Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Emory researchers complete detailed maps of 184 duplications found in genomes

Copy number variations (deletions or duplications of large chunks of the genome) are a major cause of birth defects, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disorders. Still, geneticists can definitively say how a CNV, once discovered in someone's DNA, leads to one of these conditions in just a fraction of cases.

31 Jan 2015

Altered dopamine signaling may contribute to autism

Newly discovered genetic variations linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) disrupt the function of the dopamine transporter, suggesting that altered dopamine signaling contributes to this common developmental condition, according to a Vanderbilt University-led research team.

31 Jan 2015

Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation names 15 new Damon Runyon Fellows

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on supporting innovative early career researchers, named 15 new Damon Runyon Fellows at its fall Fellowship Award Committee review. The recipients of this prestigious, four-year award are outstanding postdoctoral scientists conducting basic and translational cancer research in the laboratories of leading senior investigators across the country.

31 Jan 2015

Multiplexed testing for EGFR and ALK gene rearrangements may be cost-effective for NSCLC treatment

Multiplexed genetic screening for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements and subsequent biomarker-guided treatment is cost-effective compared with standard chemotherapy treatment without any molecular testing in the metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) setting in the United States.

31 Jan 2015

Scientists reveal mechanism underlying cellular degeneration of upper motor neurons

For the first time, scientists have revealed a mechanism underlying the cellular degeneration of upper motor neurons, a small group of neurons in the brain recently shown to play a major role in ALS pathology.

31 Jan 2015

TCGA researchers uncover differences between tumors with and without HPV infection

The study by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) researchers analyzed the genomes of 279 head and neck cancer tumors. They identified subtypes of head and neck cancer based on their genomic characteristics, changes in smoking-related tumors, as well as genomic differences in head and neck cancer tumors linked to HPV, the most commonly sexually transmitted disease in the United States.

31 Jan 2015

TAU researchers identify novel proteins capable of stymieing growth in antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Antibiotic-resistant infections are on the rise, foiling efforts to reduce death rates in developing countries where uncontrolled use of antibiotics and poor sanitation run amok. The epidemic of "superbugs," bacteria resistant to antibiotics, knows no borders -- presenting a clear and present danger around the globe.

31 Jan 2015

Cell-penetrating nanoparticles can efficiently transport oligonucleotide drugs into cells

Therapeutic oligonucleotide analogs represent a new and promising family of drugs that act on nucleic acid targets such as RNA or DNA; however, their effectiveness has been limited due to difficulty crossing the cell membrane.

31 Jan 2015

Researchers identify molecular mechanisms that can prevent blindness, promote recovery from stroke

Research led by Nicolas Bazan, MD, PhD, Boyd Professor, Ernest C. and Yvette C. Villere Chair of Retinal Degeneration Research, and Director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at LSU Health New Orleans, has discovered gene interactions that determine whether cells live or die in such conditions as age-related macular degeneration and ischemic stroke.

31 Jan 2015

Pancreatic cancer cells know a way to sidestep chemotherapy, reveal Fox Chase researchers

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of the disease. The American Cancer Society's most recent estimates for 2014 show that over 46,000 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and more than 39,000 will die from it. Now, research led by Timothy J. Yen, PhD, Professor at Fox Chase Cancer Center, reveals that one reason this deadly form of cancer can be so challenging to treat is because its cells have found a way to sidestep chemotherapy.

30 Jan 2015

Scientists identify strong link between beclin 1 gene and triple-negative breast cancer

UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists have identified a strong link between the most aggressive type of breast cancer and a gene that regulates the body's natural cellular recycling process, called autophagy.

30 Jan 2015

Using antioxidant to reverse brain inflammation improves obesity, diabetes symptoms

Using an antioxidant to reverse inflammation in the brain caused by a high-fat diet greatly improves symptoms related to obesity and type II diabetes, a new study from New Zealand's University of Otago suggests.

