Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Children with change in SUFU gene more likely to develop brain tumour

Gorlin syndrome causes an increased risk of developing cancers of the skin and, rarely, in the brain. Around 1 in 30,000 people has the condition.

From The University of Manchester 2 Dec 2014

New therapeutic targets can prevent scarring within transplanted kidneys

Kidneys donated by people born with a small variation in the code of a key gene may be more likely, once in the transplant recipient, to accumulate scar tissue that contributes to kidney failure, according to a study led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

2 Dec 2014

UT Austin researchers identify network of genes that drives alcohol dependence

Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have identified a network of genes that appear to work together in determining alcohol dependence. The findings, which could lead to future treatments and therapies for alcoholics and possibly help doctors screen for alcoholism, are being published this week in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

2 Dec 2014

HIV's ability to cause AIDS is declining, finds new research

The rapid evolution of HIV, which has allowed the virus to develop resistance to patients' natural immunity, is at the same time slowing the virus's ability to cause AIDS, according to new research funded by the Wellcome Trust.

2 Dec 2014

Researchers explore how to turn on the activity of paternal gene

Most genes are inherited as two working copies, one from the mother and one from the father. However, in a few instances, a gene is imprinted, which means that one copy is silenced. This is called genomic imprinting. If the active copy is mutated, then disease results, even though the silenced gene copy may be normal.

2 Dec 2014

Novartis to highlight advances in blood, breast cancer research at ASH and SABCS 2014

Novartis will highlight more than 250 abstracts demonstrating advances in blood and breast cancer research at the upcoming American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting December 6-9, and CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) December 9-13.

2 Dec 2014

Mayo Clinic recommends genetic screening for patients with triple-negative breast cancer

Most patients with triple-negative breast cancer should undergo genetic testing for mutations in known breast cancer predisposition genes, including BRCA1 and BRCA2, a Mayo Clinic-led study has found.

2 Dec 2014

Ligand indazole chloride improves motor function, study shows

Multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease of the brain and spinal cord, affects about 2.3 million people worldwide (400,000 in the United States). Affecting more women than men, it can be seen at any age, although it is most commonly diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40.

2 Dec 2014

President of Institute of Medicine to deliver presentation at University of Louisville

The president of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies will present the 2014 Leonard Leight Lecture at the University of Louisville.

2 Dec 2014

DFG to establish eight new Collaborative Research Centres

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) will establish eight new Collaborative Research Centres (CRCs).

2 Dec 2014

Scientists challenge prevailing view of how bowel cancer develops in the large intestine

A new study that challenges the prevailing view of how bowel cancer develops in the large intestine is published today in Nature Medicine.

2 Dec 2014

Variants of ASIC1a gene appear to be associated with panic disorder

Panic disorder is a severe form of anxiety in which the affected individual feels an abrupt onset of fear, often accompanied by profound physical symptoms of discomfort. Scientists have known from studying twins that genes contribute to the risk of panic disorder, but very little is known about which specific genes are involved.

2 Dec 2014

Fenofibrate benefits in diabetic retinopathy mediated through PPARα

Peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor α exerts protective effects on retinal pericytes, shows research that explains why fenofibrate is protective against diabetic retinopathy.

1 Dec 2014

Exome sequencing refines 46,XY DSD diagnosis

Exome sequencing can identify a likely genetic cause of 46,XY disorders of sex development in about a third of cases, report researchers.

1 Dec 2014

Promising new therapeutic strategy for chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects at least one in four Americans who are older than 60 and can significantly shorten lifespan. Yet the few available drugs for CKD can only modestly delay the disease's progress towards kidney failure. Now, however, a team led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has found an aspect of CKD's development that points to a promising new therapeutic strategy.

1 Dec 2014

Baxter seeks FDA approval of BAX 855 for treatment of people with hemophilia A

Nektar Therapeutics reported that partner Baxter International Inc. today announced that the company has submitted a biologics license application (BLA) to the United States Food and Drug Administration for the approval of BAX 855, an investigational, extended half-life recombinant factor VIII (rFVIII) treatment for hemophilia A based on ADVATE [Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant)].

From Baxter International Inc. 1 Dec 2014

Philips introduces new lung screening solution at RSNA 2014

Royal Philips today introduced a new lung screening solution designed to offer health care providers a faster and more definitive pathway to lung cancer detection and treatment. Making its debut at the 2014 Radiological Society of North America Annual Meeting in Chicago this week, this total solution is comprised of products and services that enable health care providers to implement and manage a comprehensive computed tomography (CT) lung screening program which tracks and guides patients across the health continuum.

1 Dec 2014

Different forms of ASIC1a gene associated with panic disorder

Panic disorder is a severe form of anxiety in which the affected individual feels an abrupt onset of fear, often accompanied by profound physical symptoms of discomfort.

1 Dec 2014

CCR5 receptor plays key role in driving prostate cancer metastases

Although prostate cancer can be successfully treated in many men, when the disease metastasizes to the bone, it is eventually lethal. In a study published online December 1st in the journal Cancer Research, researchers show that the receptor CCR5 best known for its role in HIV therapy, may also be involved in driving the spread of prostate cancer to the bone.

1 Dec 2014

Phenotyping human diseases in mice: an interview with Professor Carola Vinuesa

One of the main obstacles to finding effective therapies for human diseases has been our limited understanding of disease pathogenesis: we lack detailed knowledge of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that lead to the development of disease.

30 Nov 2014