Genetic News and Research

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World's first gene therapy trial aimed at preventing cancer

The concept seems straightforward. If, at its heart, cancer is a disease of genes, then giving patients new genes should disarm cancer. Such treatment would replace missing or faulty genes that keep cell growth in check, or would flush the body with "super genes" that could attack and destroy cancer.

5 May 2004

New studies put spotlight on replicative capacity of beta cells

Researchers at Harvard University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) have discovered that insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas that are attacked in type 1 diabetes are replenished through duplication of existing cells rather than through differentiation of adult stem cells.

5 May 2004

New insight into the function of RNA helicases

If DNA can be compared to an architect who gets all the glory for designing the building, RNA can be compared to the engineer who often goes unrecognized, but is needed to turn the blueprints into a real three-dimensional, functional and safe structure.

5 May 2004

Gene therapy helps alcoholic rats

As a follow up to previous work showing that gene therapy can reduce drinking in rats trained to prefer alcohol, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have used the same technique to cut drinking in rats with a genetic predisposition for heavy alcohol consumption.

5 May 2004

Embryo testing could produce babies who might aid sick siblings

Parents with a child requiring stem cell transplantation can have genetic testing done on embryos prior to implantation to determine if the tissue type matches and the ensuing offspring could potentially serve as a donor to the affected child, according to a study in the May 5 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

5 May 2004

Radiologists use CT-Scans to inject gene therapy into tumors

Using CT-scan images to steer gene-therapy injections directly into the tumor offers a safe delivery method for treating patients with metastatic kidney cancer, report UCLA radiologists in the May issue of Radiology. Their findings could enhance the treatment of the disease, which resists traditional intravenous chemotherapy in 85 percent of cases.

4 May 2004

Genetics centre to train NHS staff

A new centre will help to make sure that patients benefit from the latest developments in genetics by keeping NHS staff up-to-date.

4 May 2004

Conference to discuss the ethical, social and legal aspects of human genetic testing

On 6 and 7 May 2004, the European Commission is inviting all interested parties to attend a European citizens’ and stakeholders’ conference to discuss the ethical, social and legal aspects of human genetic testing in research and healthcare applications.

3 May 2004

Scientists find genetic link between prostate cancer and hereditary form of breast and ovarian cancer

A new study shows that the risk for prostate cancer is significantly elevated in men who are part of families with a hereditary form of breast and ovarian cancer. Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center have determined that men in families carrying BRCA genetic mutations have a three- to five-fold increased risk of prostate cancer.

1 May 2004

New research could reduce risk of strokes in younger people

The study published in this month's edition of the international journal Stroke is the first to provide evidence that blood vessels elsewhere in the body, apart from the brain, in CADASIL sufferers are abnormal in over-constricting in response to the hormone Angiotensin II.

1 May 2004

Researchers profile over 6000 genes in the two primary types of normal breast cells

For several years, scientists have attempted to identify gene expression changes, using microarrays or ‘DNA chips’, in order to understand and predict breast cancer onset, progression, and clinical outcome.

1 May 2004

Developing smart drugs

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Researchers, sensing an opening in the cancer battle, are mounting a quick thrust to flush out suspected molecular cancer triggers in tumor cells.

30 Apr 2004

Australian research helps to better understand asthma, hayfever, eczema and associated allergies

May 4, 2004 is World Asthma Day. Asthma, hayfever, eczema and associated allergies are among the most common chronic diseases in the developed world. It has been estimated that up to 50% of people in western societies suffer from these conditions, and in Australia alone, health care costs for asthma alone exceed $700 million each year.

29 Apr 2004

Scientists have discovered a genetic cause of cleft lip and palate in mice

By watching mice “dance” and comparing the DNA of the dancers to their flat-footed siblings, scientists have discovered a genetic cause of cleft lip and palate in mice, a finding that is already being used to search for a similar genetic defect in humans.

29 Apr 2004

Time bomb in heart leads to heart failure in some congenital heart disease patients

However, surgical correction of certain forms of congenital heart disease may not fix the underlying molecular trigger that drives progressive heart failure and sudden death later in life, according to new research from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine.

29 Apr 2004

A new prognostic marker has shown potential to predict recurrence in certain colon cancer patients

In the study, a team of researchers led by Veridex, LLC, a Johnson & Johnson company, used gene expression profiling to identify the new marker – a 23-gene signature – which may predict disease recurrence in patients initially diagnosed with Dukes' B colon cancer.

29 Apr 2004

New technique of identifying genes may help researchers developing drugs

A quick new technique able to identify genes that evolve rapidly as well as those that change slowly already has pinpointed new targets for researchers developing drugs against tuberculosis and malaria, and it could do the same for other infectious diseases, according to a paper in this week's Nature.

29 Apr 2004

Mutation of a gene involved in non-small cell lung cancer linked to drug effectiveness

Mutation of a gene involved in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) increases the likelihood that the drug gefitinib (Iressa™) will show a beneficial response, researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) - part of the National Institutes of Health - and two other institutions announced today in the online version of Science.

29 Apr 2004

Mystery surrounding ageing, death and cancer is dispelled by new study

Scientists from Cancer Research UK and Breast Cancer Campaign have uncovered the first evidence of an entirely new system for holding the ravages of time at bay.

29 Apr 2004

Having your tonsils removed gets more complicated if you have a bleeding disorder

Adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy (adenotonsillectomy) remain two of the most commonly performed surgeries in the United States. For the most part, these procedures are safe and effective; however, risk of post-operative bleeding remains a concern.

29 Apr 2004

Genetic News and Research

World's first gene therapy trial aimed at preventing cancer

New studies put spotlight on replicative capacity of beta cells

New insight into the function of RNA helicases

Gene therapy helps alcoholic rats

Embryo testing could produce babies who might aid sick siblings

Radiologists use CT-Scans to inject gene therapy into tumors

Genetics centre to train NHS staff

Conference to discuss the ethical, social and legal aspects of human genetic testing

Scientists find genetic link between prostate cancer and hereditary form of breast and ovarian cancer

New research could reduce risk of strokes in younger people

Researchers profile over 6000 genes in the two primary types of normal breast cells

Developing smart drugs

Australian research helps to better understand asthma, hayfever, eczema and associated allergies

Scientists have discovered a genetic cause of cleft lip and palate in mice

Time bomb in heart leads to heart failure in some congenital heart disease patients

A new prognostic marker has shown potential to predict recurrence in certain colon cancer patients

New technique of identifying genes may help researchers developing drugs

Mutation of a gene involved in non-small cell lung cancer linked to drug effectiveness

Mystery surrounding ageing, death and cancer is dispelled by new study

Having your tonsils removed gets more complicated if you have a bleeding disorder

Sequencing & Genomics: Elevating Science and Healthcare 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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