Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

ALS TDI to receive grant of $1.6M for research and development of potential therapeutics for ALS

In recognition of multiple studies connecting ALS to military service, the 2010 Defense Appropriations Act, signed by President Obama on December 22, 2009, provided for the grant of $1.6 million for research and development of potential therapeutics for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease).

12 Jan 2010

Multigene test results impact physicians and patients' decisions on breast cancer therapy

A 21-gene test that predicts whether early stage breast cancer patients will benefit from chemotherapy is having a big impact on treatment decisions by patients and doctors alike.

12 Jan 2010

New blood test to identify changes in DNA linked with colorectal cancer now available in the U.S.

A new blood test that identifies changes in DNA associated with colorectal cancer is now available in the U.S. through Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, the world's leading cancer diagnostics company. The test is designed to aid the detection of colorectal cancer, the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths.

12 Jan 2010

Proteinuria, a long accepted indicator of heart disease risk, has less impact on African-Americans compared to whites

The cardiovascular risk that is associated with proteinuria, or high levels of protein in the urine, a common test used by doctors as an indicator of increased risk for progressive kidney disease, heart attack and stroke, has race-dependent effects, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

12 Jan 2010

BioMarin Pharmaceutical commences BMN 195 Phase 1 clinical study for DMD

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. announced today that the first subject has initiated treatment in the Phase 1 clinical study of BMN 195, a small molecule utrophin upregulator, for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrohpy (DMD). Initial top-line results are expected in the third quarter of 2010.

12 Jan 2010

Mirna Therapeutics receives ETF award to develop miRNA therapeutics for multiple cancers

Mirna Therapeutics announced today that the Company received a $5 million award from the State of Texas through the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (“ETF”). The ETF was created with the goal of growing new and existing businesses to accelerate the introduction of new products and services in the marketplace. This is the largest award of this type that has ever been granted.

11 Jan 2010

Variations in SNPs involved in modulating electrical impulse that govern working of heart discovered

Scientists at deCODE genetics today report the discovery of seven novel and common single-letter variations in the sequence of the human genome (SNPs) that are involved in modulating the electrical impulses that govern the working of the heart.

11 Jan 2010

New breakthroughs in AS genome-wide association study

Work done in part by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston has led to the discovery of two new genes that are implicated in ankylosing spondylitis (AS), an inflammatory and potentially disabling disease. In addition, the international research team pinpointed two areas along stretches of DNA that play an important role in regulating gene activity associated with the arthritic condition.

10 Jan 2010

Research into "chemical chaperone" may lead to new treatments for heart attacks

Researchers at the Indiana University and Stanford University schools of medicine have determined how a "chemical chaperone" does its job in the body, which could lead to a new class of drugs to help reduce the muscle damage caused by heart attacks.

10 Jan 2010

Gene therapy may help correct molecular flaws that cause brain disease

Neuroscientists have forged an unlikely molecular union as part of their fight against diseases of the brain and nervous system.

9 Jan 2010

SeraCare Life Sciences launches new products to aid discovery and development of drugs and diagnostics

SeraCare Life Sciences, Inc. announced today that the Company has added five new, differentiated products to its portfolio to meet the needs of SeraCare’s growing customer base in the life sciences industry.

9 Jan 2010

Genentech's ACTEMRA approved to treat RA

Genentech, Inc., a wholly owned member of the Roche Group, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ACTEMRA® (tocilizumab) for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response to one or more tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonist therapies.

8 Jan 2010

ESF-UB Conference to concentrate on potentially clinically relevant polymorphisms

Pharmacogenetics started in the fifties with the discovery of primaquine-related haemolysis among glucose-6-phosphate deshydrogenase deficient patients. At the end of the century, it progressively evolved into Pharmacogenomics, investigating simultaneously multiple gene targets till covering the whole genome in relation with altered drug response.

8 Jan 2010

Scientists and clinicians address diagnosis and treatment for autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases

Autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases are a major health issue. The National Institutes of Health reports that up to 23.5 million Americans are afflicted. The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association reports the number is closer to 50 million. Scientists and clinicians at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston can address the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions, as well as the latest advances in research.

8 Jan 2010

Chinese researchers become the world's fifth most prolific contributors to regenerative medicine

Chinese researchers have become the world's fifth most prolific contributors to peer-reviewed scientific literature on clock-reversing regenerative medicine even as a skeptical international research community condemns the practice of Chinese clinics administering unproven stem cell therapies to domestic and foreign patients.

8 Jan 2010

Researchers identify key epigenetic mechanism that helps explain cocaine's addictiveness

Researchers have identified a key epigenetic mechanism in the brain that helps explain cocaine's addictiveness, according to research funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health.

8 Jan 2010

Scientists identify gene underlying a disease that causes temporary paralysis of skeletal muscle

Scientists have identified a gene underlying a disease that causes temporary paralysis of skeletal muscle. The finding, they say, illustrates how investigations of rare genetic diseases can drive insights into more common ones.

8 Jan 2010

Zebrafish publishes special issue on cancer biology

The zebrafish, a translucent fish often used as a model of human development and disease, offers unique advantages for studying the cause, growth, and spread of tumors using strategies and methods presented in the current "Cancer Biology" special issue of Zebrafish, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (www.liebertpub.com). The entire issue is available free online at www.liebertpub.com/zeb

8 Jan 2010

Researchers devise method to pinpoint key genetic variations under positive natural selection that may impact human health

Fossils may provide tantalizing clues to human history but they also lack some vital information, such as revealing which pieces of human DNA have been favored by evolution because they confer beneficial traits - resistance to infection or the ability to digest milk, for example. These signs can only be revealed through genetic studies of modern humans and other related species, though the task has proven difficult.

8 Jan 2010

Cell Medica signs R&D agreement with the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy

Cell Medica, a clinical cellular therapeutics company developing proven cell therapies which address important unmet clinical needs in oncology and infectious diseases, announced today the signing of an R&D agreement with the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, a joint program of Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital and The Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas.

8 Jan 2010

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

ALS TDI to receive grant of $1.6M for research and development of potential therapeutics for ALS

Multigene test results impact physicians and patients' decisions on breast cancer therapy

New blood test to identify changes in DNA linked with colorectal cancer now available in the U.S.

Proteinuria, a long accepted indicator of heart disease risk, has less impact on African-Americans compared to whites

BioMarin Pharmaceutical commences BMN 195 Phase 1 clinical study for DMD

Mirna Therapeutics receives ETF award to develop miRNA therapeutics for multiple cancers

Variations in SNPs involved in modulating electrical impulse that govern working of heart discovered

New breakthroughs in AS genome-wide association study

Research into "chemical chaperone" may lead to new treatments for heart attacks

Gene therapy may help correct molecular flaws that cause brain disease

SeraCare Life Sciences launches new products to aid discovery and development of drugs and diagnostics

Genentech's ACTEMRA approved to treat RA

ESF-UB Conference to concentrate on potentially clinically relevant polymorphisms

Scientists and clinicians address diagnosis and treatment for autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases

Chinese researchers become the world's fifth most prolific contributors to regenerative medicine

Researchers identify key epigenetic mechanism that helps explain cocaine's addictiveness

Scientists identify gene underlying a disease that causes temporary paralysis of skeletal muscle

Zebrafish publishes special issue on cancer biology

Researchers devise method to pinpoint key genetic variations under positive natural selection that may impact human health

Cell Medica signs R&D agreement with the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy

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

Exploring the role of confocal-based high-content imaging in advancing core facilities

Transforming Cardiovascular Care: Insights from Mina Makar at AstraZeneca

Clue's CEO Rhiannon White on the Future of Femtech and PCOS