Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Epigenetic control of serotonin transporter predicts human brain function

The tiny addition of a chemical mark atop a gene that is well known for its involvement in clinical depression and posttraumatic stress disorder can affect the way a person's brain responds to threats, according to a new study by Duke University researchers.

4 Aug 2014

New genetic markers signal increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer

A large DNA analysis of people with and without pancreatic cancer has identified several new genetic markers that signal increased risk of developing the highly lethal disease, report scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

4 Aug 2014

New web-based tool enables researchers to quickly visualize genomic information

Scientists at the University of Maryland have developed a new, web-based tool that enables researchers to quickly and easily visualize and compare large amounts of genomic information resulting from high-throughput sequencing experiments.

4 Aug 2014

Biomarker for head and neck cancers identified

Although mutations in a gene dubbed "the guardian of the genome" are widely recognized as being associated with more aggressive forms of cancer, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have found evidence suggesting that the deleterious health effects of the mutated gene may in large part be due to other genetic abnormalities, at least in squamous cell head and neck cancers.

4 Aug 2014

Research: Tumor-suppressing protein linked with CHARGE syndrome

CHARGE, which affects 1 in 10,000 babies, is an acronym whose letters stand for some of the more common symptoms of the condition: coloboma of the eye, heart defects, atresia of the choanae, retardation of growth and/or development, genital and/or urinary abnormalities, and ear abnormalities and deafness.

4 Aug 2014

New use for old drug provides hope for patients with pancreatic cancer

Cancer Research UK scientists have found a new use for an old drug by showing that it shrinks a particular type of pancreatic cancer tumour and stops it spreading, according to research published in Gut.

4 Aug 2014

Study: Spicy capsaicin can reduce risk of colorectal tumors

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that dietary capsaicin - the active ingredient in chili peppers - produces chronic activation of a receptor on cells lining the intestines of mice, triggering a reaction that ultimately reduces the risk of colorectal tumors.

3 Aug 2014

Study of twins shows that genetic variant provides greater resistance to effects of sleep deprivation

Researchers who studied 100 twin pairs have identified a gene mutation that may allow the carrier to function normally on less than six hours of sleep per night. The genetic variant also appears to provide greater resistance to the effects of sleep deprivation.

1 Aug 2014

Biologists identify signaling pathway that switches on calorie-burning process in brown fat cells

Biologists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have identified a signaling pathway that switches on a powerful calorie-burning process in brown fat cells.

1 Aug 2014

Modulation of B cells may effectively treat symptoms of type 2 diabetes and periodontitis

Going to the dentist isn't fun for anyone, but for those with periodontal disease related to type 2 diabetes, a new research discovery may have them smiling.

1 Aug 2014

Researchers identify possible new drug target for treating childhood blood cancer

In what is believed to be the largest genetic analysis of what triggers and propels progression of tumor growth in a common childhood blood cancer, researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center report that they have identified a possible new drug target for treating the disease.

1 Aug 2014

Suicidal tendency shows up in the blood?

American researchers have identified a genetic indicator that could be used to predict a person’s risk of attempting suicide.

31 Jul 2014

Mice lacking specific protein live longer lives with fewer age-related illnesses

While developing a new cancer drug, researchers at The Wistar Institute discovered that mice lacking a specific protein live longer lives with fewer age-related illnesses.

31 Jul 2014

Study provides platform for detailed study of nerve injury and repair during Wallerian degeneration

Wallerian degeneration is a subject of major interest in neuroscience. A large number of genes are differentially regulated during the distinct stages of Wallerian degeneration: transcription factor activation, immune response, myelin cell differentiation and dedifferentiation.

31 Jul 2014

Combination therapy effective in treating drug-resistant malaria

Resistance to artemisinin, the main drug to treat malaria, is now widespread throughout Southeast Asia, among the Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) parasites that cause the disease and is likely caused by a genetic mutation in the parasites.

31 Jul 2014

Researchers identify RNA that modulates action of important gene in process of programmed cell death

Researchers from the University of S-o Paulo (USP) have identified an RNA known as INXS that, although containing no instructions for the production of a protein, modulates the action of an important gene in the process of apoptosis, or programmed cell death.

31 Jul 2014

Obesity mutation MC4R can significantly contribute to weight gain at early age

People who have the most common genetic mutation linked to obesity respond differently to pictures of appetizing foods than overweight or obese people who do not have the genetic mutation, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

31 Jul 2014

Study: Socialization emerges as relative strength in boys with fragile X

Standard scores measuring "adaptive behavior" in boys with fragile X syndrome tend to decline during childhood and adolescence, the largest longitudinal study of the inherited disorder to date has found.

30 Jul 2014

Researchers discover new function of body's most important tumor-suppressing protein

Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have discovered a new function of the body's most important tumor-suppressing protein. Called p53, this protein has been called "the guardian of the genome."

30 Jul 2014

Alterations to single gene could predict risk of suicide attempt

Johns Hopkins researchers say they have discovered a chemical alteration in a single human gene linked to stress reactions that, if confirmed in larger studies, could give doctors a simple blood test to reliably predict a person's risk of attempting suicide.

30 Jul 2014

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Epigenetic control of serotonin transporter predicts human brain function

New genetic markers signal increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer

New web-based tool enables researchers to quickly visualize genomic information

Biomarker for head and neck cancers identified

Research: Tumor-suppressing protein linked with CHARGE syndrome

New use for old drug provides hope for patients with pancreatic cancer

Study: Spicy capsaicin can reduce risk of colorectal tumors

Study of twins shows that genetic variant provides greater resistance to effects of sleep deprivation

Biologists identify signaling pathway that switches on calorie-burning process in brown fat cells

Modulation of B cells may effectively treat symptoms of type 2 diabetes and periodontitis

Researchers identify possible new drug target for treating childhood blood cancer

Suicidal tendency shows up in the blood?

Mice lacking specific protein live longer lives with fewer age-related illnesses

Study provides platform for detailed study of nerve injury and repair during Wallerian degeneration

Combination therapy effective in treating drug-resistant malaria

Researchers identify RNA that modulates action of important gene in process of programmed cell death

Obesity mutation MC4R can significantly contribute to weight gain at early age

Study: Socialization emerges as relative strength in boys with fragile X

Researchers discover new function of body's most important tumor-suppressing protein

Alterations to single gene could predict risk of suicide attempt

eBook: Using iPSCs models for human disease research and drug discovery eBook

Decoding Cannabis: Differentiating Hemp and Marijuana

Deciphering the Microbiome with The Microsetta Initiative

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research