Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

MiR-122 plays a critical role in the life cycle of hepatitis C virus

Hepatitis C virus has evolved to invade and hijack the basic machinery of the human liver cell to ensure its survival and spread. Researchers at the University of North have discovered how hepatitis C binds with and repurposes a basic component of cellular metabolism known as a microRNA to help protect and replicate the virus.

19 Dec 2012

BubR1 and its associated regulators promising targets for aging disorders and cancer

A new series of studies in mouse models by Mayo Clinic researchers uncovered that the aging process is characterized by high rates of whole-chromosome losses and gains in various organs, including heart, muscle, kidney and eye, and demonstrate that reducing these rates slows age-related tissue deterioration and promotes a healthier life span. The findings appear in today's online issue of Nature Cell Biology.

18 Dec 2012

CNIO creates 2 new databases to study the human genome

Scientists from the Structural Computational Biology Group at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), led by Alfonso Valencia, together with French and American researchers, have published recently two articles in the journal Nucleic Acid Research (NAR) that introduce two new databases for studying the human genome.

18 Dec 2012

Bullying among children may be a threat to their future mental health

A recent study by a researcher at the Centre for Studies on Human Stress (CSHS) at the H-pital Louis-H. Lafontaine and professor at the Universit- de Montr-al suggests that bullying by peers changes the structure surrounding a gene involved in regulating mood, making victims more vulnerable to mental health problems as they age.

18 Dec 2012

Tbx18 gene directs conversion of cardiomyocytes to genuine pacemaker cells

Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute researchers have reprogrammed ordinary heart cells to become exact replicas of highly specialized pacemaker cells by injecting a single gene (Tbx18)-a major step forward in the decade-long search for a biological therapy to correct erratic and failing heartbeats.

18 Dec 2012

Germ cell removal may promote longevity

The gonad is well known to be important for reproduction but also affects animal life span. Removal of germ cells - the sperm and egg producing cells - increases longevity of the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms were a mystery. Now scientists at the Cologne-based Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, have discovered that germ cell removal flips a "molecular switch" that extends the life span by using components of a "developmental clock".

18 Dec 2012

Study investigates muscle weakness in mouse model of Down syndrome

It is well known that people with Down syndrome (DS) suffer from marked muscle weakness. Even the simple tasks of independent living, such as getting out of a chair or climbing a flight of stairs, can become major obstacles. This can reduce the quality of life for those with DS and lead to a loss of independence. Now, a new study sheds light on some of the suspected causes of muscle weakness.

18 Dec 2012

Researchers identify possible heredity mechanism that predisposes children to ALL

Researchers at the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center and the University of Montreal have found a possible heredity mechanism that predisposes children to acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common type of blood cancer in children. According to their findings published in Genome Research, the presence of a genetic defect in the egg or sperm from which children having ALL arise may be a prerequisite for the disease to develop.

17 Dec 2012

Human nociception genes mapped out

Researchers have uncovered a “network map” of genes that are involved in pain perception, which they say may help identify new analgesic drugs.

17 Dec 2012

Dantrolene shows promise for treating DMD

A muscle relaxant called dantrolene used for treating malignant hyperthermia boosts the activity of therapies currently being developed to treat the genetic disorder Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), show study findings.

17 Dec 2012

Lexicon receives FDA Fast Track status for development of LX1033 for irritable bowel syndrome

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing breakthrough treatments for human disease, announced today that it has received "Fast Track" status from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the development of LX1033, an orally-delivered small molecule drug candidate for diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-d).

17 Dec 2012

Study reveals how BRCA1 enzymatic activity may stop cancer cell growth

A new study by Georgetown University Medical Center researchers reveals how a well-known tumor suppressor gene may be functioning to stop cancer cell growth.

17 Dec 2012

New technique could help develop more-specific, cell-based immune therapies for cancer

A team led by Michel Sadelain, MD, PhD, Director of the Center for Cell Engineering at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, has shown for the first time the effectiveness of a new technique that could allow the development of more-specific, cell-based immune therapies for cancer.

17 Dec 2012

Paternal exposure to cocaine can impair gene expression and behavior in their offspring

Research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) reveals that sons of male rats exposed to cocaine are resistant to the rewarding effects of the drug, suggesting that cocaine-induced changes in physiology are passed down from father to son.

17 Dec 2012

Five young investigators receive prestigious grants at IOF’s 3rd Asia-Pacific Osteoporosis Meeting

Five young investigators from the Asia-Pacific region have been awarded prestigious grants on the closing day the IOF Regionals - 3rd Asia-Pacific Osteoporosis Meeting, a major medical conference organized by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) in Kuala Lumpur.

16 Dec 2012

IRCM study identifies mechanism responsible for generation of fingers and toes

Dr. Marie Kmita and her research team at the IRCM contributed to a multidisciplinary research project that identified the mechanism responsible for generating our fingers and toes, and revealed the importance of gene regulation in the transition of fins to limbs during evolution.

15 Dec 2012

Everolimus therapy might treat Myc-driven lymphoma

Drugs that are used in the clinic to treat some forms of breast and kidney cancer and that work by inhibiting the signaling molecule mTORC1 might have utility in treating some of the more than 15 percent of human cancers driven by alterations in the Myc gene, according to data from a preclinical study published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

15 Dec 2012

New diagnostic innovations could refine the way doctors detect prostate cancer

Despite the volume of prostate cancer tests and treatments, experts and their patients are continually challenged to predict the disease's course and apply the most appropriate treatment. Now, two new diagnostic innovations – the PCA3 urine test and a more targeted prostate biopsy technique - could refine the way doctors diagnose prostate cancer and, subsequently, the way patients elect to treat it.

15 Dec 2012

Scientists discover new gene mechanism that appears to regulate triglyceride levels

Scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University have discovered a new gene mechanism that appears to regulate triglyceride levels.

15 Dec 2012

Fluidigm, GIS announce establishment of first single-cell genomics research center in Asia

The Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), an institute under the umbrella of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, and Fluidigm Corporation today announced the establishment of the first research center in Asia exclusively dedicated to accelerating the understanding of how individual cells work, and how diagnosis and treatment might be enhanced through insight derived from single cells.

15 Dec 2012

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

MiR-122 plays a critical role in the life cycle of hepatitis C virus

BubR1 and its associated regulators promising targets for aging disorders and cancer

CNIO creates 2 new databases to study the human genome

Bullying among children may be a threat to their future mental health

Tbx18 gene directs conversion of cardiomyocytes to genuine pacemaker cells

Germ cell removal may promote longevity

Study investigates muscle weakness in mouse model of Down syndrome

Researchers identify possible heredity mechanism that predisposes children to ALL

Human nociception genes mapped out

Dantrolene shows promise for treating DMD

Lexicon receives FDA Fast Track status for development of LX1033 for irritable bowel syndrome

Study reveals how BRCA1 enzymatic activity may stop cancer cell growth

New technique could help develop more-specific, cell-based immune therapies for cancer

Paternal exposure to cocaine can impair gene expression and behavior in their offspring

Five young investigators receive prestigious grants at IOF’s 3rd Asia-Pacific Osteoporosis Meeting

IRCM study identifies mechanism responsible for generation of fingers and toes

Everolimus therapy might treat Myc-driven lymphoma

New diagnostic innovations could refine the way doctors detect prostate cancer

Scientists discover new gene mechanism that appears to regulate triglyceride levels

Fluidigm, GIS announce establishment of first single-cell genomics research center in Asia

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