Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Cyprotex launches new in vitro toxicology service

Cyprotex PLC, the preclinical ADME Tox services company, today announces the launch of its new in vitro toxicology service, branded as Cyprotox(R). Supporting the new service is an additional 90 square metres of laboratory space at Cyprotex's Macclesfield, UK facility housing the latest technology in multi-parametric automated fluorescent imaging and cellular analysis. This gives Cyprotex's Macclesfield site the same in vitro toxicology capabilities as those of Apredica (Watertown, MA, USA), which Cyprotex acquired on 6 August 2010.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 20 Aug 2010

Even low-level exposure to cigarette smoke affects gene function in lungs

Casual smokers may think that smoking a few cigarettes a week is "no big deal." But according to new research from physician-scientists at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, having an infrequent smoke, or being exposed to secondhand smoke, may be doing more harm than people may think. The findings may further support public smoking bans, say the authors.

20 Aug 2010

Bacterial pathogens require vitamin B6 biosynthesis enzymes for virulence: Study

Scientists have determined that Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium that causes peptic ulcers and some forms of stomach cancer, requires the vitamin B6 to establish and maintain chronic infection, according to research published this week in the online journal mBio-. This finding, along with the identification of the enzyme the microbe requires to utilize the vitamin, could lead to the development of an entirely new class of antibiotics.

20 Aug 2010

Scientists discover genetic flaw that causes facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy

Nearly two decades after they identified the specific genetic flaw that causes a common type of muscular dystrophy, scientists believe they have figured out how that flaw brings about the disease. The finding by an international team of researchers settles a longstanding question about the roots of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy or FSHD.

20 Aug 2010

Research may puzzle out HIV transmission by sexual contact

The virus that causes AIDS may undergo changes in the genital tract that make HIV-1 in semen different than what it is in the blood, according to a study led by researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

20 Aug 2010

Muscular Dystrophy Association awards $14.1M in new grants

The Muscular Dystrophy Association, which has invested almost $39 million in 2010 in worldwide research seeking treatments and cures for muscle diseases, today announced that it has awarded $14.1 million in new grants.

20 Aug 2010

Celera Corporation releases review article on KIF6 gene variant for CHD

Celera Corporation today announced the publication of a review article on the KIF6 gene variant as a predictor of risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and reduction of CHD events from statin therapy.

19 Aug 2010

Deficiencies in DNA loop formation can cause multiple diseases: Research

The genes that are responsible for maintaining each cell type form DNA loops that link control elements for these genes. This surprising genome structure is generated and reinforced by two essential protein complexes that bridge the loops and contribute to proper gene regulation.

19 Aug 2010

Maternal stress contribute to an elevated risk for depression in offspring: Research

For more than a century, clinical investigators have focused on early life as a source of adult psychopathology. Although the hypothesized mechanisms have evolved, a central notion remains: early life is a period of unique sensitivity during which experience confers enduring effects.

19 Aug 2010

Scientists study yeast to understand human pathologies affecting male fertility

Men and yeast have something in common: they use the same molecular process to ensure the integrity of their gene pool during reproduction. This is a recent finding by researchers from CNRS, Inserm and the Université Joseph Fourier in Grenoble. The scientists are therefore set on studying yeast in order to shed light on the numerous cases of male infertility related to the malfunction of this process during spermatogenesis.

19 Aug 2010

U-M research results show potential for discovering new avenues for anti-aging drugs

A team of University of Michigan scientists has found that suppressing a newly discovered gene lengthens the lifespan of roundworms. Scientists who study aging have long known that significantly restricting food intake makes animals live longer. But the goal is to find less drastic ways to achieve the same effect in humans someday. The U-M results offer promising early evidence that scientists may succeed at finding targets for drugs that someday could allow people to live longer, healthier lives.

19 Aug 2010

Gene-regulating molecule plays key role in development of Th9 cells linked to chronic respiratory tract illness

Scientists at the University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany have taken a further step towards improving our understanding of how asthma develops. These new findings show that the gene-regulating molecule "IRF4" plays a key role in the development of T helper 9 lymphocytes (Th9 cells), which can play a major part in the development of this chronic, inflammatory illness of the respiratory tract.

