Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Foxp2 gene plays an essential role in the development of social communication

The association between Foxp2 and language was first identified in a family in which half the members had severe speech and grammar impairments. Studies showed that all the affected family members had a mutation in the Foxp2 gene.

21 Jun 2005

PNNL ScalaBLAST may be used to process complex genomic sequences

A new computational tool developed at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is speeding up our understanding of the machinery of life - bringing us one step closer to curing diseases, finding safer ways to clean the environment and protecting the country against biological threats.

21 Jun 2005

Researchers develop method that can help doctors choose the best combination of drugs for fighting cancer

The method is based on a mathematical model that determines when a cancer becomes drug-resistant during therapy. It does this by estimating the probability of finding drug-resistant mutant cells at different stages of cancer progression and examining the fate of individual mutant colonies during therapy.

21 Jun 2005

No increase in anxiety or depression when children of people with Alzheimer's get genetic testing

Adult children of people with Alzheimer’s disease were satisfied and unharmed by the experience of genetic risk assessment, even when results suggested they might be at risk, according to a new study presented at the first Alzheimer’s Association’s International Conference on the Prevention of Dementia.

21 Jun 2005

Researchers use PET/CT for molecular imaging of the heart

For the first time, researchers used positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) for imaging the subcellar function of the heart - from its subcellular function to its morphologic appearance. The results of the study were reported at the Society of Nuclear Medicine's 52nd Annual Meeting June 18–22 in Toronto.

20 Jun 2005

Cyr61 gene transfer appears potent in stimulation of myocardial angiogenesis

French scientists, examining the possibility of using nuclear medicine with gene therapy to fight heart diseases, reported their findings at the Society of Nuclear Medicine's 52nd Annual Meeting June 18–22 in Toronto.

20 Jun 2005

Fragile-X-syndrome research

The fragile-X-syndrome is the most common hereditary form of mental retardation and occurs much more often in boys than in girls.

20 Jun 2005

Early embryos with abnormal chromosomes are capable of returning to normal when grown in culture in the laboratory

While such embryos are not capable of developing into normal foetuses if implanted in a woman's womb, the discovery has important implications for stem cell production, especially in countries where the creation of embryos for stem cell research is discouraged or even banned.

20 Jun 2005

Women who have a special genetic profile can conceive spontaneously after the age of 45 years

Dr. Neri Laufer, from the Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel, told the conference that his team's work to identify a specific gene expression profile linked to later fertility would help understanding of the ageing process, as well as enabling the development of better treatments for infertility in older patients.

20 Jun 2005

Australian researchers at the forefront of an international project to identify genes associated with schizophrenia

University of Queensland researchers are at the forefront of an international project to identify genes associated with schizophrenia, a common mental illness whose causes are not fully understood.

20 Jun 2005

FDA severely limits access to cancer drug Iressa

After Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials agreed with studies showing lung cancer drug, Iressa, did not help patients live longer, drug company AstraZeneca said it would severely limit access to its drug.

20 Jun 2005

Study shows why thiazolidinediones cause edema and helps understand role of kidneys in hypertension

In related discoveries with far-reaching implications for treating diabetes and understanding hypertension, University of Utah researchers have learned why thiazolidinediones (TZDs), a major anti-diabetes drug, cause edema and also have found a new pathway critical to fluid metabolism. Identification of this pathway may help understand fundamental mechanisms of blood pressure control.

19 Jun 2005

Most common form of lung cancer may begin in a group of newly isolated lung stem cells

Working in a mouse model, the researchers isolated a novel type of lung cell that can divide into fresh copies of itself and into the two more specialized kinds of cells deep in the lung.

16 Jun 2005

Specific genetic linkages to bipolar disorder

Despite an intensive effort, researchers have yet to identify the genes that cause bipolar disorder, yet the practical benefits of such a discovery could reap rich rewards for those suffering from the mental illness.

16 Jun 2005

Researchers explore the genetic roots of congenital diaphragmatic hernias

To breathe normally, people need more than just healthy lungs. A diaphragm - the large muscle that creates a vacuum to draw air into their lungs - is also crucial.

16 Jun 2005

Inactive gene may explain higher incidence of prostate cancer in African-Americans compared to Caucasians

Among African-Americans with prostate cancer, a tumor-suppressing gene called GSTP1 is inactivated at a rate 3.5 times higher than among Caucasians, according to a study conducted at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC).

16 Jun 2005

Scientists have tracked down the biological trigger that gives rise to Van Buchem disease

...a hereditary, disfiguring bone disorder that can cause blindness and deafness. The findings provide insight into long-range gene regulation and could lead to new treatments for osteoporosis and other crippling bone disorders.

16 Jun 2005

High exposure to the sun halves risk of prostate cancer

Cancer researchers in the U.S. say that high exposure to the sun halved the risk of prostate cancer in men participating in a U.S. trial.

16 Jun 2005

Jumping genes help detemine uniqueness of individual brains

Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies may have found one explanation for the puzzling variety in brain organization and function: mobile elements, pieces of DNA that can jump from one place in the genome to another, randomly changing the genetic information in single brain cells.

15 Jun 2005

New research shows that genes exert powerful effect on sexual behavior

New research has shown that the manipulation of a single gene in female fruit flies can make their sexual behavior resemble that of males, in a study that demonstrates the power of individual genes and the profound impact of genetics on complex sexual behavior.

15 Jun 2005

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Foxp2 gene plays an essential role in the development of social communication

PNNL ScalaBLAST may be used to process complex genomic sequences

Researchers develop method that can help doctors choose the best combination of drugs for fighting cancer

No increase in anxiety or depression when children of people with Alzheimer's get genetic testing

Researchers use PET/CT for molecular imaging of the heart

Cyr61 gene transfer appears potent in stimulation of myocardial angiogenesis

Fragile-X-syndrome research

Early embryos with abnormal chromosomes are capable of returning to normal when grown in culture in the laboratory

Women who have a special genetic profile can conceive spontaneously after the age of 45 years

Australian researchers at the forefront of an international project to identify genes associated with schizophrenia

FDA severely limits access to cancer drug Iressa

Study shows why thiazolidinediones cause edema and helps understand role of kidneys in hypertension

Most common form of lung cancer may begin in a group of newly isolated lung stem cells

Specific genetic linkages to bipolar disorder

Researchers explore the genetic roots of congenital diaphragmatic hernias

Inactive gene may explain higher incidence of prostate cancer in African-Americans compared to Caucasians

Scientists have tracked down the biological trigger that gives rise to Van Buchem disease

High exposure to the sun halves risk of prostate cancer

Jumping genes help detemine uniqueness of individual brains

New research shows that genes exert powerful effect on sexual behavior

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

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Exploring the Future of Neuroscience Drug Discovery

Genomic conservation in Thailand's mangroves