Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Researchers isolate gene mutations in patients with inherited amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) have discovered a new gene whose mutations cause familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurological disorder.

26 Feb 2009

New gene associated with Lou Gehrig's disease

A collaborative research effort spanning nearly a decade between researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and King's College London (KCL) has identified a novel gene for inherited amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease).

26 Feb 2009

Why do teeth form in a single row?

A system of opposing genetic forces determines why mammals develop a single row of teeth, while sharks sport several, according to a study published in the journal Science.

26 Feb 2009

Novel approach to gene hunting uncovers possible new targets for Crohn's disease drugs

Discovering the different genes that contribute to a complex disease is like searching in the proverbial haystack for an unknown number of needles--some much smaller than others, often blending into the background, and many of them widely separated from each other.

26 Feb 2009

How obesity, diet and exercise influence our metabolism and interact with our genome

Research by kinesiology investigator Dustin Hittel, PhD, has proven that muscle in extremely obese individuals produces large amounts of a protein called myostatin, which normally inhibits muscle growth-suggesting that for Type 2 diabetics, and the very obese, the task of getting healthy may be more difficult than initially thought.

26 Feb 2009

A second MND gene mutation in one year signifies rapid research progress

A collaborative research project involving Professor Christopher Shaw of the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London (KCL), Dr Tom Kwiatkowski at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Professor Robert H Brown at University of Massachusetts, has revealed that mutations in a gene called FUS (fused in sarcoma) cause familial Motor Neuron Disease (also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis).

26 Feb 2009

Discovery of gene that modifies severity of cystic fibrosis lung disease

Researchers have discovered a gene that modifies the severity of lung disease in people with the lethal genetic condition, cystic fibrosis, pointing to possible new targets for treatment, according to a new study in Nature.

25 Feb 2009

New insight into the expression of microRNAs

Two independent, upcoming G&D papers lend new insight into the expression of microRNAs and their targets during vertebrate development.

25 Feb 2009

Discovery of gene that modifies severity of cystic fibrosis lung disease

25 Feb 2009

Anti-cancer gene discovered

Starting with the tiny fruit fly, and then moving into mouse and human patients, researchers at VIB connected to the Center for Human Genetics (K.U. Leuven) showed that the same gene suppresses cancer in all three.

25 Feb 2009

Could our mother's diet at time we are conceived set the course for our future health?

This intriguing question is at the heart of a new study based on an "experiment of nature" being conducted by Wellcome Trust-funded researchers.

25 Feb 2009

Scientists identify stem-cell genes that help form plant organs

Plant stem-cells are master cells located at the tip of the stem and are part of a structure called the shoot apical meristem (SAM).

24 Feb 2009

Discovery of 'obesity gene' involved in weight gain response to high-fat diet

Scientists have determined that a specific gene plays a role in the weight-gain response to a high-fat diet.

24 Feb 2009

Investigational protein may reverse neurodegenerative diseases

An investigational protein that transformed normal laboratory mice into super-jocks holds great promise in developing new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), say researchers at the University of Virginia Health System.

24 Feb 2009

Exploring the roles of noise in the eukaryotic cell cycle

A single cell - whether a yeast cell or one of your cells - is exquisitely sensitive to its surroundings.

24 Feb 2009

Breakthrough in human papillomavirus research

UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) researchers have developed a new, inexpensive and efficient method for producing and studying a type of human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes cervical cancer.

23 Feb 2009

Hormone disorder drug cabergoline could help drinkers stay sober

A drug prescribed for male and female infertility and menstrual disorders could hold the key to a more effective treatment for alcoholism, according to a study by researchers at the UCSF-affiliated Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center.

23 Feb 2009

Stanford/Packard researchers recruit children for study of the biology of autism

Scientists have put forward many theories about why children with autism struggle to communicate with other people, but they have yet to find definitive answers.

23 Feb 2009

Significant Rett syndrome discovery

A paper published online today in Nature Neuroscience reveals the presence of methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) in glia. MeCP2 is a protein associated with a variety of neurological disorders, including Rett Syndrome, the most physically disabling of the autism spectrum disorders.

23 Feb 2009