Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Gene find sheds light on motor neuron diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Scientists have identified a gene in mice that plays a central role in the proper development of one of the nerve cells that goes bad in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, and some other diseases that affect our motor neurons.

22 Oct 2008

Discovery of genetic switch critical for cell survival in Hypoxia

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified a critical metabolic "switch" in fruit flies that helps oxygen-deprived cells survive. "A transcriptional suppressor, called hairy, is crucial for reducing the mismatch between supply and demand of oxygen," said Dan Zhou, first author on the study, published October 17 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.

21 Oct 2008

Gene could 'knock the sox' off cancer!

Australian scientists from the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at The University of Queensland (UQ), have identified a gene which could very well 'knock the sox' off cancer and lymphatic disorders.

21 Oct 2008

Beyond recognizing odors, a single neuron controls reactions

Babies will smile when they catch the scent of vanilla, but a whiff of rotting meat will send them into fits. From people to mice and flies to worms, animals of all kinds are born with likes and dislikes thanks to the evolutionary wisdom collected in their genes. But new research shows that some preferences are still surprisingly flexible at even the most basic level - that of the sensory neuron itself - and that our nervous system may be even more adaptable than we thought.

20 Oct 2008

Genentech announces phase III study of Avastin plus chemotherapy in adjuvant colon cancer will continue

Genentech, Inc. today announced that it has been informed by the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) that an ongoing Phase III study (NSABP C-08) of Avastin (bevacizumab) plus chemotherapy in patients with early-stage colon cancer will continue as planned.

20 Oct 2008

Better TB vaccine in the pipeline

Scientists in the U.S. believe they have a vaccine in the pipeline that offers better protection from tuberculosis (TB).

20 Oct 2008

Genes that control cell death may play role in age-related hearing loss

Several genes that play a role in how our body's cells normally auto-destruct may play a role in age-related hearing loss, according to research published online in the journal Apoptosis - a journal devoted to the topic of cell suicide, or programmed cell death.

19 Oct 2008

Ocimum Biosolutions awarded two U.S. patents for gene expression technology

Ocimum Biosolutions has announced issuance of United States Patent No. 7,428,554 which covers the company's proprietary system and method for determining matching patterns within gene expression data and US Patent No. 7426441, which covers methods for determining renal toxins.

15 Oct 2008

Discovery of two novel gene locations that raise risk of type 1 diabetes

Genetics researchers have identified two novel gene locations that raise the risk of type 1 diabetes. As they continue to reveal pieces of the complicated genetic puzzle for this disease, the researchers expect to improve predictive tests and devise preventive strategies.

14 Oct 2008

Design of a compound that stabilizes the main natural suppressor of tumours

An interdisciplinary team of researchers, headed by Ernest Giralt at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and Javier de Mendoza at the "Institut Catala d'Investigaciió Quimica" (ICIQ, Tarragona), have discovered a substance with the capacity to maintain protein p53 stable even when it presents certain mutations that promote the appearance of cancer.

14 Oct 2008

Unpicking the complexity of human disease

Impressive advances in our understanding of the genetic basis of disease were outlined at the 3rd ESF Functional Genomics Conference in Innsbruck, Austria.

13 Oct 2008

1 in 7 men destined to go bald due to genes

Scientists have discovered that 1 in 7 men have a genetic risk for baldness. Researchers at Canada's McGill University and King's College London along with scientists at drug company GlaxoSmithKline have solved the mystery of male pattern baldness but say treating it will require more research.

13 Oct 2008

Quark Pharmaceuticals' siRNAs examined alone and in xombination with chemotherapy

Quark Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that the journal Cancer Research published results on efficacy of siRNA targeting its proprietary target gene against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the edition dated October 1, 2008.

12 Oct 2008

Ultrafast photodynamics of DNA

DNA, the molecule that acts as the carrier of genetic information in all forms of life, is highly resistant against alteration by ultraviolet light, but understanding the mechanism for its photostability presents some puzzling problems. A key aspect is the interaction between the four chemical bases that make up the DNA molecule.

12 Oct 2008

Abdominal venous thrombosis risk factors

Abdominal venous thrombosis may present as BCS or SVT. Hereditary and acquired risk factors have been implicated in the etiopathogenesis of abdominal venous thrombosis.

12 Oct 2008

Male baldness gene in Caucasians discovered

Researchers at McGill University, King's College London and GlaxoSmithKline Inc. have identified two genetic variants in caucasians that together produce an astounding sevenfold increase the risk of male pattern baldness. Their results will be published Oct. 12 in the journal Nature Genetics.

12 Oct 2008

Inherited disorders and copy number changes in human alpha-globin genes

A researcher from the University of Leicester has shed new light on the way genetic material is exchanged between chromosomes, the effect this 'aberrant exchange' has had on inherited disorders like thalassaemia (a form of anaemia), and its link with malaria.

12 Oct 2008

Tuberculosis vaccine a step closer

Researchers at Aberystwyth University, following a number of years of investment by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), have licensed ground-breaking research to a non-profit product development partnership working to develop new, more effective vaccines against Tuberculosis (TB). This development will give hope that significantly better prevention and treatment of TB will be available within the next few years.

12 Oct 2008

Gene responsible for premature ejaculation

The rapidity of ejaculation in men is genetically determined. This is the result of research by Utrecht University. Neuropsychiatrist Dr Marcel Waldinger and Pharmacological Researcher Paddy Janssen studied 89 Dutch men with premature ejaculation and will publish the results this week in the renowned International scientific journal the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

12 Oct 2008

Ginkgo biloba may prevent brain cell damage after a stroke

Working with genetically engineered mice, researchers at Johns Hopkins have shown that daily doses of a standardized extract from the leaves of the ginkgo tree can prevent or reduce brain damage after an induced stroke.

12 Oct 2008