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Australian researchers at the forefront of an international project to identify genes associated with schizophrenia

University of Queensland researchers are at the forefront of an international project to identify genes associated with schizophrenia, a common mental illness whose causes are not fully understood.

20 Jun 2005

Harmless bacterium can sometimes trigger outbreaks of life-threatening meningitis

Reporting in the June 20 issue of The Journal of Experimental Medicine, a group of scientists in Paris, France led by Colin Tinsley may have discovered how a normally harmless bacterium can sometimes trigger outbreaks of life-threatening meningitis.

20 Jun 2005

Reproductive tourism is on the increase in Europe

Reproductive tourism is on the increase in Europe, but rather than condemning it, we should regard it as a "safety valve" that helps us to avoid moral conflict, according to a European ethics expert.

20 Jun 2005

New way of obtaining embryonic stem cells that avoids contamination by other types of cells

Scientists in the USA have discovered a new way of obtaining embryonic stem cells that avoids contamination by other types of cells and reduces the numbers of embryos needed to create embryonic stem cell lines.

20 Jun 2005

Studies show Alzheimer's prevented by drinking juice daily and having the occasional alcoholic drink

At a conference in the U.S. on Alzheimer's disease on June 19, researchers said that they think brain scans and simple blood tests may offer the best ways to predict who has the highest risk of Alzheimer's disease.

20 Jun 2005

British team grow sperm and eggs from stem cells

British scientists have made a major breakthrough with the discovery that both sperm and eggs can be grown from stem cells.

20 Jun 2005

Scientists prove that human embryonic stem cells can develop in the laboratory into the early forms of cells that eventually become eggs or sperm

Their work opens up the possibility that eggs and sperm could be grown from stem cells and used for assisted reproduction, therapeutic cloning and the creation of more stem cells for further research and for the improved treatments for patients suffering from a range of diseases.

19 Jun 2005

Early exposure to inflammatory disease multiplies Alzheimer's risk

A new study of dementia in identical twins suggests that exposure to inflammation early in life quadruples one's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

19 Jun 2005

Most common form of lung cancer may begin in a group of newly isolated lung stem cells

Working in a mouse model, the researchers isolated a novel type of lung cell that can divide into fresh copies of itself and into the two more specialized kinds of cells deep in the lung.

16 Jun 2005

Specific genetic linkages to bipolar disorder

Despite an intensive effort, researchers have yet to identify the genes that cause bipolar disorder, yet the practical benefits of such a discovery could reap rich rewards for those suffering from the mental illness.

16 Jun 2005

Researchers explore the genetic roots of congenital diaphragmatic hernias

To breathe normally, people need more than just healthy lungs. A diaphragm - the large muscle that creates a vacuum to draw air into their lungs - is also crucial.

16 Jun 2005

Findings may help scientists improve the existing vaccine for yellow fever

In one of the first molecular studies of the human antibody response to yellow fever, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) researchers and their colleagues have found the crucial bit of virus that people's immune systems need to spot and quash this often-fatal re-emerging disease.

16 Jun 2005

Inactive gene may explain higher incidence of prostate cancer in African-Americans compared to Caucasians

Among African-Americans with prostate cancer, a tumor-suppressing gene called GSTP1 is inactivated at a rate 3.5 times higher than among Caucasians, according to a study conducted at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC).

16 Jun 2005

Scientists have tracked down the biological trigger that gives rise to Van Buchem disease

...a hereditary, disfiguring bone disorder that can cause blindness and deafness. The findings provide insight into long-range gene regulation and could lead to new treatments for osteoporosis and other crippling bone disorders.

16 Jun 2005

People with a history of epilepsy are at increased risk of developing schizophrenia

The study involved 2.27 million people who were born in Denmark between 1950 and 1987, and were identified from national registers. Personal and family histories of epilepsy and psychosis were obtained, and individuals were monitored for up to 25 years.

16 Jun 2005

Columbia University launches multi-year campaign to support stem cell researc

Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) has announced that it is halfway toward realizing the first phase of a multi-year campaign to build upon the university’s groundbreaking stem cell research and lead the effort to fully realize the therapeutic potential of stem cells.

16 Jun 2005

Hydroxyurea may prevent complications such as organ damage and stunted growth in treatment of sickle cell disease

Treating babies who have sickle cell disease (SCD) with oral liquid hydroxyurea appears to prevent the onset of long-term complications triggered by this disease, according to results of a preliminary study by investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

16 Jun 2005

Jumping genes help detemine uniqueness of individual brains

Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies may have found one explanation for the puzzling variety in brain organization and function: mobile elements, pieces of DNA that can jump from one place in the genome to another, randomly changing the genetic information in single brain cells.

15 Jun 2005

New research shows that genes exert powerful effect on sexual behavior

New research has shown that the manipulation of a single gene in female fruit flies can make their sexual behavior resemble that of males, in a study that demonstrates the power of individual genes and the profound impact of genetics on complex sexual behavior.

15 Jun 2005

Scientists discover new way of bringing "bio-prospecting" out of the rainforest and into the lab

Nature is a seemingly endless storehouse of interesting - and potentially life-saving - biological molecules. But tracking down and harvesting those chemicals in their natural form can be time-consuming, expensive and unreliable.

15 Jun 2005

Genetic News and Research

Australian researchers at the forefront of an international project to identify genes associated with schizophrenia

Harmless bacterium can sometimes trigger outbreaks of life-threatening meningitis

Reproductive tourism is on the increase in Europe

New way of obtaining embryonic stem cells that avoids contamination by other types of cells

Studies show Alzheimer's prevented by drinking juice daily and having the occasional alcoholic drink

British team grow sperm and eggs from stem cells

Scientists prove that human embryonic stem cells can develop in the laboratory into the early forms of cells that eventually become eggs or sperm

Early exposure to inflammatory disease multiplies Alzheimer's risk

Most common form of lung cancer may begin in a group of newly isolated lung stem cells

Specific genetic linkages to bipolar disorder

Researchers explore the genetic roots of congenital diaphragmatic hernias

Findings may help scientists improve the existing vaccine for yellow fever

Inactive gene may explain higher incidence of prostate cancer in African-Americans compared to Caucasians

Scientists have tracked down the biological trigger that gives rise to Van Buchem disease

People with a history of epilepsy are at increased risk of developing schizophrenia

Columbia University launches multi-year campaign to support stem cell researc

Hydroxyurea may prevent complications such as organ damage and stunted growth in treatment of sickle cell disease

Jumping genes help detemine uniqueness of individual brains

New research shows that genes exert powerful effect on sexual behavior

Scientists discover new way of bringing "bio-prospecting" out of the rainforest and into the lab

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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