Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

New chemicals shield 'genome guardian'

Cancer Research UK scientists have discovered a potent group of chemicals that protect p53 - a major anti-tumour gene - from destruction, a study published in Cancer Cell* today (Monday) reveals.

6 May 2008

Discovery of tenovins could lead to cancer cure

Scientists in Scotland have discovered a group of chemicals which protect one of the body's most important anti-cancer genes from destruction.

6 May 2008

Better understanding of immune response to HIV infection

The "exhaustion" of immune cells that target HIV appears to result from chronic exposure to the virus, specifically exposure to the particular protein segments targeted by the pathogen-killing HIV-specific CD8 T cells.

6 May 2008

FGFR2 gene increases susceptibility to breast cancer

Much work has been done to identify genetic variations that predispose women to breast cancer. Previous work showed that variants in the gene called fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) were associated with increased risk of the disease, but how these variants translated into increased risk was unknown.

6 May 2008

Forty-one percent of registered nurses find generics are less effective than name brand drugs say American Society of Registered Nurses

In a national online survey conducted by the American Society of Registered Nurses, 41% of the 781 Registered Nurses surveyed on April 28 reported that generic drugs are less effective than their equivalent brand-name counterparts.

5 May 2008

Most comprehensive kinome collection

Scientists from University of Helsinki, Institute of Molecular Medicine in Finland and OriGene Technologies joined effort in creating the most comprehensive kinome collection of nearly all predicted human protein kinases, including the functional kinases and their kinase-deficient counterparts. Equipped with this collection, the authors successfully identified novel kinase regulators in Hedgehog signaling pathway and in activation of Karposi's Sarcoma herpesvirus.

5 May 2008

Genes and the environment contribute differently to drinking among young adolescents

A new twins study from the Netherlands has found that genetic factors appear to be involved in the early initiation of alcohol use, while common environmental factors become involved once alcohol use has begun.

5 May 2008

Whole-organ genomic survey depicts journey from normal to malignant cell

Whole-organ maps that superimpose genetic information over the terrain of cancerous bladders chart the molecular journey from normal cell to invasive cancer, an international research team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports online at the journal Laboratory Investigation.

5 May 2008

Cells lining milk ducts hold key to spread of ductal carcinoma in situ

When a form of cancer that begins in the milk ducts of the breast invades neighboring tissue to spread to other parts of the body, the cause lies not in the tumor cells themselves but in a group of abnormal surrounding cells that cause the walls of the duct to deteriorate like a rusty pipe, according to a new study led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers.

5 May 2008

Secret to long life in lifestyle not genes

A research on the bone health of one of the oldest persons in the world, who recently died at the age of 114, reveals that there were no genetic modifications which could have contributed to this longevity.

5 May 2008

It's official - there's a rogue fat gene!

Scientists from Oxford and Cambridge say in their second discovery they have found new genetic variants that influence fat mass, weight and risk of obesity and increase the chances of being fat, which may explain why some people are always battling with their weight.

5 May 2008

Variations of the adiponectin gene may predict risk of breast cancer in women

According to a recent study, led by Virginia Kaklamani, MD, an oncologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and assistant professor of medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, variations of the adiponectin gene, which regulates a number of metabolic processes, may increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer.

2 May 2008

Innovations in brachioplasty

Innovations in Brachioplasty (arm lift) techniques will be discussed by leading experts at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) being held at the San Diego Convention Center May 2-6, 2008.

2 May 2008

Researchers report the cloning of a key group of human genes, the protein kinases

Although the human genome has been sequenced, research into mechanism of action of genes has been hampered by the fact that most human genes have not been isolated.

2 May 2008

Study identifies new mechanism linking activation of key heart enzyme and oxidative stress

A study, led by University of Iowa researchers, reveals a new dimension for a key heart enzyme and sheds light on an important biological pathway involved in cell death in heart disease.

1 May 2008

Harmful blood glucose levels linked to genetic mutation

A genetic mutation that can raise the amount of glucose in a person's blood to harmful levels is identified today in a study in the journal Science.

1 May 2008

Phase of clock gene expression in human leukocytes correlates with habitual sleep timing

The phase of clock gene expression in leukocytes, assessed in the absence of the masking effects of light-dark and sleep-wake cycles, correlates with habitual sleep timing, according to a study published in the May 1 issue of the journal SLEEP.

1 May 2008

New study raises questions about prostate cancer therapies targeting insulin-like growth factor receptor

Therapies under development to treat prostate cancer by inhibiting the ability of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) to activate its target receptor could have unexpected results especially if a major tumor suppressor gene - p53 - is already compromised, according to new research by investigators at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

1 May 2008

Small molecule nutlin-3a activates an important cancer suppressor gene

By activating a cancer suppressor gene, a small molecule called nutlin-3a can block cancer cell division, according to researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

1 May 2008

U.S. Congress passes genetic nondiscrimination act

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) today by a vote of 414-1, building on the momentum of last week's unanimous Senate vote.

1 May 2008