Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Viewpoints: Angelina Jolie on her decision to have a double mastectomy; Justice Ginsburg's 'blind spot' on abortion

My doctors estimated that I had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman. Only a fraction of breast cancers result from an inherited gene mutation. Those with a defect in BRCA1 have a 65 percent risk of getting it, on average. Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy. I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer is higher than my risk of ovarian cancer, and the surgery is more complex (Angelina Jolie, 5/14).

15 May 2013

Bacteria form biofilm to protect against immune system

Bacteria are life forms, which, like all other life forms, struggle for the best living conditions for themselves. Therefore they will try to avoid getting attacked by the human immune system, and therefore they have developed various ways to protect themselves from the human immune system.

15 May 2013

Better understanding of cells' development has implications in study of inflammatory diseases

Labs around the world, and a core group at Penn, have been studying recently described populations of immune cells called innate lymphoid cells. Some researchers liken them to foot soldiers that protect boundary tissues such as the skin, the lining of the lung, and the lining of the gut from microbial onslaught. They also have shown they play a role in inflammatory disease, when the body's immune system is too active.

15 May 2013

ALKBH7 protein plays key role in controlling programmed necrosis pathway

When cells suffer too much DNA damage, they are usually forced to undergo programmed cell death, or apoptosis. However, cancer cells often ignore these signals, flourishing even after chemotherapy drugs have ravaged their DNA.

15 May 2013

Research may help scientists learn anti-aging secrets of sacred lotus

A team of 70 scientists from the U.S., China, Australia and Japan today reports having sequenced and annotated the genome of the "sacred lotus," which is believed to have a powerful genetic system that repairs genetic defects, and may hold secrets about aging successfully.

14 May 2013

Inhibiting powerful protein with new agents may supply broad benefit for lymphoma patients

A soon-to-be-tested class of drug inhibitors were predicted to help a limited number of patients with B-cell lymphomas with mutations affecting the EZH2 protein.

14 May 2013

Annual Century for the Cure bike ride supports research on hematologic malignancies

The annual Century for the Cure bike ride that has raised more than $1 million since 2005 for research at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey is now making it possible for new scientific exploration in the area of hematologic malignancies.

14 May 2013

Study provides evidence of altered circadian gene rhythms in brain tissue of people with depression

UC Irvine Health researchers have helped discover that genes controlling circadian clock rhythms are profoundly altered in the brains of people with severe depression.

14 May 2013

Researchers identify microRNA-155 as prognostic marker, treatment target in patients with AML

A study has identified microRNA-155 as a new independent prognostic marker and treatment target in patients with acute myeloid leukemia that has normal-looking chromosomes under the microscope (that is, cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia, or CN-AML).

14 May 2013

Chinese scientists suggest strong measures to prevent a possible pandemic

On 31 March 2013, the Chinese National Health and Family Planning Commission announced human cases of novel H7N9 influenza virus infections.

14 May 2013

New MIT study reveals that H3N2 strains could pose a risk to humans

In the summer of 1968, a new strain of influenza appeared in Hong Kong. This strain, known as H3N2, spread around the globe and eventually killed an estimated 1 million people.

13 May 2013

New research shows that spontaneous mutations contribute to congenital heart disease

Every year, thousands of babies are born with severely malformed hearts, disorders known collectively as congenital heart disease. Many of these defects can be repaired though surgery, but researchers don't understand what causes them or how to prevent them. New research shows that about 10 percent of these defects are caused by genetic mutations that are absent in the parents of affected children.

13 May 2013

Findings to help researchers study causes of congenital heart disease in future

Findings from the first large-scale sequencing analysis of congenital heart disease bring us closer to understanding this most common type of birth defect. The analysis found that spontaneous, or de novo, mutations affect a specific biological pathway that is critical to aspects of human development, including the brain and heart.

13 May 2013

Researchers identify link between GPR126 gene and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences in Japan have identified the first gene to be associated with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (also called AIS) across Asian and Caucasian populations.

13 May 2013

Researchers successfully test new anti-cocaine vaccine in primates

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have successfully tested their novel anti-cocaine vaccine in primates, bringing them closer to launching human clinical trials.

13 May 2013

Disease-in-a-dish models show promise for treating ataxia telangiectasia

Led by Dr. Peiyee Lee and Dr. Richard Gatti, researchers at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA have used induced pluripotent stem cells to advance disease-in-a-dish modeling of a rare genetic disorder, ataxia telangiectasia.

13 May 2013

UNM Cancer Center to participate in Phase 3 clinical trial of novel treatment for men with prostate cancer

The University of New Mexico Cancer Center is among a few select institutions nationwide participating in a Phase 3 clinical trial studying a novel treatment for men with newly diagnosed, localized prostate cancer.

13 May 2013

Researchers identify clue to explain the reversible memory loss caused by statins

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and physicians continue to document that some patients experience fuzzy thinking and memory loss while taking statins, a class of global top-selling cholesterol-lowering drugs.

13 May 2013

Study results suggest that CNL and aCML patients could be treated with FDA-approved drugs

Patients with two forms of leukemia, who currently have no viable treatment options, may benefit from existing drugs developed for different types of cancer, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University.

13 May 2013

Study: Rb plays critical role in maintaining starvation-induced transcriptome

A particular tumor suppressor gene that fights cancer cells does more than clamp down on unabated cell division -- the hallmark of the disease -- it also can help make cells more fit by allowing them to fend off stress, says a University of Colorado Boulder study.

13 May 2013

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Viewpoints: Angelina Jolie on her decision to have a double mastectomy; Justice Ginsburg's 'blind spot' on abortion

Bacteria form biofilm to protect against immune system

Better understanding of cells' development has implications in study of inflammatory diseases

ALKBH7 protein plays key role in controlling programmed necrosis pathway

Research may help scientists learn anti-aging secrets of sacred lotus

Inhibiting powerful protein with new agents may supply broad benefit for lymphoma patients

Annual Century for the Cure bike ride supports research on hematologic malignancies

Study provides evidence of altered circadian gene rhythms in brain tissue of people with depression

Researchers identify microRNA-155 as prognostic marker, treatment target in patients with AML

Chinese scientists suggest strong measures to prevent a possible pandemic

New MIT study reveals that H3N2 strains could pose a risk to humans

New research shows that spontaneous mutations contribute to congenital heart disease

Findings to help researchers study causes of congenital heart disease in future

Researchers identify link between GPR126 gene and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Researchers successfully test new anti-cocaine vaccine in primates

Disease-in-a-dish models show promise for treating ataxia telangiectasia

UNM Cancer Center to participate in Phase 3 clinical trial of novel treatment for men with prostate cancer

Researchers identify clue to explain the reversible memory loss caused by statins

Study results suggest that CNL and aCML patients could be treated with FDA-approved drugs

Study: Rb plays critical role in maintaining starvation-induced transcriptome

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