Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Reduced production of myelin may play role in development of mental illness: Study

Reduced production of myelin, a type of protective nerve fiber that is lost in diseases like multiple sclerosis, may also play a role in the development of mental illness, according to researchers at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

1 Dec 2012

Special issue of Disease Markers explores ASD genetics and biomarker development

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders typically characterized by difficulties in social interactions and delayed or abnormal language development. Although ASD reportedly affects 1 in 88 people in the United States, to date there have been no distinctive biomarkers to diagnose the disease.

30 Nov 2012

Scientists identify two genes involved in establishing neuronal circuits required for breathing

Scientists at NYU Langone Medical Center have identified two genes involved in establishing the neuronal circuits required for breathing. They report their findings in a study published in the December issue of Nature Neuroscience.

30 Nov 2012

New insights into POT-1/TTP-1 protein complex

New insights into a protein complex that regulates the very tips of chromosomes could improve methods of screening anti-cancer drugs.

30 Nov 2012

Study shows how cancer cells control ON/OFF switch of EMT program

A team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, has shown for the first time how cancer cells control the ON/OFF switch of a program used by developing embryos to effectively metastasize in vivo, breaking free and spreading to other parts of the body, where they can proliferate and grow into secondary tumors.

30 Nov 2012

Research examines tumor-initiating events that lead to pancreatic cancer

A diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is particularly devastating since the prognosis for recovery is usually poor, with the cancer most often not detected until late stages.

30 Nov 2012

Combination of chemotherapy and selumetinib shows promise against NSCLC

A new study by an international team of investigators led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists is the first to demonstrate that chemotherapy and a new, targeted therapy work better in combination than chemotherapy alone in treating patients with the most common genetic subtype of lung cancer.

30 Nov 2012

Fn14 gene plays a role in growth and spread of non-small cell lung cancer tumors

Lung cancer researchers at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Ariz., in collaboration with researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute and other institutions, have identified a gene that plays a role in the growth and spread of non-small cell lung cancer tumors, opening the door for potential new treatment options.

30 Nov 2012

New detection method can identify genetic switches associated with breast cancer

Physicians may now be better at detecting breast cancer than ever before, but much more work remains to ensure accurate diagnosis is possible and especially to assess future risk. That's why researchers from Germany have been working to develop a new test of gene action to predict cancer risk both at first diagnosis and into the future.

30 Nov 2012

UBE3B gene linked to brain development disorder in children

Researchers have defined the gene responsible for a rare developmental disorder in children. The team showed that rare variation in a gene involved in brain development causes the disorder. This is the first time that this gene, UBE3B, has been linked to a disease.

30 Nov 2012

Novel SIRT2 inhibitor protects against neuronal damage in animal models of Huntington's

Treatment with a novel agent that inhibits the activity of SIRT2, an enzyme that regulates many important cellular functions, reduced neurological damage, slowed the loss of motor function and extended survival in two animal models of Huntington's disease.

30 Nov 2012

Modified vitamin D receptor may reduce risk of osteoporosis

Osteoporosis, or reduced bone mineral density that can increase the risk of fractures, may affect as many as 30% of women and 12% of men worldwide. One risk factor for osteoporosis is vitamin D deficiency.

30 Nov 2012

Ponatinib thwarts T315I gene mutation in chronic myeloid leukemia

A previously invincible mutation in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has been thwarted by an investigational drug in a phase I clinical trial reported in the current edition of The New England Journal of Medicine.

29 Nov 2012

Study shows how PTPN22 variant linked with T1D influences susceptibility to autoimmunity

As part of their ongoing research on the role of genes in the development of type 1 diabetes, Joslin Diabetes Center scientists, in collaboration with scientists at the University of Würzburg, have demonstrated how a genetic variant associated with type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases influences susceptibility to autoimmunity. The findings appear in the upcoming issue of Diabetes.

29 Nov 2012

Combination of blood test and whole-genome sequencing technology could screen cancers

Scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have combined the ability to detect cancer DNA in the blood with genome sequencing technology in a test that could be used to screen for cancers, monitor cancer patients for recurrence and find residual cancer left after surgery.

29 Nov 2012

DLKI-DIO3 miRNA cluster suppresses spread of cancer from its primary site

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have uncovered a group of what have been considered relatively minor regulators in the body that band together to suppress the spread of cancer from its primary site.

29 Nov 2012

SLU study to use various assays for new TB vaccine development

A pilot study at Saint Louis University Center for Vaccine Development could shape the future of tuberculosis vaccine research by developing tests to identify the most promising vaccine candidates to address this global health crisis.

29 Nov 2012

New antifungal drugs could be developed based on substance bacteria use to decompose mushrooms

Soft rot diseases cause a great deal of damage in agriculture, and turn fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms to mush. By using imaging mass spectrometry together with genetic and bioinformatic techniques (genome mining), German researchers have now discovered the substance the bacteria use to decompose mushrooms.

29 Nov 2012

Blood test and gene sequencing combined to detect cancer

29 Nov 2012

Microglia might play a key role in protecting brain from Alzheimer's

A new experimental study carried out in mice shows that microglia, immune cells of the brain, might play a key role in protecting the brain from Alzheimer's disease (AD).

29 Nov 2012

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Reduced production of myelin may play role in development of mental illness: Study

Special issue of Disease Markers explores ASD genetics and biomarker development

Scientists identify two genes involved in establishing neuronal circuits required for breathing

New insights into POT-1/TTP-1 protein complex

Study shows how cancer cells control ON/OFF switch of EMT program

Research examines tumor-initiating events that lead to pancreatic cancer

Combination of chemotherapy and selumetinib shows promise against NSCLC

Fn14 gene plays a role in growth and spread of non-small cell lung cancer tumors

New detection method can identify genetic switches associated with breast cancer

UBE3B gene linked to brain development disorder in children

Novel SIRT2 inhibitor protects against neuronal damage in animal models of Huntington's

Modified vitamin D receptor may reduce risk of osteoporosis

Ponatinib thwarts T315I gene mutation in chronic myeloid leukemia

Study shows how PTPN22 variant linked with T1D influences susceptibility to autoimmunity

Combination of blood test and whole-genome sequencing technology could screen cancers

DLKI-DIO3 miRNA cluster suppresses spread of cancer from its primary site

SLU study to use various assays for new TB vaccine development

New antifungal drugs could be developed based on substance bacteria use to decompose mushrooms

Blood test and gene sequencing combined to detect cancer

Microglia might play a key role in protecting brain from Alzheimer's

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