Chromosome News and Research

Latest Chromosome News and Research

Researchers discover depression-related DNA region

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and King's College London have independently identified DNA on chromosome 3 that appears to be related to depression.

16 May 2011

Study reveals crucial role of histone deacetylases in type 2 diabetes

A uniquely collaborative study by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies uncovered a novel mechanism that turns up glucose production in the liver when blood sugar levels drop, pointing towards a new class of drugs for the treatment of metabolic disease.

16 May 2011

Genetic link for depression found: Study

Researchers have for the first time confirmed a specific genetic link to depression, according to new evidence published in the American Journal of Psychiatry on Monday. This finding was made independently by research teams in the UK and US, is expected to lead to a better biological understanding of the condition and eventually to more effective antidepressants.

15 May 2011

Lower education leads to faster ageing: Study

According scientists, people who leave education with fewer qualifications are prone to age more quickly. The research was published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity on Wednesday.

15 May 2011

New research sheds light on common pathogenic mechanisms underlying Huntington's disease

New research sheds light on common pathogenic mechanisms shared by Huntington's disease (HD) and HD-like disorders. The study, published by Cell Press in the May 12, 2011, issue of the journal Neuron, uses a new transgenic mouse model for an HD-like disorder to unravel complex molecular events that drive disease pathology.

12 May 2011

Two new research studies on schizophrenia

Two new research studies published in Biological Psychiatry point to progressive abnormalities in brain development that emerge as vulnerable individuals develop schizophrenia.

12 May 2011

Zebrafish research identifies undiscovered high-risk genetic features in T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia

Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer; it also occurs in adults. Now researchers working with zebrafish at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah have identified previously undiscovered high-risk genetic features in T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (T-ALL), according to an article published online May 9, 2011, in the cancer research journal Oncogene.

11 May 2011

Researchers design new tool for identifying protein function from genetic code

Mayo Clinic researchers have designed a new tool for identifying protein function from genetic code. A team led by Stephen Ekker, Ph.D., succeeded in switching individual genes off and on in zebrafish, then observing embryonic and juvenile development.

10 May 2011

UCSF scientists receive CIRM grants to advance degenerative muscle disease research

Three UCSF scientists have received grants from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to advance their investigations of treatment strategies for degenerative muscle diseases, such as muscular dystrophy, and heart disease, and to determine why human embryonic stem cells are susceptible to forming tumors.

10 May 2011

Genetic mutation linked to Kufs disease

According to a new study, a genetic mutation thought to be responsible for the rare hereditary brain disorder Kufs disease is finally identified. The research was carried out by Dr Melanie Bahlo and her team at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute's bioinformatics department in Parkville, Australia, in partnership with neurologist and epilepsy specialists Professor Sam Berkovic and Dr Todor Arsov from the University of Melbourne, Australia.

10 May 2011

Cancer researchers help unlock cellular-level function of telomerase enzyme

Cancer researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center are helping unlock the cellular-level function of the telomerase enzyme, which is linked to the disease's growth.

7 May 2011

Scientists use new technologies to identify genetic cause of Kufs disease

Scientists from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute and the University of Melbourne have used innovative new technologies to identify the gene responsible for a rare but fatal hereditary brain disorder. The discovery will make it possible to diagnose the disease through a blood test rather than a brain biopsy.

6 May 2011

CytRx reports $6.3 million net loss for first quarter 2011

CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in oncology, today reported financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2011, and provided a business update.

5 May 2011

Pregnancy via egg donation for women with Turner's syndrome potentially risky

Pregnancy via egg donation for women with Turner's syndrome is potentially risky, both for the mother and the child, according to a multi-centre study presented today at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Rotterdam.

4 May 2011

WWP2 protein appears to play a key role in tumor survival

A protein known as WWP2 appears to play a key role in tumor survival, a research team headed by a scientist at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reports in an advance online publication of Nature Cell Biology.

4 May 2011

Beta amyloid may inhibit specific cell motors and contribute to memory loss

A protein associated with Alzheimer's disease clogs several motors of the cell transport machinery critical for normal cell division, leading to defective neurons that may contribute to the memory-robbing disease, University of South Florida researchers report.

3 May 2011

Researchers develop new gene therapy technique for CGD treatment

Researchers have developed an effective technique that uses gene therapy on stem cells to correct chronic granulomatous disease in cell culture, which could eventually serve as a treatment for this rare, inherited immune disorder, according to a study published in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology.

29 Apr 2011

GSN receives NIH grant for non-invasive prenatal test trial in genetic abnormalities

Gene Security Network announced today that they have received a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to conduct a clinical trial applying Parental Support technology for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis.

28 Apr 2011

New control point for suppressing cancer cell growth

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists have discovered new details of how cancer cells escape from tumor suppression mechanisms that normally prevent these damaged cells from multiplying. They also demonstrated a potential link between this cell proliferation control mechanism and the cognitive deficits caused by Down syndrome.

28 Apr 2011

Scientists identify new risk gene variant for depression

Max Planck scientists uncover surprising genetic links. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry in Munich have compared the genomes of a total of 4,088 patients and 11,001 healthy control subjects from all over the world and identified a new risk gene variant for depression.

28 Apr 2011