Genetic News and Research

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Adults with asthma may have an increased risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

According to a 20-year study published in the July issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), patients with asthma were 12 times more likely than nonasthmatics to develop COPD later in life.

13 Jul 2004

New hereditary spastic paraplegia research

In work reported this week, researchers have taken our understanding of HSP to a new level with the development of an animal model for the disease.

13 Jul 2004

New guidelines for pulmonary arterial hypertension caution the use of calcium channel blockers

A new evidence-based guideline for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) cautions the use of calcium channel blockers, a commonly used treatment for high blood pressure, in unstable patients due to the potentially fatal side effects associated with the medication.

13 Jul 2004

Increasing evidence a virus may play a role in breast cancer

A new study finds increasing evidence a virus may play a role in breast cancer. The study finds nearly three-quarters of a small sample of Tunisian breast cancer patients showed evidence of a virus similar to one known to cause breast cancer in mice, twice the rate seen in women in the United States.

12 Jul 2004

Genetic mutation is a major contributor to type 1 diabetes

A natural mutation of a gene that helps regulate the reactivity of the immune system is a major contributor to type 1 diabetes, Medical College of Georgia researchers have found.

12 Jul 2004

Role of environmental risks in the development of autism

Funding for a new study to find out more about the role of environmental risks in the development of autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASD), has been announced by The Medical Research Council.

10 Jul 2004

DNA testing of one millionth sheep for scrapie susceptibility

Orchid BioSciences has announced that its animal genetic testing facility in the U.K. has completed DNA testing of its one millionth sheep for scrapie susceptibility.

10 Jul 2004

Ohio State budget cuts jeopardize medical coverage

On July 1, the Ohio State Department of Health plans to implement a major budget cut for the Bureau for Children with Mental Handicaps (BCMH).

10 Jul 2004

The structure of AGT shows how one human protein reduces the potency of chemotherapy

The fine details of this x-ray structure may help scientists find ways to fight certain cancers, such as brain tumors, which express high levels of AGT making them resistant to chemotherapy.

9 Jul 2004

Geographic variations in colour perception

It's long been known that color blindness is caused, usually in men, by changes in the red and green opsin genes, the genes that enable humans to perceive color.

9 Jul 2004

Avian influenza virus in East Asia arose through a series of genetic reassortment events with other viruses

An avian influenza virus that has caused three major outbreaks among poultry and killed several people in East Asia over the past seven years arose through a series of genetic reassortment events with other viruses.

9 Jul 2004

Sunscreen to protect the skin's genetic material, or DNA

A new company, DNAcare Systems, is to be formed at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, based on research by skin cancer expert Dr Mark Birch-Machin and colleagues.

8 Jul 2004

Identification of a naturally occurring genetic difference that controls the production of serotonin in the brain

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have provided the first direct evidence in mice for the role of an enzyme that specifically controls the production of serotonin in the brain.

8 Jul 2004

Chromatin array a new technology for examining DNA

A new technique for examining DNA is giving scientists a more detailed picture of which genes have the propensity for activation, offering a new tool for understanding how genes function and possibly for diagnosing disease.

8 Jul 2004

Chemoradioimmunotherapy for advanced breast cancer

A successful, and novel, technique to kill metastatic breast cancer cells by circumventing their chemo- and radioresistant mechanisms was by presented by Dr John Giannios, Head of Radiotherapeutic Cancer Research at the IASO Hospital

8 Jul 2004

Researchers shed new light on the function of huntingtin, the protein whose mutation underlies Huntington’s disease

CNRS and Inserm research scientists at the Institut Curie have shed new light on the function of huntingtin, the protein whose mutation underlies Huntington’s disease.

8 Jul 2004

Environmental risks in the development of autism and autism spectrum disorders

Funding for a new study to find out more about the role of environmental risks in the development of autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASD), has been announced by the Medical Research Council (MRC).

8 Jul 2004

Genes linked to cardiovascular disease more common among African Americans than those of European descent

Three gene variants that have been associated with heart attack risk in Japanese studies occur more frequently among African Americans than those of European descent

7 Jul 2004

Research could help disarm deadly retroviruses such as HIV or SARS

Taken to its ultimate outcome, the research that biology professor Dr. Steve Howard is working on could help disarm deadly retroviruses such as HIV or SARS.

7 Jul 2004

Gene responsible for the onset of aging

Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered a gene responsible for the onset of aging, including age-related disorders such as infertility, reproductive problems and cataracts.

7 Jul 2004