“Researchers find genetic "signature" that accurately identifies colon cancer”
(April 13) News-Medical.net reports, “Researchers at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia have uncovered a genetic "signature" that accurately identifies colon cancer--a key, they hope, to better understand how the cancer develops.”
“Seeking Ancestry in DNA Ties Uncovered by Tests”
(April 12) The New York Times reports, “Alan Moldawer's adopted twins, Matt and Andrew, had always thought of themselves as white.”
“Protein's Role In Hemoglobin Gene Silencing Identified”
(April 12) Science Daily reports, “Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center researchers have identified the role of a protein in hemoglobin gene silencing that may one day be a potential target for the treatment of genetic blood disorders like sickle-cell anemia and beta-thalassemia on the molecular level.”
“Scientists Discover New Genetic Subtypes Of Common Blood Cancer”
(April 11) Science Daily reports, “Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and collaborators have identified four distinct genetic subtypes of multiple myeloma, a deadly blood cancer, that have different prognoses and might be treated most effectively with drugs specifically targeted to those subtypes.”
“In the Genes: When the Littlest Family Member Snores, Too”
(April 11) The New York Times reports, “Snoring may be genetic. Children who snore are almost three times as likely as others to have parents who snore.”
“Genetic variants in estrogen-related genes linked to Parkinson's disease in women”
(April 11) News-Medical.Net reports, “Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered a possible connection between increased risk for Parkinson's disease and variants in three genes that control estrogen production and activity in the body.”
“Large Family Study Pinpoints Genetic Linkage In Drug Addiction”
(April 11) Medical News Today reports, “Based on data obtained from one of the largest family sets of its kind, Yale School of Medicine researchers have identified a genetic linkage for dependence on drugs such as heroin, morphine and oxycontin.”
“Omega-3 protects retina”
(April 10) myDNA reports, “A paper published in Trends in Neuroscience this week by Nicolas G. Bazan, M.D., Ph.D., Boyd Professor and director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) in New Orleans, reports on the role that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil play in protecting cells in the retina from degenerative diseases like retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of loss of vision in those older than 65.”
“Pennsylvania researchers find liver transplants provide metabolic cure for rare genetic disease”
(April 10) EurekAlert! reports, “Liver transplants cured the metabolic symptoms of 11 patients with a rare but devastating genetic condition known as Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD), according to a study by researchers from Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and the Clinic for Special Children.”
“Altering genetic blueprint of receptors in brain could help stroke victims avoid brain damage”
(April 10) EurekAlert! reports, “A University of Central Florida researcher has demonstrated that altering AMPA receptors in animals improved their chances of surviving strokes and remaining healthier afterwards.”
“Curious consumers turn to own DNA for answers”
(April 10) elpasotimes.com reports, “For years, Art Thomas sifted through the stories and rumors traded among relatives and he wondered: Exactly where did I come from?”
“How A Faulty Gene Leads To Kidney Cancer May Pave Way For New Treatments To Block Kidney Cancer Growth”
(April 10) Medical News Today reports, “An important discovery about how a faulty gene leads to kidney cancer could pave the way for new treatments to block kidney cancer growth, a study published in Cancer Research.* (Monday 4 April 2006) reveals.”
“Lung Cancer Risk Calculated Based On Medical History And Genetics”
(April 9) Medical News Today reports, “Physicians have little to help them predict development of lung cancer in their patients - even a history of heavy smoking doesn't really help, since only a small fraction of lifetime smokers develops the cancer.”
“Markers Of Gene, Protein, Or Micro-RNA Activity Predict Outcome In Prostate And Colorectal Cancers”
(April 8) Science Daily reports, “Cancer researchers are working toward a future in which each patient's tumor will act like a crystal ball, revealing how oncologists should treat the cancer to obtain the best outcome.”
“Enzyme Crystal Structure Reveals 'Unexpected' Genome Repair Functions”
(April 7) Science Daily reports, “The research looked at XPB helicase from an archaea, a single cell organism similar to bacteria.”
“Enzyme could help prevent Alzheimer's?”
(April 7) myDNA reports, “An enzyme previously associated with preventing the dementia of Alzheimer's disease now appears to play an even bigger role in safeguarding against the disease, bringing the promise of new targets for drug therapies.”
“Half of cancer deaths preventable”
(April 7) myDNA reports, “A new report from the American Cancer Society says that far from being an unavoidable fate that is hard-wired into the genetic code, death from cancer is largely preventable.”
“Focus on common genetic disorders in Arab world”
(last accessed 2/2008)
(April 7) Khaleej Times Online reports, “The last session of the first Pan Arab Human Genetics Conference that was held yesterday featured lectures on consanguinity — blood relative — marriages in the Arab world as well as on the Islamic perspective towards human cloning, stem cell research and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis.”
“Cancer spreads by waves?”
(April 6) myDNA reports, “Mayo Clinic researchers have uncovered a new cellular secret that may explain how certain cancers move and spread - a feature of cancers that makes treatment especially difficult.”
“Decoding the Genetics of Common Disease”
(April 6) Bio IT World.com reports, “Ten years after he returned to his native Iceland to build a biopharma company, Kari Stefansson says deCODE Genetics’ intense search for genes underlying common diseases is not only pushing promising new drug candidates into the clinic but is also revealing new insights into the very basis of common disease.”