Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Researchers identify mutation in CNGB1 gene causing PRA in Phalene and Papillon

Professor Hannes Lohi's research group at the University of Helsinki and Folkh-lsan Research Center, Finland, has identified a mutation in CNGB1 gene, causing progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) in the Phalene and Papillon dog breeds.

30 Aug 2013

Stem cell researchers receive Early Translational research awards from CIRM

Four prominent researchers from UCLA's Eli & Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research have received Early Translational research awards totaling approximately $13 million from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) the state stem cell agency. The UCLA researchers received four of the 12 total awards; no other applicant institution received more than one award.

30 Aug 2013

Scientists unravel how DNA damage may trigger lupus erythematosus

Summer, sun and the sea - a dream vacation for most - can turn sour for those affected by lupus erythematosus. For them, absorption of the UV-light component in sunlight may cause florid inflammation and redness of the skin. Scientists of the University Hospital Bonn, Germany have now discovered which signaling pathway of the innate immune system promotes autoimmune symptoms following sun-induced DNA damage.

30 Aug 2013

Blood test provides tool essential to trials of therapies for Huntington's disease

An assay designed to measure normal and abnormal forms of the huntingtin protein - the mutated form of which causes Huntington's disease - was successful in detecting levels of the mutant protein in a large multicenter study of individuals at risk for the devastating neurological disorder.

30 Aug 2013

Protein activated by inflammation converts glioblastoma multiforme cells to most aggressive form

A prominent protein activated by inflammation is the key instigator that converts glioblastoma multiforme cells to their most aggressive, untreatable form and promotes resistance to radiation therapy, an international team lead by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reported online today in the journal Cancer Cell.

30 Aug 2013

Dezima starts DEZ-001 Phase 2b study in patients with mild dyslipidemia

Dezima Pharma, the biotechnology company developing innovative drugs in the field of dyslipidemia, announced today the initiation of a double blind, placebo controlled, Phase 2b dose ranging study of DEZ-001 (previously TA-8995), alone and in combination with statins, in order to study the effects on a wide range of lipids and other biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in patients with mild dyslipidemia.

30 Aug 2013

Potential drug target to treat depression and other mood disorders may lie in GABA neurons

A new drug target to treat depression and other mood disorders may lie in a group of GABA neurons (gamma-aminobutyric acid -the neurotransmitters which inhibit other cells) shown to contribute to symptoms like social withdrawal and increased anxiety, Penn Medicine researchers report in a new study in the Journal of Neuroscience.

30 Aug 2013

Study reveals zinc-regulated small compound in blood mediates harmful effects of zinc deprivation

According to new research published in The FASEB Journal, a drop in blood zinc levels does not directly harm the blood vessel cells. Rather, zinc regulates the production of a small molecular compound, which then circulates in the blood and causes harmful blood vessel cell effects.

30 Aug 2013

Researchers discover new gene mutations which cause devastating mitochondrial disorders

Researchers have identified a novel disease gene in which mutations cause rare but devastating genetic diseases known as mitochondrial disorders.

30 Aug 2013

Malignant Hyperthermia Scientific Conference to be held at University of Toronto

The 2013 Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) Scientific Conference is being held at the Chestnut Conference Centre, University of Toronto, Canada on November 1st and 2nd, 2013 and is sponsored by Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States (MHAUS) in conjunction with The University of Toronto.

29 Aug 2013

Scientists develop method to generate functioning brain cells that produce myelin

Stem cell technology has long offered the hope of regenerating tissue to repair broken or damaged neural tissue. Findings from a team of UC Davis investigators have brought this dream a step closer by developing a method to generate functioning brain cells that produce myelin - a fatty, insulating sheath essential to normal neural conduction.

29 Aug 2013

Experts share tips on preventing ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of death in American women. Approximately 22,000 women are diagnosed annually and 14,000 die from the disease. September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month and Mount Sinai experts are sharing tips on prevention.

29 Aug 2013

Barber pole worm genome provides essential platform to understand drug resistance in worms

Researchers have identified five enzymes that are essential to the survival of a parasitic worm that infects livestock worldwide and is a great threat to global food security. Two of these proteins are already being studied as potential drug targets against other pathogens.

29 Aug 2013

Problems with key enzymes potentially lead to autism spectrum disorder

Problems with a key group of enzymes called topoisomerases can have profound effects on the genetic machinery behind brain development and potentially lead to autism spectrum disorder, according to research announced today in the journal Nature.

29 Aug 2013

Study: Deficiency of protein causes age-related memory loss and Alzheimer's disease

A team of Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers, led by Nobel laureate Eric R. Kandel, MD, has found that deficiency of a protein called RbAp48 in the hippocampus is a significant contributor to age-related memory loss and that this form of memory loss is reversible.

29 Aug 2013

Study points to potential new therapeutic target for preventing birth defects in women with diabetes

A research team at the University of Maryland School of Medicine has identified a cell signaling pathway which plays a significant role in causing developmental defects of the fetal spinal cord and brain in babies of women with diabetes.

29 Aug 2013

Researchers identify possible treatment strategy for ALS and other neurodegenerative disorders

Researchers have tied mutations in a gene that causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other neurodegenerative disorders to the toxic buildup of certain proteins and related molecules in cells, including neurons. The research, published recently in the scientific journal Cell, offers a new approach for developing treatments against these devastating diseases.

29 Aug 2013

Personality may be key to genetics of bipolar disorder

People with bipolar disorder vary significantly from their unaffected relatives, and from healthy controls, on several measures of personality, a study shows.

28 Aug 2013

Tumor Suppressor May Actually Drive Cancer Development

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28 Aug 2013

Study paves way for understanding the crucial role of lncRNA in human neurons

Scientists at A*STAR's Genome Institute of Singapore have discovered an unusual gene that controls the generation of neurons. This important finding, which is crucial in understanding serious diseases of the brain such as Alzheimer's disease, was reported in the 8th August 2013 issue of the prestigious scientific journal, Molecular Cell.

28 Aug 2013

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Researchers identify mutation in CNGB1 gene causing PRA in Phalene and Papillon

Stem cell researchers receive Early Translational research awards from CIRM

Scientists unravel how DNA damage may trigger lupus erythematosus

Blood test provides tool essential to trials of therapies for Huntington's disease

Protein activated by inflammation converts glioblastoma multiforme cells to most aggressive form

Dezima starts DEZ-001 Phase 2b study in patients with mild dyslipidemia

Potential drug target to treat depression and other mood disorders may lie in GABA neurons

Study reveals zinc-regulated small compound in blood mediates harmful effects of zinc deprivation

Researchers discover new gene mutations which cause devastating mitochondrial disorders

Malignant Hyperthermia Scientific Conference to be held at University of Toronto

Scientists develop method to generate functioning brain cells that produce myelin

Experts share tips on preventing ovarian cancer

Barber pole worm genome provides essential platform to understand drug resistance in worms

Problems with key enzymes potentially lead to autism spectrum disorder

Study: Deficiency of protein causes age-related memory loss and Alzheimer's disease

Study points to potential new therapeutic target for preventing birth defects in women with diabetes

Researchers identify possible treatment strategy for ALS and other neurodegenerative disorders

Personality may be key to genetics of bipolar disorder

Tumor Suppressor May Actually Drive Cancer Development

Study paves way for understanding the crucial role of lncRNA in human neurons

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