30 Jan 2015

TxCell receives milestone payment of EUR 1 million concerning Ovasave collaboration, license agreement from Trizell

TxCell SA, a biotechnology company developing innovative, cost-effective, personalized T-cell immunotherapies using antigen specific regulatory T-cells (Ag-Tregs) for severe chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, announces today the receipt of the latest milestone payment of EUR 1 million from the Ovasave collaboration option, development and license agreement from Trizell (Trizell Holding SA).

30 Jan 2015

AstraZeneca announces research collaborations to use genome-editing tool for drug discovery and development

AstraZeneca today announced four research collaborations aimed at harnessing the power of CRISPR, a pioneering genome-editing technique, across its entire discovery platform in the company’s key therapeutic areas.

30 Jan 2015

Study: Common pesticide may alter the development of brain's dopamine system

A commonly used pesticide may alter the development of the brain's dopamine system -- responsible for emotional expression and cognitive function - and increase the risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children, according to a new Rutgers study.

30 Jan 2015

EKF Molecular Diagnostics collaborates with ANGLE for liquid biopsy development using Parsortix and PointMan technologies

EKF Molecular Diagnostics has agreed a collaboration with specialist medtech company ANGLE plc, to investigate the combination of ANGLE's Parsortix circulating tumour cell (CTC) harvesting platform with EKF Molecular's PointMan™ DNA enrichment technology as a liquid biopsy. If successful, the resulting simple blood test could enable the investigation of unexpected ultra-low level mutations in a patient's cancer for personalised cancer care.

29 Jan 2015

People who carry longevity gene variant have larger brain region

People who carry a variant of a gene that is associated with longevity also have larger volumes in a front part of the brain involved in planning and decision-making, according to researchers at UC San Francisco.

29 Jan 2015

UCSD professor wins 2015 Japan Prize

Theodore Friedmann, MD, professor in the Department of Pediatrics at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine was named today one of three recipients of the 2015 Japan Prize, a prestigious international award honoring laureates whose "original and outstanding achievements in science and technology have advanced the frontiers of knowledge and served the cause of peace and prosperity for mankind.

29 Jan 2015

Scientists publish catalog of genetic mutations found in head and neck cancers

Scientists have published the first comprehensive catalog of genetic mutations and other abnormal changes found in 279 cancers of the head and neck, and have identified several broken molecular pathways that might be targeted by existing and future cancer drugs.

28 Jan 2015

Primary care physicians unfamiliar with California breast density law, shows UC Davis study

Ten months after California legislators enacted a controversial law mandating that radiologists notify women if they have dense breast tissue, UC Davis researchers have found that half of primary care physicians are still unfamiliar with the law and many don't feel comfortable answering breast density-related questions from patients.

28 Jan 2015

Gene News and Research

Latest Gene News and Research

Emory researchers complete detailed maps of 184 duplications found in genomes

Altered dopamine signaling may contribute to autism

Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation names 15 new Damon Runyon Fellows

Multiplexed testing for EGFR and ALK gene rearrangements may be cost-effective for NSCLC treatment

Scientists reveal mechanism underlying cellular degeneration of upper motor neurons

TCGA researchers uncover differences between tumors with and without HPV infection

TAU researchers identify novel proteins capable of stymieing growth in antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Cell-penetrating nanoparticles can efficiently transport oligonucleotide drugs into cells

Researchers identify molecular mechanisms that can prevent blindness, promote recovery from stroke

Pancreatic cancer cells know a way to sidestep chemotherapy, reveal Fox Chase researchers

Scientists identify strong link between beclin 1 gene and triple-negative breast cancer

Using antioxidant to reverse brain inflammation improves obesity, diabetes symptoms

TxCell receives milestone payment of EUR 1 million concerning Ovasave collaboration, license agreement from Trizell

AstraZeneca announces research collaborations to use genome-editing tool for drug discovery and development

Study: Common pesticide may alter the development of brain's dopamine system

EKF Molecular Diagnostics collaborates with ANGLE for liquid biopsy development using Parsortix and PointMan technologies

People who carry longevity gene variant have larger brain region

UCSD professor wins 2015 Japan Prize

Scientists publish catalog of genetic mutations found in head and neck cancers

Primary care physicians unfamiliar with California breast density law, shows UC Davis study

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