Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

New collaborative effort focuses on therapeutic research for CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder

CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder is a devastating neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in the CDKL5 gene.

30 Oct 2019

Genetic endowment, family dynamics play a large role in athletic development

The Journal of Athletic Training, the National Athletic Trainers' Association's scientific publication, released today Early Single Sport Specialization in a High-Achieving U.S. Athlete Population: Comparing National Collegiate Athletic Association Student-Athletes and Undergraduate Students in their special thematic issue focused on youth sport specialization.

30 Oct 2019

Youth with psychosis spectrum disorders have distinct brain region alterations

Psychotic spectrum (PS) disorders are characterized by abnormalities in beliefs, perceptions and behavior, but how these disorders manifest themselves in earlier development stages is largely unknown.

30 Oct 2019

Rock icon receives replacement heart valve in New York City hospital

Mick Jagger owes some thanks for the fact he's alive and strutting to Ajit Yoganathan and his lab crew. In fact, millions of people do.

30 Oct 2019

Boozing leads to small brains or people with small brains drink more?

Research has shown that excessive alcohol use is associated with reduction in brain volume. Now a new study has shown that brain volume is associated genetically with a predisposition to excessive alcohol consumption.

29 Oct 2019

Researchers discover cause of new inherited form of pancreatitis

What began as a 51-year-old mystery comes down to a single gene, as researchers from the University of Chicago and University of California, San Francisco discovered the cause of a new inherited form of pancreatitis.

29 Oct 2019

Polygenic scoring system shows promise to predict depression risk and resilience under stress

Depression doesn't come from one gene, one life event, or one personality trait. That's what makes it so hard to predict, prevent or treat effectively.

29 Oct 2019

Landmark study pinpoints the birthplace of modern humans

A landmark study led by Sydney researchers pinpoints the birthplace of modern humans in southern Africa and suggests how climate change may have driven the first migrations.

29 Oct 2019

New study implicates role of HDAC9 gene in calcification of the human aorta

Arterial wall calcification is the buildup of calcium in the blood vessel walls, which can often be a predictor of serious cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes. Scientists have long pointed to family history as one possible cause for this hardening of the arteries, but a new study published in Nature Genetics implicates a specific gene - HDAC9 - in the calcification of the human aorta, the largest blood vessel in the body.

29 Oct 2019

Study sheds new light on mechanism behind evolution of antibiotic resistance

Researchers have provided new insight into a mechanism behind the evolution of antibiotic resistance in a type of bacterium that causes severe infections in humans.

29 Oct 2019

NSU study points to another potential connection between sleep and overall good health

As if you didn't already have enough to worry about to keep you up at night, a new study indicates that poor sleep can negatively affect your gut microbiome, which can, in turn, lead to additional health issues.

29 Oct 2019

MPST enzyme levels in hair could be a good biomarker for schizophrenia

Working with model mice, post-mortem human brains, and people with schizophrenia, researchers at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan have discovered that a subtype of schizophrenia is related to abnormally high levels hydrogen sulfide in the brain.

28 Oct 2019

Wild polio virus strain 3 finally conquered say scientists

World Polio day is observed on the 24th of October. This year on the day officials announced that one of the three strains of the wild polio virus has been finally wiped out due to persistent vaccination efforts across the globe.

26 Oct 2019

Discovery in monkeys could pave way for treatment of Bardet-Biedl Syndrome

A genetic mutation that leads to a rare, but devastating blindness-causing syndrome has been discovered in monkeys for the first time. The finding offers a promising way to develop gene and cell therapies that could treat the condition in people.

25 Oct 2019

Functional medicine model linked to improvements in health-related quality of life

In the first retrospective cohort study of the functional medicine model, Cleveland Clinic researchers found that functional medicine was associated with improvements in health-related quality of life. The study was published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open.

25 Oct 2019

Study finds molecular key to formation of mature and fully functioning T cells

In a finding that could help lead to new therapies for immune diseases like multiple sclerosis and IBD, scientists report in the Journal of Experimental Medicine identifying a gene and family of proteins critical to the formation of mature and fully functioning T cells in the immune system.

25 Oct 2019

First-line antihypertensives may not be most effective, study shows

Thiazide diuretics demonstrate better effectiveness and cause fewer side effects than ACE inhibitors as first-line antihypertensive drugs, according to a report published Oct. 24 in The Lancet.

25 Oct 2019

Scientists pinpoint epigenetic differences in the way lupus affects black women

Scientists at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology have pinpointed epigenetic differences in the way lupus affects black women compared to other lupus patients, revealing important mechanics of the puzzling disease.

24 Oct 2019

How does cancer look on day 1? Researchers collaborate to find out

Researchers from Britain and United States are working in collaboration to detect the earliest possible sign of cancer within the body and trace the alterations that lead to full blown cancer. This may help doctors detect cancer even before it is fully formed, the researchers hope.

24 Oct 2019

Genetic variations linked to declines in blood oxygen levels during sleep identified

Researchers have identified 57 genetic variations of a gene strongly associated with declines in blood oxygen levels during sleep. Low oxygen levels during sleep are a clinical indicator of the severity of sleep apnea, a disorder that increases the risk of heart disease, dementia, and death.

24 Oct 2019