Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Researchers identify first disease gene for idiopathic focal epilepsy in childhood

More than 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, with a third of these being children. The most common forms of epilepsy in children occur without any apparent trigger and only affect certain regions of the brain.

12 Aug 2013

Study of childhood epilepsies links two new genes to severe forms of disease

A genetic study of childhood epilepsies has linked two new genes to severe forms of disease and provides a novel strategy for identifying therapy targets. This study used a cutting-edge genetic technique, called exome sequencing, to search for new mutations that are not inherited.

12 Aug 2013

Study shows schizophrenia, bipolar disorder share the most common genetic variation

The largest genome-wide study of its kind has determined how much five major mental illnesses are traceable to the same common inherited genetic variations. Researchers funded in part by the National Institutes of Health found that the overlap was highest between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder; moderate for bipolar disorder and depression and for ADHD and depression; and low between schizophrenia and autism.

12 Aug 2013

Gene combination therapy repairs and prevents future damage of muscles caused by DMD

New research on two promising gene therapies suggests that combining them into one treatment not only repairs muscle damage caused by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, but also prevents future injury from the muscle-wasting disease.

12 Aug 2013

Study reveals genetic mutations linked to Parkinson's may play a role in death of brain cells

Researchers have discovered how genetic mutations linked to Parkinson's disease might play a key role in the death of brain cells, potentially paving the way for the development of more effective drug treatments.

12 Aug 2013

Four genetic variants in non-small cell lung cancer patients help predict survival, treatment response

Researchers at the Moffitt Cancer Center have identified four inherited genetic variants in non-small cell lung cancer patients that can help predict survival and treatment response. Their findings could help lead to more personalized treatment options and improved outcomes for patients.

9 Aug 2013

Research findings offer clues to the origin of retinal disorders later in life

Scientists are developing a clearer picture of how visual systems develop in mammals. The findings offer important clues to the origin of retinal disorders later in life.

9 Aug 2013

Research suggests blocking DNA repair complex helps fight therapy-resistant leukemia

New research posted online by the Nature journal Leukemia suggests blocking part of a DNA repair complex that helps some types of leukemia resist treatment can increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy and enhance survival.

9 Aug 2013

Study: Immune-regulating molecules can trigger lymphomas

A small group of immune-regulating molecules, when overproduced even moderately, can trigger the blood cancers known as lymphomas, according to a new study led by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI).

9 Aug 2013

High mobility group (HMG) genes and cancer: an interview with Dr. Linda Resar, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

High mobility group A genes are highly expressed in all aggressive cancers studied to date. These genes encode the high mobility group A (HMGA) proteins. In other words, these genes provide the genetic “code” necessary to produce HMGA proteins.

8 Aug 2013

Penn State researchers find that protein changes can control gene functions

A Penn State-led research team has found that changes to proteins called histones, which are associated with DNA, can control whether or not a gene is allowed to function. The changes may be important in maintaining the genes' "expression potential" so that future cells behave as their parent cells did.

8 Aug 2013

Researchers unveil comprehensive portrait of the genome of world's first immortal cell line

A team from the University of Washington has unveiled a comprehensive portrait of the genome of the world's first immortal cell line, known as HeLa. The cell line was derived in 1951 from an aggressive cervical cancer that killed Henrietta Lacks, a 31-year-old African-American tobacco farmer and mother of five - the subject of the 2010 New York Times bestseller, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

8 Aug 2013

Understanding the movement of neurons sheds light on how cancer cells invade health tissues

The invasion of brain-tumor cells into surrounding tissue requires the same protein molecule that neurons need to migrate into position as they differentiate and mature, according to new research from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine and published August 7 in the online journal PLOS ONE.

8 Aug 2013

Research shows how mammalian and bacterial kingdoms interact

The bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae harmlessly colonizes the mucous linings of throats and noses in most people, only becoming virulent when they leave those comfortable surroundings and enter the middle ears, lungs or bloodstream. Now, in research published in July in mBio, University at Buffalo researchers reveal how that happens.

8 Aug 2013

Cognitive decline with age is natural part of life, OSU researchers find

If you forget where you put your car keys and you can't seem to remember things as well as you used to, the problem may well be with the GluN2B subunits in your NMDA receptors.

8 Aug 2013

Scientist receives prestigious USU Medal and 'Order of Military Medical Merit' awards from IRSF

The International Rett Syndrome Foundation (IRSF), the world's largest and most comprehensive not-for-profit organization that funds novel research for treatments and a cure for Rett syndrome, has announced that Steven G. Kaminsky, Ph.D., received two incredibly prestigious awards at the 2013 Annual Family Conference in Midway, Utah this past June.

8 Aug 2013

Eteplirsen offers great hope to patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Results from a clinical trial of eteplirsen, a drug designed to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy, suggest that the therapy allows participants to walk farther than people treated with placebo and dramatically increases production of a protein vital to muscle growth and health.

8 Aug 2013

NCI renews UCLA prostate SPORE grant

UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and the department of urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA have been notified that their standing as a National Cancer Institute Specialized Program of Research Excellence site in prostate cancer has been renewed for another five years.

8 Aug 2013

Researchers identify mechanism responsible for loss of tumor-suppressor gene in soft-tissue sarcomas

Researchers have discovered a novel mechanism responsible for the loss of a critical tumor-suppressor gene in rhabdomyosarcoma and other soft-tissue sarcomas, rare cancers that strike mainly children and often respond poorly to treatment. Their cause is largely unknown.

8 Aug 2013

TSRI scientists decode important molecular signal that guides development of neocortex

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have decoded an important molecular signal that guides the development of a key region of the brain known as the neocortex. The largest and most recently evolved region of the brain, the neocortex is particularly well developed in humans and is responsible for sensory processing, long-term memory, reasoning, complex muscle actions, consciousness and other functions.

8 Aug 2013

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Researchers identify first disease gene for idiopathic focal epilepsy in childhood

Study of childhood epilepsies links two new genes to severe forms of disease

Study shows schizophrenia, bipolar disorder share the most common genetic variation

Gene combination therapy repairs and prevents future damage of muscles caused by DMD

Study reveals genetic mutations linked to Parkinson's may play a role in death of brain cells

Four genetic variants in non-small cell lung cancer patients help predict survival, treatment response

Research findings offer clues to the origin of retinal disorders later in life

Research suggests blocking DNA repair complex helps fight therapy-resistant leukemia

Study: Immune-regulating molecules can trigger lymphomas

High mobility group (HMG) genes and cancer: an interview with Dr. Linda Resar, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Penn State researchers find that protein changes can control gene functions

Researchers unveil comprehensive portrait of the genome of world's first immortal cell line

Understanding the movement of neurons sheds light on how cancer cells invade health tissues

Research shows how mammalian and bacterial kingdoms interact

Cognitive decline with age is natural part of life, OSU researchers find

Scientist receives prestigious USU Medal and 'Order of Military Medical Merit' awards from IRSF

Eteplirsen offers great hope to patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

NCI renews UCLA prostate SPORE grant

Researchers identify mechanism responsible for loss of tumor-suppressor gene in soft-tissue sarcomas

TSRI scientists decode important molecular signal that guides development of neocortex

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