Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

Innovative urine test for highly specific prostate cancer gene shows promise

Gen-Probe's prototype urine test for PCA3 gene expression may help improve the diagnosis of prostate cancer, according to three early-stage studies presented as posters at the American Association for Clinical Chemistry's 37th Annual Oak Ridge Conference and the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).

20 Apr 2005

Searching for the right pharmaceutical agent: survival as the indicator

Tumor cells divide fast. They thus require a high supply of components for their DNA, like purines. The biosynthesis of purines could now be a new point of attack for chemotherapy. However, without a natural model, the search for an inhibitor for a cellular process is like the proverbial search for a needle in a haystack. An American research team has developed a clever way to quickly conjure the desired "needle" out of the hay, presenting several candidates to act as starting points for the design of a purine synthesis inhibitor.

19 Apr 2005

Ancient protein could be critical to stopping the uncontrolled division of tumor cells that cause cancer

Molecular Biology and Microbiology professor Mark Muller has found that the protein, called MKRN1, promotes the destruction of an enzyme called telomerase that enables rapid duplication of cells. While researchers have known for years that healthy cells repress telomerase, they haven't understood why.

19 Apr 2005

Researchers insert engineered human stem cells into the spinal cords of ALS-afflicted rats

Unveiling a delivery method that may one day help surgeons treat the deadly neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have inserted engineered human stem cells into the spinal cords of ALS-afflicted rats.

19 Apr 2005

Dramatic difference between breast cancers in US and Africa

A study comparing, for the first time, breast cancers from Nigeria, Senegal and North America has found that women of African ancestry are more likely to be diagnosed with a more virulent form of the disease than women of European ancestry.

19 Apr 2005

Method shows how precisely gene expression signals are copied in DNA replication

Genetic information that determines hair color or whether an individual might develop a particular cancer is passed from one generation to the next through DNA. Genes encoded in the DNA contain information, but a process called methylation is one factor that often controls how that information is expressed.

19 Apr 2005

Gene expression pattern predicts multiple drug resistance

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital discovery of genetic links to multi-drug resistance gives clinicians new insight into the cause of treatment failure and suggests targets for novel anti-leukemic drugs

19 Apr 2005

Stress can give the immune system a beneficial boost

New research in mice provides more evidence that a brief bout of stress can give the immune system a beneficial boost – under certain conditions.

19 Apr 2005

Researchers show why mutations in a certain few genes, such as the p53 tumor suppressor gene, are found in different cancers

Scientists have identified some of the first genetic triggers for cancer as mutations in specific oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. Full-blown tumors and metastatic cancers, however, often exhibit many genetic mutations, sometimes dozens in a given tumor. An important scientific question, and one with significant clinical implications, has been what happens after the initial mutation that leads to dangerous later-stage cancers with multiple damaged genes.

13 Apr 2005

Common genetic mutation that increases the risk of inheriting Hirschsprung disease

Gene hunters at Johns Hopkins have discovered a common genetic mutation that increases the risk of inheriting a particular birth defect not by the usual route of disrupting the gene's protein-making instructions, but by altering a regulatory region of the gene. Although the condition, called Hirschsprung disease, is rare, its complex genetics mimics that of more common diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.

13 Apr 2005

Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's may be delayed

In a study of people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), those who took the drug donepezil were at reduced risk of progressing to a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) during the first year of the trial, but by the end of the 3-year study there was no benefit from the drug. Vitamin E was also tested in the study and was found to have no effect at any time point in the study when compared with placebo.

13 Apr 2005

Scientists use transcription factors to increase insulin production in diabetic mice

A group of Japanese scientists has used gene therapy to deliver three insulin transcription factors, MafA, PDX-1, and NeuroD, to the livers of diabetic mice. As a result, the mice experienced an increase in insulin gene expression and insulin production, raising the possibility that this could eventually be used to treat diabetes.

13 Apr 2005

New findings about insulin-signaling in the liver could prove useful in understanding type 2 diabetes

A collaborative effort led by The Burnham Institute's Gen-Sheng Feng has created a mouse with improved glucose tolerance and insulin activity in the liver, and generated new findings about insulin-signaling in the liver that could prove useful in understanding the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes.

12 Apr 2005

Protein that regulates cholesterol levels may lead to new drug targets in the fight against obesity

A protein that regulates cholesterol levels in the body also is responsible for maintaining a healthy balance between fat storage and fat burning, according to a UT Southwestern Medical Center study that may lead to new drug targets in the fight against obesity.

12 Apr 2005

New medical uses for the Kunjin virus

Queensland Government scientists at the Department of Health Services have collaborated with scientists at the University of Queensland (UQ) and The Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) to discover new medical uses for the Kunjin virus.

12 Apr 2005

Advance in genetics of cleft lip and palate

Cleft lip and/or palate remains one of the most common birth defects in the world. It occurs when the sides of the face fuse abnormally in a developing baby, resulting in a malformed lip and/or roof of the mouth.

12 Apr 2005

Groundbreaking results for the potential treatment of Huntington's Disease

Sirna Therapeutics announced today that its collaborator at the University of Iowa, Dr. Beverly Davidson, published groundbreaking results for the potential treatment of Huntington's Disease (HD).

12 Apr 2005

Swedish team find gene with link to major diseases

In an exciting new discovery, which could affect millions of people, scientists from the Karolinska Institute and the Centre for Molecular Medicine (CMM) in Stockholm, Sweden, have identified a gene which links autoimmune diseases with cardiovascular diseases.

12 Apr 2005

Milk and meat from cloned cattle safe to eat

Scientists in the US and Japan say that milk and meat from cloned cattle appears safe for human consumption.

12 Apr 2005

New drugs help the immune system kill cancer cells

Researchers at the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR) announced today that they have discovered an effective way to enlist the immune system to help chemotherapy destroy breast cancer cells. The work, led by LIMR researchers Alexander J. Muller and George C. Prendergast, is reported in the March 2005 edition of the leading international medical journal Nature Medicine.

11 Apr 2005

Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

Innovative urine test for highly specific prostate cancer gene shows promise

Searching for the right pharmaceutical agent: survival as the indicator

Ancient protein could be critical to stopping the uncontrolled division of tumor cells that cause cancer

Researchers insert engineered human stem cells into the spinal cords of ALS-afflicted rats

Dramatic difference between breast cancers in US and Africa

Method shows how precisely gene expression signals are copied in DNA replication

Gene expression pattern predicts multiple drug resistance

Stress can give the immune system a beneficial boost

Researchers show why mutations in a certain few genes, such as the p53 tumor suppressor gene, are found in different cancers

Common genetic mutation that increases the risk of inheriting Hirschsprung disease

Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's may be delayed

Scientists use transcription factors to increase insulin production in diabetic mice

New findings about insulin-signaling in the liver could prove useful in understanding type 2 diabetes

Protein that regulates cholesterol levels may lead to new drug targets in the fight against obesity

New medical uses for the Kunjin virus

Advance in genetics of cleft lip and palate

Groundbreaking results for the potential treatment of Huntington's Disease

Swedish team find gene with link to major diseases

Milk and meat from cloned cattle safe to eat

New drugs help the immune system kill cancer cells

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

Small solutions for big problems in drug discovery and delivery

Professor Nancy Ip: Pioneering New Paths in Neurodegenerative Therapy

Utilizing process Raman in optimizing cultivated meat production