Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

National MS Society calls for grant applications to examine the impact of CCSVI hypothesis

2009 saw exciting research progress, unprecedented opportunities on the horizon, and more scientists than ever working on resolving important questions. Despite the year's economic and financial challenges, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society continues to propel research forward to end MS. In 2009 the Society provided over $33.5 million to support 345 new and ongoing projects in its research portfolio, plus $1.5 million for Fast Forward, the Society's drug development subsidiary which continues to attract new funding streams.

23 Dec 2009

Autism study and gene therapy in vision are top scientific achievements in 2009

A landmark autism study and a dramatic success for gene therapy in reversing inherited blindness, both at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, were recognized among the top scientific achievements in 2009, according to three national publications: Time magazine, Discover magazine and the journal Science.

23 Dec 2009

Discovery of inhibitory hormone may yield new treatments for cancer and other diseases

Nearly 10 years after the discovery that birds make a hormone that suppresses reproduction, University of California, Berkeley, neuroscientists have established that humans make it too, opening the door to development of a new class of contraceptive and possible treatments for cancer or other diseases.

23 Dec 2009

Reduced calories increase human cell lifespan

Going back for a second dessert after your holiday meal might not be the best strategy for living a long, cancer-free life say researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. That's because they've shown exactly how restricted calorie diets-specifically in the form of restricted glucose-help human cells live longer. This discovery, published online in The FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org) could help lead to drugs and treatments that slow human aging and prevent cancer.

23 Dec 2009

Enzyme dCK plays a profound role in normal lymphocyte development

Mice without the deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) enzyme have defects in their adaptive immune system, producing very low levels of both T and B lymphocytes, the major players involved in immune response, according to a study by researchers with UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

23 Dec 2009

Johns Hopkins scientists find a source of nonallergic itch

Scratching below the surface of a troublesome sensation that's equal parts tingle-tickle-prickle, sensory scientists from Johns Hopkins have discovered in mice a molecular basis for nonallergic itch.

23 Dec 2009

NHLBI grant for identifying genetic and epigenetic causes of human congenital heart disease

Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and Brigham and Women's Hospital have received funding from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to support their search for undiscovered gene defects that cause congenital heart disease. The $4.19 million, 6-year grant is part of the Pediatric Cardiac Genomics Consortium (PCGC), which seeks to identify genetic and epigenetic causes of human congenital heart disease, and relate genetic variants present in the congenital heart disease patient population to clinical outcomes.

23 Dec 2009

High prevalence of type 2 diabetes may be linked to excess niacin intake

Facing the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes worldwide in the past few decades, one may ask what is wrong with humans. Geneticists tell us that the human genome has not changed markedly in such a short time.

23 Dec 2009

LadaTech files patent infringement lawsuit against Illumina

LadaTech announced today that it has served its complaint upon Illumina, Inc. in its lawsuit for patent infringement in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. LadaTech is jointly owned by GlaxoSmithKline and IP Finance Holdings.

From Illumina, Inc. 22 Dec 2009

New project analyzes genetic sequence and variations of every gene expressed by 1,000 tumors

No two tumors are alike, but analyzing the genetics of cancers from different parts of the body may reveal surprising details useful for treatment and prevention.

22 Dec 2009

Tel Aviv University's new Genome Analyzer fuels research dreams and tomorrow's cures

To identify the hemophilia mutation that affected Queen Victoria and her European relatives, scientific detectives used a cutting-edge "deep sequencing tool." Able to trace rare genetic disease mutations, the tool can turn a single laboratory into a fertile genetic research center.

22 Dec 2009

PGxHealth, DHZ announce collaboration in genetic variant study with response to clopidogrel

PGxHealth, a division of Clinical Data, Inc., today announced that it has established a research collaboration with Deutsches Herzzentrum (DHZ), Munich, Germany, to evaluate the predictive value of genetic markers, including PGxHealth proprietary markers, for response to clopidogrel (Plavix®).

22 Dec 2009

Genome-wide study of African and African-American ancestry released by scientists

People who identify as African-American may be as little as 1 percent West African or as much as 99 percent, just one finding of a large-scale, genome-wide study of African and African-American ancestry released today.

22 Dec 2009

CD20 deficiency in humans results in impaired T cell-independent antibody responses

Antibodies directed against the protein CD20, which is expressed by immune cells known as B cells, are used to treat B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis.

22 Dec 2009

Common variations in genes associated with microcephaly may explain differences in brain size

A group of Norwegian and American researchers have shown that common variations in genes associated with microcephaly - a neuro-developmental disorder in which brain size is dramatically reduced - may explain differences in brain size in healthy individuals as well as in patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders.

22 Dec 2009

Discovery suggests how toxin-filtering cells go awry

Researchers from Children's Hospital Boston and Brigham and Women's Hospital have identified an important genetic cause of a devastating kidney disease that is the second leading cause of kidney failure in children, according to The NephCure Foundation.

22 Dec 2009

BUSM researchers discover new gene therapy for treating emphysema patients

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have discovered a new gene therapy that may prevent the progression of emphysema. The study, which appears on-line in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, describes a method to express therapeutic genes in lung tissue for a lifetime after only a single treatment.

22 Dec 2009

Scientists identify new therapeutic approach for overcoming emphysema

Individuals with single-gene mutations that mean they have abnormally low levels of the protein alpha-1 antitrypsin are highly susceptible to emphysema, a progressive lung disease that causes severe shortness of breath.

22 Dec 2009

Investigation of IDH1 gene mutations in brain cancer receives new funds

Agios Pharmaceuticals, the leading biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel drugs in the emerging field of cancer metabolism, announced today that it has received funding from Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure (ABC2), a non-profit organization that supports brain cancer research. ABC2’s funding will enable new research investigating IDH1 gene mutations in brain cancer, with the goal of supplementing Agios’s ongoing research into the development of new IDH1 therapeutics and diagnostics.

21 Dec 2009

Book on physiology of eating and weight regulation

The development of effective preventive and therapeutic measures to control eating and body weight involves basic physiology as well as cognitive and social psychology.

21 Dec 2009

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

National MS Society calls for grant applications to examine the impact of CCSVI hypothesis

Autism study and gene therapy in vision are top scientific achievements in 2009

Discovery of inhibitory hormone may yield new treatments for cancer and other diseases

Reduced calories increase human cell lifespan

Enzyme dCK plays a profound role in normal lymphocyte development

Johns Hopkins scientists find a source of nonallergic itch

NHLBI grant for identifying genetic and epigenetic causes of human congenital heart disease

High prevalence of type 2 diabetes may be linked to excess niacin intake

LadaTech files patent infringement lawsuit against Illumina

New project analyzes genetic sequence and variations of every gene expressed by 1,000 tumors

Tel Aviv University's new Genome Analyzer fuels research dreams and tomorrow's cures

PGxHealth, DHZ announce collaboration in genetic variant study with response to clopidogrel

Genome-wide study of African and African-American ancestry released by scientists

CD20 deficiency in humans results in impaired T cell-independent antibody responses

Common variations in genes associated with microcephaly may explain differences in brain size

Discovery suggests how toxin-filtering cells go awry

BUSM researchers discover new gene therapy for treating emphysema patients

Scientists identify new therapeutic approach for overcoming emphysema

Investigation of IDH1 gene mutations in brain cancer receives new funds

Book on physiology of eating and weight regulation

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