Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

Alzheimer's and Parkinson's under the microscope

A detailed discussion by top researches in the field into current Alzheimer's and Parkinson's research features as article of the month in the prestigious journal, Nature Reviews Neuroscience.

24 Jun 2008

Quantum dots stop RNA interference in living cells

More than 15 years ago scientists discovered a way to stop a particular gene in its tracks. The Nobel Prize-winning finding holds tantalizing promise for medical science, but so far it has been difficult to apply the technique, known as RNA interference, in living cells.

24 Jun 2008

Genetic mutation and cat exposure at birth may increase a child's risk of developing eczema

A gene mutation and cat exposure at birth may increase a child's risk of developing eczema during their first year according to a study published in PLoS Medicine. Researchers led by Professor Hans Bisgaard (University Hospital Gentofte, Copenhagen, Denmark) studied the association between mutations in the filaggrin gene (FLG) and exposure to environmental factors with the development of eczema.

24 Jun 2008

Hunger hormone ghrelin increases during stress, may have antidepressant effect

New research at UT Southwestern Medical Center may explain why some people who are stressed or depressed overeat.

24 Jun 2008

Researchers create molecule that nudges nerve stem cells to mature

Inspired by a chance discovery during another experiment, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have created a small molecule that stimulates nerve stem cells to begin maturing into nerve cells in culture.

24 Jun 2008

New, previously unrecognized source of heart stem cells discovered

Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston are continuing to document the heart's earliest origins. Now, they have pinpointed a new, previously unrecognized group of stem cells that give rise to cardiomyocytes, or heart muscle cells. These stem cells, located in the surface of the heart, or epicardium, advance the hope of being able to regenerate injured heart tissue.

23 Jun 2008

New way to limit gene transfer and expression

Researchers from Northwestern University and Texas A & M University have discovered a new way to limit gene transfer and expression to specific tissues in animals.

23 Jun 2008

Improving understanding of cell behaviour in breast cancer

The invasion and spread of cancer cells to other parts of the body, known as metastasis, is a principal cause of death in patients diagnosed with breast cancer.

19 Jun 2008

New drug offers hope for Alzheimer's victims

An experimental drug to treat Alzheimer's Disease has been seen to be effective in trials with Alzheimer's patients.

18 Jun 2008

Melanomas "run" in families - CDKN2A gene reveals why

When people know the results of genetic tests confirming they have inherited an increased risk of developing melanoma, they follow skin cancer screening recommendations more proactively-much like those who have already been diagnosed with the potentially deadly disease, according to results of a study completed at the University of Utah's Huntsman Cancer Institute. and published in the June issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

17 Jun 2008

Five common genetic variations linked to metabolic syndrome and HDL cholesterol levels

Nutrition researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified five common genetic variations that increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, a group of factors linked to heart disease and diabetes. Another variant they found appeared to protect against the condition.

17 Jun 2008

New hope for patients with breast cancers resistant to tamoxifen

Researchers have found a new family of therapeutic agents that interferes with the ability of estrogen to stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells. The results of the new study will be presented by Nicole Patterson at The Endocrine Society's 90th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

16 Jun 2008

Noninvasive molecular imaging technology helps track stem cells in tumors

Using noninvasive molecular imaging technology, a method has been developed to track the location and activity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the tumors of living organisms, according to researchers at the Society of Nuclear Medicine's 55th Annual Meeting. This ability could lead to major advances in the use of stem cell therapies to treat cancer.

16 Jun 2008

Gene radiotherapy system shows promise for fighting treatment-resistant cancer cells

A gene radiotherapy system that detects and treats cancer cells that are resistant to traditional forms of chemotherapy and radiation showed success in the laboratory and could eventually prove beneficial for cancer patients, according to researchers at the Society of Nuclear Medicine's 55th Annual Meeting.

16 Jun 2008

Computer predicts anti-cancer molecules

A new computer-based method of analyzing cellular activity has correctly predicted the anti-tumour activity of several molecules.

16 Jun 2008

Discovery of mechanisms that direct cholinergic synapse assembly between neurons in vivo

Rapid information processing in the nervous system requires synapses, specialized contact sites between nerve cells and their targets. One particular synapse type, cholinergic, uses the chemical transmitter acetylcholine to communicate between nerve cells. Cholinergic synapses are essential for normal learning and memory, arousal, attention, and all autonomic (involuntary) nervous system functions.

16 Jun 2008

Bionovo discovers new estrogen regulatory elements for breast cancer and osteoporosis drugs

Bionovo Inc. today announced results on the role of estrogen regulatory elements important in developing drugs for breast cancer and osteoporosis.

16 Jun 2008

Cymbalta approved for fibromyalgia

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Cymbalta (duloxetine HCl) for the management of fibromyalgia, a chronic widespread pain disorder, Eli Lilly and Company announced.

16 Jun 2008

European researchers take lid off the genome

European researchers have made significant progress unravelling how genes are governed and why this sometimes goes wrong in disease.

15 Jun 2008

Discovery of mechanism that prevents cells from transforming into cancer cells

MRC scientists have discovered a mechanism that prevents cells from transforming into cancer cells. As cells age they enter a state called senescence, a kind of suspended animation that allows a cell to keep functioning but prevents it from changing. This state can also be triggered by what's called an 'insult' to the cell, for example a signal from a cancer-initiating gene.

15 Jun 2008