Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Scientists identify gene mutation behind Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia

Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have identified a gene mutation that underlies the vast majority of cases of Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, a rare form of lymphoma that has eluded all previous efforts to find a genetic cause.

13 Dec 2011

DNA sequencing identifies new altered genes that drive CLL

The most comprehensive search to date of DNA abnormalities in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has unearthed several new altered genes that drive this common blood cancer, a finding that could potentially help doctors predict whether an individual patient's disease will progress rapidly or remain indolent for years, say scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute.

13 Dec 2011

Scientists pinpoint protein that allows GBM to invade healthy brain tissue

Scientists have pinpointed a protein that allows brains tumors to invade healthy brain tissue, according to work published this week in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

13 Dec 2011

Combination of bortezomib and panobinostat shows promise against advanced MM

When the targeted drug bortezomib stops working in patients with advanced multiple myeloma, the patients survive only an average of five months longer. But a phase 2 clinical trial has shown that pairing bortezomib with an experimental drug, panobinostat, may be a promising new treatment for such patients, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers say.

13 Dec 2011

LTCRT participates in GPS study that seeks to personalize cancer care

The Lawson Translational Cancer Research Team (LTCRT) of the Lawson Health Research Institute is one of five groups participating in a new study that seeks to personalize cancer drug treatment.

13 Dec 2011

Study to establish zebrafish as functional animal model for V. cholerae

A small fish may prove useful to understanding a worldwide health problem, if a Wayne State University researcher is correct.

13 Dec 2011

Celgene reports final results from REVLIMID plus VIDAZA phase II study on higher-risk MDS

Celgene International Sàrl, a subsidiary of Celgene Corporation, today reported final results from the phase II portion of a multi-center phase I/II study evaluating combination therapy with REVLIMID (lenalidomide) and VIDAZA (azacitidine) in patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) not previously treated with either drug.

13 Dec 2011

Study: One kind of leukemia sometimes masquerades as another

One kind of leukemia sometimes masquerades as another, according to a study published online this week in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

13 Dec 2011

Roundup: Iowans question Wellmark premium hikes; Fla. Medicare audit; Mich. nursing home scandals

The Wellmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield vice president faced dozens of angry customers and tried to explain why the health insurer wants to increase their premiums by 9.4 percent. ... Barbed questions flew throughout the hearing before the state insurance commissioner, who will decide whether to grant Wellmark's proposed increase for 86,000 Iowans who buy their own insurance policies.

13 Dec 2011

Scientists identify genetic alteration behind anophthalmia

Scientists at University College Dublin, Ireland, have identified a genetic alteration which causes a child to be born with no eyes - a condition called anophthalmia.

13 Dec 2011

Risk of breast cancer in the genetically predisposed

A new study showed that women who have been successfully treated for cancer in one breast and who carry the BRCA1 or BRCA2 cancer gene are at increased risk for developing cancer in their other breast.

12 Dec 2011

Gene therapy for bleeding disorder Hemophilia B

In a landmark study, researchers used gene therapy to successfully treat six patients with severe hemophilia, a blood-clotting disorder. Despite the early nature of the study, it is promising. A single infusion using the new treatment worked in some patients for more than a year, boosting their clotting ability significantly.

12 Dec 2011

Celgene announces interim results of REVLIMID study on CLL

Celgene International Sàrl, a subsidiary of Celgene Corporation, announced interim results of CLL-009, a study evaluating three starting doses of REVLIMID (lenalidomide), followed by step-wise dose escalation as tolerated in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who have received at least one prior therapy.

12 Dec 2011

Research examines novel treatment techniques for hemophilia B, VTE

Bleeding and clotting disorders affect a large number of patients annually and, while accurate diagnosis is important, timely and effective treatment for these disorders is key, as they have the potential to quickly become life-threatening. Research examining novel treatment techniques for bleeding and clotting disorders will be presented today at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology.

12 Dec 2011

New research on diagnosis and treatment of leukemia to be presented at 53rd ASH meeting

Despite major research advances over the last several decades that have helped deliver improved therapeutic options for leukemia, the condition remains deadly. Specialists are in need of new options to help diagnose the condition earlier and new therapies that will extend patients' lives. New research addressing important updates on the diagnosis and treatment of leukemia will be presented today at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology.

12 Dec 2011

Syndax announces data from entinostat phase 2 study on HL

Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that data from ENGAGE 501, a multicenter, phase 2 study, demonstrated entinostat, a novel, oral small molecule inhibitor of class I histone deacetylases, showed activity as a single agent in patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma.

12 Dec 2011

Rare genetic condition provides insight into how pancreas develops

A rare genetic disorder has given researchers at the University of Exeter a surprising insight into how the pancreas develops. The finding provides a clue to how it may be possible to 'programme' stem cells - master cells in the body that can develop into specialised cells - to become pancreatic cells.

12 Dec 2011

New cost-effective liquid solution can help fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria

According to the World Health Organization, antibiotic-resistant bacteria are one of the top three threats to human health. Patients in hospitals are especially at risk, with almost 100,000 deaths due to infection every year in the U.S. alone.

12 Dec 2011

New cancer research findings presented at 53rd ASH annual meeting

Researchers from Seidman Cancer Center at University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine presented new research findings in 25 presentations this weekend at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) at the San Diego Convention Center.

12 Dec 2011

Researchers shown how BRCA1 inactivation raises cancer risk

Working with human breast cells, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have shown how the inactivation of a single copy of the breast cancer gene BRCA1 leaves breast cells vulnerable to cancer by reducing their ability to repair DNA damage, causing genetic instability.

12 Dec 2011