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Scientists identify biomarkers for chronological and physiological age prediction

Scientists at the Buck Institute for Age Research have identified for the first time biomarkers of aging which are highly predictive of both chronological and physiological age.

19 Nov 2008

Systems biology brings hope of speeding up drug development

Almost every day brings news of an apparent breakthrough against cancer, infectious diseases, or metabolic conditions like diabetes, but these rarely translate into effective therapies or drugs, and even if they do clinical development usually takes well over a decade.

19 Nov 2008

Discovery of 13 new tumor-suppressor genes in liver cancer

Over the years, hunting for cancer-related genes and understanding how they work has been an important, although time-consuming, exercise.

18 Nov 2008

Impending crisis in provision of histopathology expertise for mouse functional genomics

The generation of new mouse models of human disease is accelerating rapidly due to the completion of whole-genome sequencing efforts and technological advances in the manipulation of the mouse genome.

18 Nov 2008

Why only some former smokers develop lung cancer

Canadian researchers are trying to answer why some smokers develop lung cancer while others remain disease free, despite similar lifestyle changes.

17 Nov 2008

New gene-silencing pathway found in plants

Biologists at Washington University in St. Louis have made major headway in explaining a mechanism by which plant cells silence potentially harmful genes.

17 Nov 2008

Microarray analysis improves prenatal diagnosis

A "chip" or array that can quickly detect disorders such as Down syndrome or other diseases associated with chromosomal abnormalities proved an effective tool in prenatal diagnosis in a series of 300 cases at Baylor College of Medicine, said researchers in a report that appears in the current issue of the journal Prenatal Diagnosis.

17 Nov 2008

Four new colorectal cancer genes found

Canadian researchers collaborating in a large, international study played a key role in identifying four new genes for colorectal cancer.

17 Nov 2008

Expert concerned genetic research could awaken racist attitudes

People are different, both physically and mentally, but genetically everyone is very similar.

17 Nov 2008

Previously unknown regulatory step during HIV replication provides potential new target for HIV/AIDS therapy

A previously unknown regulatory step during human immunodeficiency (HIV) replication provides a potentially valuable new target for HIV/AIDS therapy, report researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

16 Nov 2008

Widespread public support for large genetic study

Four in five Americans support the idea of a nationwide study to investigate the interactions of genes, environment and lifestyle, and three in five say they would be willing to take part in such a study, according to a survey released today.

12 Nov 2008

Scientists crack the code to tamoxifen resistance

CANCER RESEARCH UK scientists have discovered the molecular basis for tamoxifen response in breast cancer cells - and the reason why some women can develop resistance to the treatment, according to a study published in Nature today (Wednesday).

12 Nov 2008

New genetic kidney atlas will explain kidney disease

An international team of researchers, which included scientists from the University of Queensland, have generated an atlas of genes involved in kidney formation.

11 Nov 2008

Newborn neurons in the adult brain can settle in the wrong neighborhood

In a study that could have significant consequences for neural tissue transplantation strategies, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies report that inactivating a specific gene in adult neural stem cells makes nerve cells emerging from those precursors form connections in the wrong part of the adult brain.

11 Nov 2008

First comprehensive genetic blueprint of a forming mammalian organ

Part of an international consortium sponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), a research team led by Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center reports the creation of a detailed genome-based atlas for understanding healthy and abnormal kidney development and disease.

11 Nov 2008

Data expands the clinical utility of deCODE tests for heart attack, atrial fibrillation and stroke

Several presentations by deCODE genetics scientists and independent researchers at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2008 being held at the New Orleans Convention Center from November 8 to12 are expected to expand upon the clinical utility of evaluating individual risk of heart attack, or atrial fibrillation and stroke, respectively, by measuring the genetic markers that are the basis of the deCODE MI and deCODE AF tests.

11 Nov 2008

Gene therapy for advanced heart failure shows promising results

Phase I results of the first clinical trial of gene therapy for patients with advanced heart failure show the approach to be promising, with improvements in several measures of the condition's severity.

10 Nov 2008

Santaris Pharma releases positive data on LNA-based survivin inhibitor

Santaris Pharma announced today that SPC3042, a RNA-based antisense oligonucleotide developed using the company's proprietary Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) technology, potently blocks survivin, a key survival protein in cancer cells, in both in vitro and in vivo models of prostate cancer. Importantly, SPC3042 works synergistically with the anticancer drug paclitaxel (Taxol) in both model systems.

10 Nov 2008

NEI releases complete data from age-related eye disease study

The National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announces the release of more than 10 years of data collected during the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS), which looked at the progression of age-related macular degeneration and age-related cataract in 4,757 adults aged 55 to 80.

10 Nov 2008

Variations of MYH9 gene help explain high rate of kidney disease in African Americans

Several recent studies have suggested that common gene variations may be responsible for much of the elevated risk of kidney disease in African Americans.

8 Nov 2008