Avian influenza and the U.S

If a virulent strain of avian influenza ever struck the U.S. poultry industry, this country probably would fare better than many other nations due to careful biosecurity procedures in force.

9 Oct 2005

Deadly 1918 Spanish flue virus has been reconstructed and characterized

This research, reported in this week's issue of Science, is part of a larger research initiative being led by Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, PhD, Professor of Microbiology and Peter Palese, PhD, Professor and Chairman of Microbiology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

5 Oct 2005

Particular versions of the TGFb1 gene are largely responsible for how badly the illness affects patients' lungs

Subtle differences in other genes -- besides the defective gene known to cause the illness cystic fibrosis -- can significantly modify the inherited disease's severity, a large new multi-center national study has concluded.

5 Oct 2005

Most comprehensive picture to date of how influenza viruses evolve and are transmitted

In the first large-scale effort of its kind, researchers have determined the full genetic sequence of more than 200 distinct strains of human influenza virus.

5 Oct 2005

Influenza evolution in action

On the eve of the 2005-06 flu season, scientists at The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) have captured influenza evolution in action. In a study published in this week's journal Nature, the researchers report the first large-scale project to sequence the influenza virus.

5 Oct 2005

Immature stem cells that proliferate to form brain tissues in mice can function for at least a year

New studies in mice have shown that immature stem cells that proliferate to form brain tissues can function for at least a year -- most of the life span of a mouse -- and give rise to multiple types of neural cells, not just neurons.

5 Oct 2005

PET imaging with FDG represents one of the most promising tools for diagnosis of Alzheimer's

Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging--with the radiotracer fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)--is a promising tool in detecting Alzheimer's disease in patients who have mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to a study reported in the October issue of the Society of Nuclear Medicine's Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

5 Oct 2005

Specific guidelines for treating juvenile idiopathic arthritis

A study published by the Cleveland Clinic and The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) provides the medical community for the first time with specific guidelines for treating juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), previously known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), a condition that affects approximately one in every 1,000 children.

4 Oct 2005

Common cancer susceptibility gene appears to be frequently acquired in metastatic lesions from colorectal cancer

A relatively common cancer susceptibility gene appears to be frequently acquired in metastatic lesions from colorectal cancer, and give cancer cells a growth advantage, according to a study in the October 5 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

4 Oct 2005

Researchers identify gene defect in mice that causes cyclical hair loss and skin cancer

Researchers at Jefferson Medical College and at the Wadsworth Center in New York have identified a gene defect in mice resulting in a range of abnormalities, from cyclical hair loss and skin cancer to severe problems in normal skin development.

4 Oct 2005

Largest systematic analysis of duplicated gene function to date

When Mother Nature creates an identical copy of a gene in an organism's genome, the duplicated copy is usually deleted, inactivated, or otherwise rendered nonfunctional in order to prevent genetic redundancy and to preserve biological homeostasis. In some cases, however, gene duplicates are maintained in a functional state.

4 Oct 2005

Discovery has implications for research on restoring mobility to people who have lost motor functions due to spinal cord injury

Yale School of Medicine researchers report in Science this week genetic evidence for the hypothesis that myelination, or formation of a protective sheath around a nerve fiber, consolidates neural circuitry by suppressing plasticity in the mature brain.

3 Oct 2005

Landmark study aims to find genetic link to Alzheimer's disease

More than 500 families affected by Alzheimer's Disease are participating in a landmark study led by Columbia University Medical Center to find a genetic link to the disease. That number will now double to 1,000 under a new $10 million five-year grant from National Institute on Aging.

3 Oct 2005

Brain mechanism may play a central role in regulating anxiety and alcohol-drinking

The finding, by researchers supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), could provide important clues about the neurobiology of alcohol-drinking behaviors in humans.

3 Oct 2005

Genetic News and Research

Prozac helps learning and memory in people with Huntington's disease

Researchers find gene that is important for the control of fundamental rhythms in nematode worms

Discovery of new features of a key quality-control mechanism in our cells

Specific gene on chromosome 15 regulates inflammation

Scientists genetically modify male mosquitoes to express a glowing protein in their gonads - may help control the mosquito population

New information regarding the genetic, cellular and neurological bases of susceptibility to autism and schizophrenia

Avian influenza and the U.S

Deadly 1918 Spanish flue virus has been reconstructed and characterized

Particular versions of the TGFb1 gene are largely responsible for how badly the illness affects patients' lungs

Most comprehensive picture to date of how influenza viruses evolve and are transmitted

Influenza evolution in action

Immature stem cells that proliferate to form brain tissues in mice can function for at least a year

PET imaging with FDG represents one of the most promising tools for diagnosis of Alzheimer's

Specific guidelines for treating juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Common cancer susceptibility gene appears to be frequently acquired in metastatic lesions from colorectal cancer

Researchers identify gene defect in mice that causes cyclical hair loss and skin cancer

Largest systematic analysis of duplicated gene function to date

Discovery has implications for research on restoring mobility to people who have lost motor functions due to spinal cord injury

Landmark study aims to find genetic link to Alzheimer's disease

Brain mechanism may play a central role in regulating anxiety and alcohol-drinking

eBook: Using iPSCs models for human disease research and drug discovery eBook

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

Addressing Important Cardiac Biology Questions with Shotgun Top-Down Proteomics

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