Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

New genetic analysis technique isolates culprit gene in families with inherited single-gene kidney diseases

A University of Michigan-led research team has identified a gene responsible in some families for a devastating inherited kidney disorder, thanks to a new, faster method of genetic analysis not available even two years ago. The success offers hope that scientists can speed the painstaking search for the genes responsible for many rare diseases and test drugs to treat them.

17 Sep 2010

Myrexis to present poster on cancer metabolism inhibitor program

Myrexis, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing novel treatments for cancer, today announced it will present a poster at the Cancer and Metabolism: Pathways to the Future meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland, as well as two additional posters at the 22nd European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), National Cancer Institute (NCI) and American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Symposium on "Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics" November 16-19, 2010, in Berlin, Germany.

17 Sep 2010

Researchers decode key DNA in evolution of aging, development and fertility

UC Irvine researchers have deciphered how lowly fruit flies bred to rapidly develop and reproduce actually evolve over time. The findings, reported in the Sept. 15 online issue of Nature, contradict the long-held belief that sexual beings evolve the same way simpler organisms do and could fundamentally alter the direction of genetic research for new pharmaceuticals and other products.

17 Sep 2010

Democratic candidates spend more on ads against than for health reform

Politico: Democratic candidates are spending three times more — nearly $1 million — in advertising against health reform than for it. "Since the beginning of Congress's August recess, Democratic candidates have poured $930,000 into ads deriding the health overhaul but just $300,000 in pro-reform spots, according to Evan Tracey at Kantar Media."

17 Sep 2010

Scientists discover new drug target to improve radiation effectiveness for treating cancer

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered a new drug target that could improve the effectiveness of radiation for hard-to-treat cancers.

17 Sep 2010

Generex presents Ii-Key hybrids product development at Gene based Vaccines conference

Generex Biotechnology Corporation today announced presentations in respect of the technologies and development products of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Antigen Express, Inc. The presentations were made at the conference Gene based Vaccines: Optimizing Development and Delivery 2010 held September 13 and 14, 2010 in Vienna, Austria and at the Immunotherapeutics and Vaccine Summit held in Cambridge, MA from August 17-19, 2010.

17 Sep 2010

Researchers discover chronic stress accelerates breast cancer progression

Chronic stress acts as a sort of fertilizer that feeds breast cancer progression, significantly accelerating the spread of disease in animal models, researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have found.

17 Sep 2010

ImmunoCellular contracts with Averionto to execution ICT-107 cancer-vaccine Phase II study

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd., a biotechnology company focused on the development of novel immune-based cancer therapies, today announced that it has contracted with the clinical research organization (CRO) Averion International Corp. to conduct its planned Phase II study of ICT-107, the Company's lead cancer-vaccine candidate for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

17 Sep 2010

FDA grants AGTC $1M for Phase II human clinical trial in alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation, a privately-held, clinical stage biotechnology company developing novel systems to deliver human therapeutics, announces that it has received a grant of $1 million from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA Orphan Drugs Program) to fund a Phase II Human Clinical Trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of a treatment for Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AAT), a genetic disease known to result in serious lung and/or liver disease.

17 Sep 2010

Scientists discover protein to regulate blood stem cells’ activity for leukemia treatment

A discovery made by Dr. Tarik Möröy, President and Scientific Director and Director of the IRCM, and his team was recently published in Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology. The researchers found that a protein can regulate certain characteristics of blood stem cells, which could lead to a better treatment for leukemia patients.

17 Sep 2010

First Edition: September 16, 2010

In his latest Kaiser Health News column, done in collaboration with The New Republic, Jonathan Cohn writes: "It will force a lot of people to pay higher premiums. It will lavish subsidies on the private insurance industry. It will put life-and-death decisions in the hands of bureaucrats. And it will add hundreds of billions of dollars to the federal debt" (Kaiser Health News).

17 Sep 2010

NHLBI selects NuGEN to provide automated reagent solutions for expression profiling

NuGEN Technologies, the provider of innovative RNA and DNA amplification and sample preparation technologies for genomic analysis, today announced it has been selected by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to provide automated reagent solutions for expression profiling of approximately 6,000 blood samples from the Framingham Heart Study.