18 Aug 2010

Maternal stress associated with increased risk of schizophrenia in male offspring

18 Aug 2010

Quark enters licensing option agreement with Novartis for p53 temporary inhibitor siRNA drug QPI-1002

Quark Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a world leader in the discovery and development of RNAi-based therapeutics, today announced that it has granted Novartis an option to obtain an exclusive worldwide license to develop and commercialize its p53 temporary inhibitor siRNA drug QPI-1002, currently the subject of a Phase II clinical trial.

18 Aug 2010

MDA awards $14.1 million in new grants to advance treatments and cures for muscle diseases

18 Aug 2010

Research shows mutation in Prox1 gene may lead to memory, learning problems

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators showed a gene named Prox1 is a key player in normal development of a brain structure crucial for learning and memory and remains active throughout life, nurturing the cells vital for making new memories.This study focused on a small region of the hippocampus known as the dentate gyrus, a brain structure needed for memory and learning that is home to the subgranular zone where the neural stem cells destined to become granule cells are housed. The dentate gyrus is one of two regions of the adult brain where neural stem cells continue to produce the precursor cells that ultimately differentiate into neurons.

18 Aug 2010

Genome-wide study identifies key genetic variant associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found that patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) who carry an allele of the PNPLA3 gene have an increased risk of developing advanced disease, including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, and cirrhosis. A second study supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) validates these findings and further concludes that in pediatric patients, the same allele is associated with earlier disease presentation.

18 Aug 2010

AMT's MAA for LPLD gene therapy product Glybera on schedule

Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics, a leader in the field of human gene therapy, today announced that the Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) for Glybera(R) remains on schedule following meetings with the European Medicine Agency (EMA) concerning the Day 120 List of Questions. The company is confident that Glybera(R), a gene therapy product for lipoprotein lipase deficiency (LPLD), remains on track for a regulatory decision by mid-2011.

18 Aug 2010

Researchers develop genetically mutated stem cells for myelin research

Vanishing White Matter (VWM) disease is a devastating condition that involves the destruction of brain myelin due to a mutation in a central factor. To understand the disease and test potential treatments that could apply to other disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, Prof. Orna Elroy-Stein of Tel Aviv University's Department of Cell Research and Immunology is leading a scientific breakthrough by developing laboratory mice which carry the VWM mutation an important new tool.

18 Aug 2010

Study shows increase in IL-6 secretion can reduce Tarceva sensitivity to treat lung tumor cells

One of the most tantalizing developments in anti-cancer therapy over recent years has been the advent of targeted treatments, which have proven highly effective in holding aggressive cancers at bay in certain patients, although typically only for a limited period of time.

18 Aug 2010

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Cyprotex launches new in vitro toxicology service

Even low-level exposure to cigarette smoke affects gene function in lungs

Bacterial pathogens require vitamin B6 biosynthesis enzymes for virulence: Study

Scientists discover genetic flaw that causes facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy

Research may puzzle out HIV transmission by sexual contact

Muscular Dystrophy Association awards $14.1M in new grants

Celera Corporation releases review article on KIF6 gene variant for CHD

Deficiencies in DNA loop formation can cause multiple diseases: Research

Maternal stress contribute to an elevated risk for depression in offspring: Research

Scientists study yeast to understand human pathologies affecting male fertility

U-M research results show potential for discovering new avenues for anti-aging drugs

Gene-regulating molecule plays key role in development of Th9 cells linked to chronic respiratory tract illness

Maternal stress associated with increased risk of schizophrenia in male offspring

Quark enters licensing option agreement with Novartis for p53 temporary inhibitor siRNA drug QPI-1002

MDA awards $14.1 million in new grants to advance treatments and cures for muscle diseases

Research shows mutation in Prox1 gene may lead to memory, learning problems

Genome-wide study identifies key genetic variant associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

AMT's MAA for LPLD gene therapy product Glybera on schedule

Researchers develop genetically mutated stem cells for myelin research

Study shows increase in IL-6 secretion can reduce Tarceva sensitivity to treat lung tumor cells

eBook: Using iPSCs models for human disease research and drug discovery eBook

CellVoyant's AI-Powered Vision for the Future of Cell Therapy

Scalable, Smart, and Accessible: The Future of Lab Automation

Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures: A Conversation with WHO’s Dr. Allotey