16 Sep 2010

Recommendations for developing novel therapies for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

An abrupt, fatal heart attack in a young athlete on the playing field is a tragedy destined to repeat itself over and over until more is understood about hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a genetic disorder that is the most common cause of sudden death in young people but which affects people of all ages.

16 Sep 2010

Anonymous Funding promotes drug development for Fragile X syndrome treatment

Funding from an anonymous wealthy family has been the secret to progress, at long last, in developing drugs that show promise for helping millions of people worldwide with Fragile X syndrome, the most common genetic cause of autism. That's the topic of a fascinating article in the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS' weekly newsmagazine.

16 Sep 2010

Researchers to conduct gene analysis for ankylosing spondylitis

A new study designed to test suspected links between genes and two immune disorders could open the door to better ways to diagnose and treat the conditions that affect a combined total of approximately 2.5 million people in the United States, report scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

16 Sep 2010

Wistar Institute scientists publish detailed report on structure, function of Cdc13 domain in protein

Scientists at The Wistar Institute have published the first detailed report on the structure and function of a crucial domain in the protein known as Cdc13, which sustains telomeres by clamping to DNA and recruiting replicating enzymes to the area.

16 Sep 2010

bluebird bio publishes LentiGlobin gene therapy clinical trial data results

bluebird bio an emerging leader in the development of innovative gene therapies for severe genetic disorders, today announced publication in the journal Nature of its promising Phase 1/2 data highlighting positive results of LentiGlobin gene therapy treatment in a young adult with severe beta-thalassemia, a blood disorder that is one of the most frequent inherited diseases.

16 Sep 2010

Researchers find clue behind ASD affecting males than females

New research from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), both in Toronto, Canada provides further clues as to why Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects four times more males than females. The scientists discovered that males who carry specific alterations of DNA on the sole X-chromosome they carry are at high risk of developing ASD. The research is published in the September 15 issue of Science Translational Medicine.

16 Sep 2010

NEB receives SBIR funding to develop novel enzymatic reagents for epigenetic studies

New England Biolabs (NEB) has announced that it has received fast track SBIR funding of $1.22 million to fund the research and development of novel enzymatic reagents for epigenetic studies.

From New England Biolabs 16 Sep 2010

BCBC Consortium aims to develop cell-based therapy for insulin delivery

Oregon Health & Science University's Markus Grompe, M.D., will lead a multi-center team of scientists selected to participate in the prestigious Beta Cell Biology Consortium (BCBC). Funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the consortium's long-term goal is to develop a cell-based therapy for insulin delivery in type 1 diabetes patients.

16 Sep 2010

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

New genetic analysis technique isolates culprit gene in families with inherited single-gene kidney diseases

Myrexis to present poster on cancer metabolism inhibitor program

Researchers decode key DNA in evolution of aging, development and fertility

Democratic candidates spend more on ads against than for health reform

Scientists discover new drug target to improve radiation effectiveness for treating cancer

Generex presents Ii-Key hybrids product development at Gene based Vaccines conference

Researchers discover chronic stress accelerates breast cancer progression

ImmunoCellular contracts with Averionto to execution ICT-107 cancer-vaccine Phase II study

FDA grants AGTC $1M for Phase II human clinical trial in alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

Scientists discover protein to regulate blood stem cells’ activity for leukemia treatment

First Edition: September 16, 2010

NHLBI selects NuGEN to provide automated reagent solutions for expression profiling

Recommendations for developing novel therapies for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Anonymous Funding promotes drug development for Fragile X syndrome treatment

Researchers to conduct gene analysis for ankylosing spondylitis

Wistar Institute scientists publish detailed report on structure, function of Cdc13 domain in protein

bluebird bio publishes LentiGlobin gene therapy clinical trial data results

Researchers find clue behind ASD affecting males than females

NEB receives SBIR funding to develop novel enzymatic reagents for epigenetic studies

BCBC Consortium aims to develop cell-based therapy for insulin delivery

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